MINI2 - MINI Forum - View Single Post - difference cold air intake and normal air intake filter

Richard Crofts · Mar 30th, 2006, 08:43 AM

A cold air intake is usually enclosed in a box (in the case of ALta and GTT this box is either metal or lined with metal) which shields the cone filter from warm air/heat off the engine or intercooler (if its an S). The shielded box usually has a direct cold air feed (a pipe from the front of the engine bay) that sucks in cold air from outside and straight into the box.

A noirmal intake is either like the stock one in a plastic box with a panel filter or it is an open cone that just sits inside the engine bay with no heat sheilding and usually no direct cold air feed onto the cone filter.

A cold air intake generally gives better power as cold air is denser than warm air and so the bang inside the cylinder of the engine is bigger and more efficient.

Mar 30th, 2006, 08:43 AM	#7
Richard Crofts THE STICK Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Worcestershire WR15 Local Time: 02:43 AM Posts: 3,060 Offline	A cold air intake is usually enclosed in a box (in the case of ALta and GTT this box is either metal or lined with metal) which shields the cone filter from warm air/heat off the engine or intercooler (if its an S). The shielded box usually has a direct cold air feed (a pipe from the front of the engine bay) that sucks in cold air from outside and straight into the box. A noirmal intake is either like the stock one in a plastic box with a panel filter or it is an open cone that just sits inside the engine bay with no heat sheilding and usually no direct cold air feed onto the cone filter. A cold air intake generally gives better power as cold air is denser than warm air and so the bang inside the cylinder of the engine is bigger and more efficient.