6/9/2011 - Teaser

Cold Air Intake Buyer's Guide: 6 Cold Air Intakes to Consider

Here at Summit Racing Equipment headquarters in Akron, Ohio, we spend six months a year wishing for more heat. From late-October to early-May, one of our favorite pastimes is complaining about the cold. Then, once the weather turns warm, we shift our focus to our “other” passions—things like high performance cars, racing, and off-roading. And that’s when we finally admit it:

Colder can actually be better!

Case in point: cold air intakes. These specially designed air intakes cram your engine with colder, denser air than standard air intakes. This enhanced intake charge helps create more complete combustion and, ultimately, more horsepower.

Thanks to companies like AEM, K&N, and Volant, there are plenty of high quality cold air intakes available. Depending on your vehicle, needs, and budget, you can choose from a variety of cold air intake systems, including open element, sealed, and modular designs. We offer cold air intake systems from dozens of top brand names, but here are six different, popular designs (plus a few additional alternatives) that’ll help you use the cold to your advantage:

K&N 63 Series Aircharger Kit
The K&N 63 Series Aircharger Kit features an open-element design that utilizes the largest conical air filter you can fit into your engine compartment. The larger filter sucks in a higher volume of airflow than smaller filters, which are designed to fit into your stock air box. The increased surface area of the oversized filter also captures and holds more dirt than standard-sized filters.

This K&N cold air intake includes a rotationally-molded polyethylene intake tube to provide a smooth, kink-free airflow path, and a heat shield isolates the filter from engine heat. That allows your engine to breathe in a larger volume of cold air. Other big name companies use a similar, open element design—here are a few additional options to consider, depending on your vehicle make and model:
BBK Cold Air Induction Systems
AEM Induction Cold Air Intake Kits
Injen SP Series Speed Pro Intake System

Volant Cool Air Intake System
The Volant Cool Air Intake System incorporates a sealed design that places the air filter inside an enclosed box. This enclosure gives the filter superior protection against engine heat, debris, and other performance-robbing contaminants. Like all Volant cold air intakes, this system uses a polyethylene intake tube to resist heat absorption to keep incoming airflow cool. When used with Volant’s PowerCore Air Filter (available for most models), these cold air intake systems deliver noticeable horsepower gains with seat-of-the-pants throttle response improvements.

Depending on your vehicle make and model, here are a few more sealed air intake systems to choose from:
Airaid MXP Synthaflow Series Intake Systems
aFe Stage 2 Si Pro 5R Air Intake Systems
SLP Performance Cold Air Induction Systems

K&N Apollo Cold Air Intake System
The K&N Apollo Cold Air Intake System brings together the best of two worlds: the superior protection of a sealed enclosure and the high flow capacity of an open element. This one-of-a-kind system features a washable, high-flow air filter housed in a specially designed enclosure. The unique shape of this enclosure increases volumetric efficiency while protecting the filter from direct heat. K&N rounds out the system with a plastic intake tube, which has smooth internal features to minimize airflow temperatures and turbulence.

Spectre Modular Air Intake System
Think your engine compartment is too crowded for a cold air intake? We recommend the Spectre Modular Air Intake System. This system includes all the materials you need to custom build and route a four-inch diameter cold air kit. The Spectre cold air intake comes with two 6-inch long straight tubes, two mandrel-bent 45 degree elbows, two 4-inch adjustable filter supports, and a dual plenum (fits carburetors and throttle bodies with 5 1/8-inch necks). You also get four 4-inch stainless connector clamps; a triple-chrome-plated, billet steel, knurled air cleaner nut (1/4-inch.-20 thread); and two Spectre P5 air filters in a Summit Racing-exclusive red color.

Airaid U-Build-It Master Kit 1 Intake System
The Airaid U-Build-It Master 1 Intake System is another great option for tight or crowded engine compartments. It includes multiple sections and angles of tubing that can be cut and configured to fit your specific space requirements. In addition to the 4-inch diameter tubing, this custom Airaid cold air intake system includes couplers, brackets, mounting hardware, and a premium air filter—everything you need to cram your cramped engine with gobs of power-building cold air!

Spectre Musclecar Cold Air Intakes
You can also get the benefits of a cold air intake for your old school, carbureted musclecar. Available in many different configurations, Spectre Performance Musclecar Cold Air Intakes even allow you to choose the location from which to draw cold air— wheelwells, cowls, front gravel shields, or even the high-beams. Compatible with carbureted and TBI applications, Spectre Performance Musclecar Cold Air Intakes are available in a variety of single and dual intake runner configurations to help you gain significant horsepower. No matter which kit you choose, you’ll get the appropriate intake box or plenum, intake runners, air filters, and hardware.