ABD RacingStock Horsepower: 162.2Stock Torque: 161.7Horsepower: 171.9Torque: 169.5Pricing: $209.95Contact Info: ABD Racing, 951/351-9566, www.abdracing.com
ScoringPower: 8Price: 5 Fit: 7Finish: 8
This intake was by far the best looking when installed. Sure, Evolution Sports' intake was the coolest, but this had the best-constructed aluminum tube. The finish was similar to Euro Sport, with a ball polish instead of a high gloss. The unit also had a number of brackets, so the intake used all of the factory airbox mounting points instead of just one. The only downside was that one of the bolt holes was slightly out of line and required drilling. ABD's LAN pipe is a multipiece design with a removable extension tube for wet winters. The extension also makes the filter very easy to install, and thanks to the extra length of pipe, the filter was in the best location for sucking cold air from behind the air dam. We didn't encounter any issues installing the unit since the multipiece design meant it just dropped right into place.
The ABD intake tested best overall in the power category. Not only did it show a 10-12hp increase over stock at times, particularly on the bottom end, but it also outperformed the other intakes by a small margin. At peak it made the highest numbers, but again, only by fractions. Keep in mind, the separation between the very best performer and last place was a measly 4 hp. And if we were cynical, we could suggest that such a small difference could be attributed to the 3 percent correction factor you should figure into any dyno run.
AEMStock Horsepower: 162.2Stock Torque: 161.7Horsepower: 170.4Torque: 167.2Pricing: $258.31Contact Info: AEM, 310/484-2322, www.aempower.com
ScoringPower: 7Price: 4 Fit: 6Finish: 6
AEM was one of the top four competitors in the peak power segment of our comparison, only bested by about 1 hp. The bonus of the AEM unit is that it's offered in several finishes, so you can choose what looks best with your engine accessories. We chose the polished version to see how it compared with the others. The AEM tube was significantly smaller than the rest, which made it easy to install. It also had a slightly longer tube that put the filter deeper into the fender like the ABD unit. Unlike the ABD, however, it was one piece. The only issue we had was that the longer tube and its one-piece design meant the filter came pretty close to the horn bracket, and we found some dents on the filter after testing.
On the dyno, the intake performed well, only dropping near the stock curve at around 3,300 rpm. It was one of the top performers on the low end of the scale, creating an extra 10-12 lb-ft below the curve. On the top end, the separation grew larger until it hit the car's rev limiter. The availability of different colors will surely convince some to buy it, but it's also a good choice because it makes good power.
Auto TechStock Horsepower: 162.2Stock Torque: 161.7Horsepower: 168.5Torque: 165.7Pricing: $199.95Contact Info: Autotech Sport Tuning, 949/240-4000, www.autotech.com
ScoringPower: 6Price: 6Fit: 4 Finish: 5
The Autotech intake took fifth place in the all-out max power battle and performed as one of the best under the curve. In the mid-range, where the real battle took place, the Autotech pulled quite a large difference over a number of competitors and was only beaten by one. While the Autotech was just under 3 hp down from the leader at over 6,000 rpm, it's important to consider how often you really rev this high. Also, how often are you at 3,500-4,500 rpm?