That's right, people; we've finally done it. After literally thousands of e-mails requesting a comprehensive intake test, we got off our lazy asses and did it. And if that isn't enough, there will be an exhaust test on the same car in the December issue.
Our plan was to solicit every manufac-turer of cold-air intakes, install them on one car, test them, and give you our unbiased results. We opted to only test "true" cold-air intakes, in that the air had to be pulled from the fender and couldn't come from the engine bay.
To ensure the most scientific results, we went to Brainstorm Performance (www.turboperformance.net) in Los Angeles, California. The company isn't in the VW market and didn't stand to gain anything from the test, so it was completely impartial.
The test took place over a series of two days, and we calibrated the dyno before each session to obtain proper atmospheric pressure and drivetrain losses for consist-ency. We started each sample by rolling in third gear and went to full throttle at 1,500 rpm.
Our test subject was an '01 GTI VR6 12v, which was chosen for a number of reasons. Firstly, the intercooler on a 1.8T can suffer from heat soak, so that engine was ruled out. Secondly, the AAA-block VR6 has been available since 1992 in the Corrado and was shared across the Passat, Mk3 GTI, Mk3 Jetta GLX, and of course, the Mk4.
We decided to introduce a points system to give you a point of reference for the test. It works on a 10-point scale, where the average was scored a five and everything else scored better or worse than that. So, for example, if most intakes gained 4 hp, that would earn five points. An intake that gained 5 hp would get six points, but 3 hp would only earn three points, and so on. Got that?
The four categories we will consider are: power, ease of fitting, finish, and price. The first is easy because we have the dyno sheets. The second category is fitting; we wanted to know whether it fouls anywhere, it's secure, the brackets line up properly, and so on. Next is finish, in which we considered how well it appeared to be constructed. Finally, we looked at price since this is a key factor when deciding which one you'd buy. Again, we took an average price, which scored five points, and then awarded points to either side of that.
Most of the intakes proved our theory that a stick is a stick. What we mean is that almost every intake tested within a few horsepower of one another at peak. However, the real battle for horsepower supremacy developed below the curve. That's right, the power under the curve is where a majority of intakes show their differences. This is also where most cars drive on a daily basis, so you should pay close attention to the dyno charts. To keep it simple, we only scored the intakes on peak power, but it's up to you to decide which best suits your needs.
As it turns out, none of these would be a poor purchase, since they all do what's required. But there are a few that offer slight advantages and could be the wiser choice in the long run.
Brainstorm Performance
If you're familiar with either Miata, WRX, or Evo tuning (but why would you be?), we're positive you'll know of Brainstorm Performance (www.turboperformance.net). The company is one of the leading innovators of the Miata scene, and its staff offers a wealth of expertise in that field. Fortunately, they're showing some interest in the European market, and have started working with Eurobahn Performance Products. So we hope to see some interesting parts from these guys soon.
The Brainstorm facility houses a Dynamic Test Systems 9500 4wd dynamometer. It's one of the few in the USA and is pretty advanced because it's able to simulate true road conditions at any speed, under any load. This means the crew can diagnose what's wrong with your car without ever leaving the shop.