20 Years Of cold air intake performance upgrade experience
Cold Air Intake Performance Upgrade
A cold air intake (C.A.I) system increases performance primarily by lowering intake air temperatures (I.A.T) and improving mass airflow through to your engine whilst still proving adequate filtration. C.A.I systems are largely effective because they replace the restrictive factory air intake. Factory air intakes are restrictive because they are engineered to maximise filtration and to be quiet, this is done to meet industry standards and to appease general Volkswagen owners. The baffling and high filtration filters used to meet these requirements cause flow disruptions and turbulence, ultimately impeding airflow and resulting in a performance loss.
C.A.Is are also effective because they change the location that your engine “breathes” from. Some factory air intakes utilise hot low pressure air from the engine compartment, whereas C.A.Is pull air from the grille area near the leading edge of the vehicle’s hood. This results in an increase of mass airflow to the engine by utilising the dynamic air pressure created by the vehicle’s motion to increase the static air pressure inside of the intake manifold. This is especially important for vehicles used in motorsport or track use as when the vehicle reaches high speeds, pressure continues to build and ultimately aids in the intake’s effectiveness.
This RAM air intake design also takes advantage of the cooler air outside the engine compartment. Cooler air is denser, and denser air in your intake allows more oxygen to your engine. More oxygen means you can burn the same amount of fuel more efficiently.
With greater mass airflow and lower I. A. T provided by C.A.I systems, one can expect greater horsepower and torque through the power band with a more direct and responsive feel upon pressing the throttle. Sounds from the engine and turbocharger are enhanced and some may even experience better fuel economy depending on driving style.
At German Auto Service & Repairs we use APR and Racingline C.A.I products because we realise to increase performance over the factory intake system, the intake system’s ability to flow a higher mass of air is critical. Both brands offer multiple systems for a wide range of V.A.G models and provide the highest quality products on the market as they spare no expenses during the research and development period.
In order to maximise performance, APR’s and Racingline’s Mechanical Engineers focused on improving the pressure ratio between the inlet and outlet of the intake system, reducing turbulence, maximizing filter efficiency and keeping I.A.T as low as possible. When developing new C.A.I products, their Mechanical Engineer’s spend the better part of a year creating several prototype intake designs utilising their in house Sterolithography 3D printer and other rapid prototyping techniques.
Various filter mediums are tested in conjunction with the new intake designs through simulated CFD models, flow bench analysis, dyno data collection and in real world applications to achieve the best possible solution
