RX8 Air intakes?

[atlmazda]

Hello! This is my first post on mazdas247 so thanks for reading!

I have a 2005 rx8 ft and it has about 35000miles on it and is running great! I want a little more hp out of my 8 but do not want to sacrifice car life. Has anyone installed cold air intakes/high flow filters- Any advice/suggestions/comments/warnings?

 

[solidtrance]

The stock intake on the RX8 was very well designed. You may be able to free up a few (3-5 max, maybe none) with either the Racing Beat REVI or the Mazdaspeed/AEM CAI.

Mostly the car will just be a bit louder (aspecially under 5500 RPM due to the VFAD).

You can get 99 percent of the same benifit from doing a few mods to the OEM intake. Just remove the fins inside the airbox (you can pop it back a bit from the front of the car and open it up, then its just a few screws holding the fins inside the box). Add a highflow filter and you are good. You can remove the VFAD if you want to hear the engine more, but you have to remove the bumper cover to get to it.

A catless or highflow cat midpipe and a cobb AP with a tune are your best bet for NA power mods, but they are a bit more expensive.

Read the links in my sig for a lot more info.

Welcome by the way.

 

[solidtrance]

Warning: there are a lot of poorly desinged intakes that will be much worse than the stock box!

 

[DocBeech]

I agree with solidtrance. If your going to do anything mazdaspeed is the only intake you should look at. You can replace the VFAD with a RB Revi Ram air intake, but other than that I wouldn't touch it. You wont gain very much since the intake is already a cold air intake.

 

[9krpmrx8]

And keep in mind that you will suck in water with the Mazdaspeed intake unless you live somewhere where it never rains or you never drive your car in the rain. I know two guys with the MS intake here in San Antonio and both had wet filter issues and water in the pipe. This is well documented by others as well and there is no real way to avoid it other than never driving in wet weather or going through a car wash. One of them just sold his a while ago. Just go with the REVI or stay stock. I have installed the REVI, AEM (Mazdaspeed), HKS, and Injen and the REVI is the best quality by far compared to the OEM system.

Also, I was told recently by Charles at BHR that the new AEM intakes they are getting are of lower quality now that they are owned by K&N. I believe the polished are now painted to look polished rather than actually being polished. So if you get one, try to get it used.

 

[PPO2Kane]

You can also modify the AEM / Mazdaspeed to bring the filter up higher.

But NA, at the end of the day removing the fins and high flow filter is by far the most bang for your buck.

 

[altspace]

Welcome aboard. Check out my RX-8 blog for tons of simple modification info. http://altspacerx8.blogspot.com/