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      11-23-2012, 09:30 PM   #20
Used2be
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Drives: F90 M5 DG/Aragon
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Marketing vs measurable performance

Quote:
Originally Posted by bnekic View Post
Oh wait where are all those guys that say intakes don't make any power?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Needsdecaf on 6-20-2012
That's still not RAM air.

You're talking about ducted air into an air box and then into a forced induction engine. Quite simply, it's not ram air. Ram air would imply that you are pressurizing the intake into the engine over atmospheric. Simply, you're providing more air in the intake than the engine (which is nothing more than a fuel / air pump) can pull through at any given RPM and load.

You're not doing that with forced induction. THe pressure in the intake manifold is a function of the turbo and the associated controls (ECU, waste gate, etc.) only. Not the intake. The only thing this intake (or any other intake on a forced induction engine) could possibly do is eliminate vacuum in the intake pre-turbo. That's it. Whether or not that's worth power depends on whether or not the vacuum in the intake prevents the turbo from making maximum boost at the target airflow for the given RPM / load. Vacuum in the intake is bad, but it's not guaranteed to restrict power.

Cool intake, but those gains are hard to believe, even with an engine moving this much air. In order to make that much more power, the stock air filters must be VERY restrictive.

This response was posted by Sean@PSI on 6-20-2012
To clarify, the RAM AIR name carries over from their line of intakes for all types of engines, including N/A and forced induction. To be more specific, it is the name of the specific product line from GruppeM and nothing else.

The Dyno was from a Dynapack system in Japan. Once we receive the intake stateside, we can have some more tests done with a more familiar dyno system, such as a DYNOJET or a MUSTANG Dyno to alleviate any doubts or concerns.

My reply:
When comparing the K&N filter to the stock filter, which do you think has more surface area to pass incoming air? Given that the stock filter is more restrictive per square inch (just a guess), I believe there is still so much more area that it will flow more air than the K&N. The sales pitch mentions "heat shielding carbon fiber". How long do you think the air is in the intake tract before it gets to the turbo? Do you think there would be much chance for a significant temp increase from ambient in the stock system? The GruppeM system is very attractive and I think that's what they're selling. Has anyone done an on the road, side by side test of a stock M5 and a GruppeM equipped M5 to see if there is a performance difference? It's been five months since the GruppeM system has been available in the USA, someone must have by now...? I'd think with the GruppeM carbon fiber additions to guide more air into the intake snorkels, a test in a moving vehicle would be even more advantageous for them compared to a dyno. For the retail price of $3,500 there had better be some advantage, but I don't think there will be. I have great respect for IND and their work, and I hope they will do their own independent test to confirm there is a measurable increase in performance. I'd hate to see their efforts minimized by an "upgrade" that really wasn't. Much more performance gain to be had on the exhaust end with a turbo motor than on the intake.
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