Realistic intake HP
 

Ok, well...I see that most the guys on this forum have one form of intake or another, but I'm curious as to what noticeable gains, if any, you all have actually experienced. Mazda tuned the 2.0L motor very well, and I know when Racing Beat was doing testing for the MP3 series protege for Mazda they found that a cone K&N filter rerouted to "colder" air, didn't prove to worth the extra money do run factory...so my question in, what gains should one expect from CAI, short-ram, or pop? I'm guessing about 3 to 4HP max on any of the options...opinions?

I'd say more like one or two HP, but throttle response is a whole different story! Plus it makes the car sound MEAN and frees up a LOT of space in the engine compartment. BTW, I have a POP-style intake on my '03 PR5.

I just thought that the POP style, or the short ram would actually do more harm then good due to the induction of hotter air into the combustion...dunno...I'll probably still do it, just because I need to hear the damn engine...these cars are QUIET...not like my rotary!

I read that somewhere, too. But, I have had POP-Chargers on my past 3 cars and every one of them had much better throttle response, cleaner engine bay, mean sound, and awesome looks. For the $20 I spent on the filter, I'd say it is one of the most gratifying mods for the money (aka Bang for the Buck ;))

well I will put in my two cents...even though its been said....

the throttle response increases dramatically.....as for how much HP....its not a lot...but the increase in throttle response is worth it.

I got increases of 5hp and 6.2lb-ft with an Injen CAI on the 1.8L. I would expect about the same on the 2.0L. For a scan of my dyno, click here.

I was at K&N a while ago (they are based in Riverside, CA where i go to school) and i was talking with the head of one of the intake development buildings, James, and he showd me a dyno for the Pro5 CAI they made, and it had a 6 WHP max gain with a solid 2-5 gain across sthe whole band. I forgot how the torque looked...