OK so I got the K&N kit the updated one in exchange for them using our car at HIN here in Kansas City this weekend. I took several pics to show the comparison between the old and new kit. The new kit also uses the stock airflow straightener from your stock airbox to reduce turbulence. It was kind of a PITA to get it in between the intake tube and the heat shield but I have a method to make it much easier. ALSO PLEASE disregard the vaccuum canister in the pic, dumbass me forgot to put it on the back side of the heat shield it was 1:30 am and still 90 degrees out and I wasn't thinking to clearly. DOH!

Anyways, there is a VERY noticeable difference in power, idle quality and noise levels with the new kit. The car doesn't shakes or have an idle fluctuation like it did before. At high revvs there is also no sudden change in power when the remaining ports open above 5k. It is still LOUD but in a good and less violently vibrating and buzzing way in the interior of the car at full throttle.

I'm very pleased with the re-design. I think anyone that buys the kit will be extremely happy. On with the pics.

New filter and old filter


Old heat shield new one


old intake tube and new tube with filter adapter


On the car


With the engine cover

 

i just saw in car and driver that they garuantee 10 hp. HOPE ITS TRUE! haha
It looks better in picture, but it still looks good.
Did it get deeper in sound or more of a high pitch noise?

 

the new one looks much better than the old one..

 

Looks like they stole the design from RB.

 

Yeah it's so guaranteed the 10 hp that when Tuner magazine tested it they got like 4 hp.

 

whats the model/part #? did a search on http://knfilters.com but found nothing

 

Thanks for posting. It will be nice when more folks get this intake, it will be interesting to see how it really compares to RB's REVi.

 

..but is there an actual cover for the filter element to protect the intake charge from heat? One of the biggest problems with the original Typhoon kit (I think) was that it sucks in a good amount of hot air creeping in from the engine bay. The OEM airbox is completely sealed away from the engine compartment and only takes intake charge from the air duct in the front.

 

You also must realize that the original Typhoon kit blocked incoming air from the front air duct thus, using the air around it. This design uses that air duct to feed air into the intake system.

 

Thanks for posting...can't wait to get word about it from actual users.

 

I am an actual user. It is MUCH better than the old one.

 

Still don't understand why they just cut it off about 2-3 inches from the front of the air duct hole on the bumper, why not continue the tube right up to the hole? Too much heat is able to still get into the filter.

 

I would buy this in a second if it came in an enclosed sealed box ala RB - looks like K&N didn't skimp like RB and actually gives you a piece to replace the damn stock accordian style rubber pipe

 

is it better than the RB intake?

 

I am still going with the racing beat intake and ram duct. Racing Beat does their homework and plus K&N already messed up once on it.

 

if K&N messed up once and re-did it again, woudn't the revision be better?

otherwise why would they have remade the intake?

 

If it's supposed to be that much better why did Racing Beat do this

 

So K&N made the filter, so basically your buying the RB setup without the enclosed box. For that price of each one your better off doing what someone on this forum did and put that same or similar looking filter inside the stock intake box and then ran tubing to the front grill. I'm not buying it either one, maybe the air duct though I like the design, anyone get any numbers for this as far as HP is concerned from RB yet?

 

It looks like a better design. I'm sure K&N got egg on their face from the first unit, so maybe they called RB & they worked on this together. I would hope the revision is better. Those hokey "10 hp guaranteed" claims are straight up stupid though.

 

Kinda looks like RB

 

RB worked with K&N to produce their intake
RB has limited experience in making intakes
K&N is a whole company based on making intakes

... i wonder who brought more to the engineering table here

yes, i'm sure RB really taught K&N a lesson

 

So does that mean K&N's typhoon is just as good as RB's intake or maybe it's better than RB's intake?

 

only real world dyno's will tell.

From my perspective K&N has a good advantage getting rid of the accordian style rubber tube going into the throttle body, but given the design of the RX8 induction system RB's box should help in sealing out hot engine air and sucking nice cool air in (saying that though there is a slight disadvantage also in trying to draw the air through the relatively small box opening)

I would not be surprised if the K&N comes out with slightly more power.

 

SHOWOFF :

a video/sound clip/quick review of this intake would be nice....

it sure looks alot easier to install than the REVI, at least not having the needs to take off the front bumper


what about price wise? Anyone know the approx price range?

 

I second the request for a sound clip. For me, that is just as important. Does it have a low growl that does not give you a headache?