Okay so what really is the point of an intake if it provides virtually no additional Hp? What I see in a lot of cases, less HP.
I want an intake that doesn't sound like a rice rocket or just a rocket (K&N, HKS). I want a deeper tone than stock and what I heard from Revi it really isn't much difference at all from the stock intake. I like the looks of Umnitza but you pay for what you get and i really haven't heard anything negative about that intake yet.
Am I better off just keeping the stock one if I'm just looking for a deeper sucking roar but not annoying? -sigh-

(and yes I have searched all the intake posts and every time a decide on an intake I read more and change my mind.)

 

If you want better sound, get a catback.

If you want more air flow, get a drop in k&n or green air filter.

 

the Umnitza intake is really loud, right up there with the K&N.

There aren't really any intakes that add a noticable gain in rwhp. The stock intake is actually designed very well. But I understand the wanting for a deeper intake tone- that's the main reason I got my Umnitza intake (plus the hand-laid dry cabon fiber box is super sexy).

 

isn't the umnitza the intake that loses about 10 hp?

 

It varies by vehicle........

I dynoed at 180rwhp with it (the only mod I had at the time). Anotehr guy with a K&N and Espliar exhaust and cat-delet pipe did 169rwhp.

RX8's really vary on the dyno. There have been stock ones dynoing as high as 195+rwhp, and as low as 165rwhp.

 

You can't judge anything by a single dyno. I was talking about before/after with this intake losing 10 hp.

 

u havent heard of the new craze? less is more brother

 

Again, I have no idea where this notion that there is "virtually" no hp increase from an intake. In the few real dynoes I have seen there have been hp gains. This whole notion of no hp gain, I have never even seen a dyno on this. Some people said it and it's just got perpetuated on this board.

If you want some more sound from teh REVi then get the Ram Air Duct unit.

The AEM/Mazdaspeed unit is quite a bit louder both in level of sound and rumble.

 

The RB intake is one of the best designed for this car.

Here's from their sales site:


Yes - that's an average of 2 hp gain - which is virtually no increase. dyno proven and off the sales material of a company's product page.

 

Well, in that case don't bother to get a cat back exhaust, a pulley, or hi flow cat as they are all the same as well. If you are expecting 20 hp from an NA part, then don't bother. Every addition that is NA is like this. Look at the dyno for the flash. All the hp is on the top end (6000+ rpm). same as the cat back, same as the pulley. NA mods on this car have viable hp gains at mid-high revs. At 2000 RPM there is virtually no difference.

That is virtually no difference at the low end. But a 3.5 to 6 hp in the mid-upper rev range is honest. From the Import Tuner they got about 3-5 hp across the mid-high range. Not sure what you are expecting. 5-6 hp is what I was expecting.

 

No, that's about right. But if you are looking at an NA mod anything isn't going to give you much hp. Not a pulley, not the cat back exhaust, not a hi-flow cat, even the flash. It's all incremental steps. Put together we might be lucky to pull +20 whp. I do believe the RB stats that it's basically nothing at 2000 RPM culminatig in a bit more at the top end, but then again name an NA mod that I just didn't describe (all gains on the mid to high end).

 

Even with an exhaust, intake & flash look at the dyno. To about 5500-6000 there are very little gains, but above that the gains are noticeable, especially at 8000+.

http://www.racingbeat.com/FRmazda4.htm

 

I would say it has been finicky with ANY mod I put on. ha, ha...jk...kind've. I actually had more problems with my pullies, but that could have been because they were the SR Motorsports units. and they started going. Never had a problem with my REVi unit.

As for suspension, the Rb suspension was the first (and still the best) thing I put on my car.

 

Edge of the pullies starting wearing. The belt started wearing out at the edge. Had some battery drainage issues, like the alternator was fully working. Also started making a funny noise so I just pulled them.

 

I'm probably going to go with the AEM model but I heard you cant drive in the rain because it will suck up water?

 

If you want more sound I would get the cold air duct from Racing Beat, remove the VFAD flapper and hook it up to your stock intake. Then get the RP supercat and swap out your cat converter. Both of those things will make your car louder and "improve'' the sound with some actual (read small) benefit over stock.

 

^ because intake upgrades are 30-50% of the cost of getting a catback, plus simpler to install.

I agree it's the wrong way to look for sound...

Fanman, the fact remains, 2 hp is "virtually" no gain, you can't feel it, and it isn't going to make your car faster. Added up, you might get some noticable gains, but individually they're good as worthless.

 

That's 2 hp across the board. About 6 hp up top. If you look at it that way, then none of the NA mods make any sense. Not the pulley, not the hi-flow cat, not the flash, etc. None of those will give you hp gain that "you can feel." All the NA mods are for mid-high end hp improvement. I agree it is just one part of a system to get NA improvement, but it is part of it. There is simply no NA mods that will give you big hp gains. The intak is as good as anything else.

 

you guys should go back and read the dyno's that were done here in L.A. 19 cars almost all diff. mods. one car had pulleys intake air duct fly wheel clutch and exhaust. and had one of the lowest runs. oh he also had thr rb flash.. the one stock car was 2nd from the bottom. cars with just intake and exhaust were coser to the top, along with coil plugs and wire's repalced..

 

Other than suspension mods for feel, would changing your wheels give a noticable hp improvement. Ligher 17" wheels with the right tire combination could yield 8-10lbs of weight per corner.

I've heard the math may workout to the equivalent of 80lb of weight reduction or 4-5hp across the board?

Anyone know more about this?

 

If your interseted in an Intake i suggest you get the REVI as i was happy with it all around. Not a lot of HP gain but you do get some numbers, also if i may add. If you get the REVI Intake be sure to tear off the "Racing Beat" sticker and shave the "REVI" lettering down so its all Flush as one. It will save yourself from dealing with the cops as they may have you pop your hood open. I did this and they always tell me that "They Thought" I had an intake. As soon as they open my hood they realize that its stock.... To there eyes hahaha!!! GOOD TIMES. Trust me if you do that and have your cover on i can say you will have no problems with cops. I live in the LA district in the City of Diamond Bar and the cops here are such ********. So the REVI intake is my choice in my own opinion.

You can also go Mazda Speed and you do get HP gains and it IS LEGAL IN 50 states. So you defenitly have no WORRIES there. Just be sure to print out the page on the Mazda website that says that it is legal in there Intake Description. It will help i think. Good Luck!

~Matthew

 

thats a lie. it works fine in the rain. the only problem you run in to is if the whole thing goes underwater

 

Actually I changed my mind. If you want loud go with the Racing Beat mid pipe. It replaces your cat with a straight pipe. Even with the stock exhaust you are pushing the maximum allowable volume.

 

+1

also put the RB Ram air duct on & maybe a k&n drop in .
Do that & I'll wager you'll get everything the RB intake gets without the cost .

 

I, as a matter of fact, had an AEM cold air intake and will say that it did work fine in the rain until I hit a puddle leaving a parking lot. Turned out I pulled about a gallon of water from my motor and had to get a brand new one. Its expensive as **** and there were a lot better things that I would have rather done with 5K. So as long as you dont hit a puddle fine, but its a chance you have to be willing to take........