Carbon Fibre vs. Plastic airbox..

[jamie_pyrite]

So I was in my mate's car today. His friend phoned him up and they chatted via the car's bluetooth handsfree so I could hear the conversation. The lad reckoned it's worth paying £200 for a Carbon Fibre airbox on  a 75bhp Saxo!  He reckons that because it's made of Carbon Fibre rather than plastic, it makes a massive difference in performance between the two.. Something to do with "heat soak" he said!

Just me or does this sound like a load of rubbish, considering all the airbox does is passes air through it! As long as they are the same dimensions and smoothness inside, I wouldn't have thought it'd make a difference?

[Khare]

well technically he was right. A carbon airbox like the BMC induction kit does keep the heat out. Engines perform much better with cold air rather than hot air. Now, spending £200 on a BMC filter or similar on a 75hp saxo is just plain stupid, cos there will be so little difference its unreal.

[...joe]

^^^^ What he said!

[Komenda]

All true. With 75 ponies on tap he will need all the help he can get.

[Khare]

"every little helps"

[Jimp]

He's right about the heat soak, as kharekatoh explained. But on a 75hp engine there's no point at all really.

[T_J_G]

Meh, let him waste his money that's what I say

[Diamond Hell]

Given the speed at which the air is hosing through the airbox, can anyone honestly kid themselves that a carbon fibre airbox is going to improve anything other than the cosmetics of the vehicle?

It's going to functionally improve neither the Saxo, or a Golf5 GTI, if the shape of the airbox is the same.

If there is an improvement to the shape and functionality of the airbox/cone filter then maybe it's worth another ~5bhp but manufacturers tend not to fit rubbish intake systems to their cars - why would they?

[gjroe78]

I guess it's one of these he is talkin about http://www.bmcairfilters.com/infoCDA.asp

[Khare]

I guess it's one of these he is talkin about http://www.bmcairfilters.com/infoCDA.asp

yup