After reading the above article, how can you argue that CAI don't offer any gains? I was skeptical at first, but now I am a believer!
1) I question everything that comes out of a magazine, tv show or vendor. In this article the car made 261 RWHP with the carbon trap removed, otherwise stock, 271
RWHP with a MODEST 91 Octane tune. With CAI's and tunes the car made 278 - 289 RWHP. First question that came to my mind. The key word is MODEST. What happens if the car has an aggressive tune?
2) I have seen 2005 Mustang GTs that have been tuned to see 290+ RWHP with a tune but no CAI. Those cars had CMCV Deletes. CMCV Deletes have been found to gain 4 - 11 RWHP. One of those SCT tuned cars make 297 RWHP with CMCV deletes and a 91 aggressive tune. Taking say 11 RWHP away = 286 RWHP. Wait a second, is that not right where the better CAI tuned cars were at in the above article.
3) I know a little bit about tuning cars, hell I have learned a few things from Ken Bjonnes( the tuner in that article ). What if Ken would have gone aggressive in the tune, the cars would have seen 290 - 300 RWHP. Let's say we start at 261 RWHP, we know with an agressive tune we are at 285 - 290 RWHP. That is not leaving a lot for CAI's to gain. The gains are greater with a modest tune, and that is why it was done that way.
4) I don't like the wording of the above article. It tells you that a CAI/tune gains 25 RWHP, but does it?
4.1) Ken had an article on Modular Depot where he first tuned a 2005 Mustang GT. The car made 272 RWHP with a safe 91 Octane tune. Adding a MMR CAI, the car made 280 RWHP when retuned. That was a gain of 8 RWHP in a non scientific setting. If this was done as hard core as above, I think the gains would have been less.
5) 8 RWHP and likely less is not going to gain a lot in a 1/4, ET or MPH. That could be, perhaps why my aggressive 91 Octane tuned car is seeing the same if not better gains than a CAI/tuned car is seeing in the 1/4.
I don't know, maybe I should keep my fingers from typing. I mean you could spend $350.00 - $400.00 for just a tuner. You could spend $580.00 - $700.00 for a tuner and some eye candy. You decide!