CAI for e46?
 

I have a 2000 323Ci and I am looking to install a CAI. I am looking for one that will have a good sound, good look, and also a good power increase. I have looked at the carbon fiber one at bavauto and the dinan, but I was wondering if there were any more options.

Get what Woobiee has, a GruppeM CF CAI. I remember him posting in a thread saying that one has the best sound and performance. He has the same exact car as you and I too so it would prolly be a safe bet.

Longhairedhippy, It depends on how much you really want to spend. The top of the line intake, according to most, is the GruppeM. It's made of carbon fiber and is installed within the engine bay unlike Dinan which is routed through the fender. Also unlike the Dinan, GruppeM doesn't recieve the air from underneth the car, but from a small opening by the driver's headlight, of which, it's hard to tell how it really performs better than the Dinan. The GruppeM can be bought from a few places. I believe that Technik Engineering is there official? seller.
http://www.technikpower.com/images/powerkit.jpg
Technik Engineering
Look under Powerkits...Stage 1. Includes the intake and chip with a claim of 14hp increase.
Cost....$1195 (incl. $400 chip)
http://www.modbargains.com/prod_img/...1103092855.JPG
ModBargain has the intake alone for $535. Mike from Modbargains sent me an email with a sample vid of the intake installed: GruppeM Video 5847.1K.

Now, if the GruppeM is too expensive, which I totally understand, there's also reproduction models out there. They are greater than 10% different than GruppeM to ensure non patent violations. Umnitza has one.

Now, there are of course other intakes out there. I don't have any clips of those, no one that I've known has recorded them.
http://www.eurosporthighperformance...._323i_Left.jpg
This is Conforti's intake. Coupled with the shark injector, gains are seen between 17hp and 21hp, with torque from 8-17lbft depending on how you read thier graphs. Those are thier claims. The photo is from M3Motorwerks, they have this one priced at $358.95 with out a chip, that'll cost you another $400. It takes it's air from the same source as the stock intake, however, with a more freely flowing system. The filter is an ITG foam peice.

Well then, I've written way to much. There are of course other ones out there, like Benfer and ECIS (which sounds the same as the modded GruppeM variation). I have more clips that I've collected from various forums and places. Just can't find them on my harddrive right now. Hope this helps in some way, and just know that all information is from the dealers site and comments made by others. I don't own any of these intakes, I honestly can't afford anything for my car.

Dough

I can't speak for the e46 exclusively, but I have an e36 w/ the Dinan intake (engine bays are almost identical). I was very pleased w/ the performance gains from my intake. The intake roars under hard acceleration, and is so loud between shifts it almost sounds like a BOV.

As an added bonus, the engine bay looks very clean, without a large intake cone or heat shield where the air box used to be.

Hope this helps. :wiggle

-Matt

is there any serious modification required to install this? like any sort of metal cutting, etc? i think I can swing the cost of the GruppeM, but I want to be sure that there won't be major work involved.

I'm pretty sure you have to do some drilling for every intake application. I think my dinan required three holes, for the main support brace.

Any one can install an intake.

-Matt

Intake install DIY for the Knowledge Base anyone? haha

I would, but my intake has been in for about two years. Pluse every intake install is different.

-Matt

i'll do one once I get mine.

ecis

details?

ECIS sucks balls.

Go w/ either JC, AA tuning, or Dinan. All are priced within 100 of each other, and require a chip for "best" results.

F**k that other shit. Go w/ what you know is good.

Dinan forever, ECIS never! :bash

-Matt

now, will something go wrong if I can't get the chip right off the bat? because it will take me a couple more months to raise the capital needed for the chip.

You don't have to do both at the same time. You can do the intake and then the chip if you want.

Actually Turner Motorsport has a sale right now on their JC intakes for the 323. You might want to jump on that. Here is the link -> JC intake systems

-Matt

I'd go with a Cosmos CAI if you don't have xenons

www.cosmosracing.com It's probably the cheapest intake out there with one of the best gains and sounds ferocious.