I just purchased a cold air intake system from RM racing. Has anyone else out there installed this or a similiar system and what opinions do you have about them ? I just installed mine two days ago. It looks good and has resulted in a much troatier sound in V-Tech ranges, but is there really any other benefit ? My understanding is that it is suppose to provide slightly better throttle response and a 3HP gain. The polished aluminum duct from the filter to the intact seems to conduct a lot of heat from the engine compared with the stock filter box and duct. I am concerned that the airflow may be a bit warmer because of this which may result in a decrease in performance. This system does, however, seem to have a the potential to take in more air via the ducting and air catch in the front grill.

 

Try wrapping the duct with a thermal (reflective part out) blanket.

 

I don't know if you knew this, but the S2K comes with a low restriction cold air intake stock...



people are always so surprised when I make that statement.

 

Our intake just needs a cut-out in the front fascia or a longer snorkel.

I can't really believe the Honda engineers looked at it and said, "let's put the open end here, a few inches from really fresh air." Maybe the body engineers said, "hmm, this opening in the front fascia breaks the lines of the car, let's put an insert in our mold and flush that area."

 

I was just wondering if anyone had a pic of the cut out front, and did it really make much of a difference?

 

If your airfilter can suck in hot air, you will certainly lose power...

 

Good thing about the stock intake system is fool proof protection from water and debris. Any other design will certainly compromise that fool proof protection.
But if you swear you drive your car in fair weather only, you can certainly benefit by cut out front holes or trying Spoon or Mugen airbox.
As with most tried aftermarket performance parts, the gain from tinkering the intake will give you minimum performance yield.
Here are two pictures of Japanese owners who tinkered around to add additional source of air channel.
This looks like the whole front facia is made out of custom mold but retaininig stock front look. I will try to find out how this individual did it. It is a direct copy of the Marga Hills front facia with cut out front.
*All pictures are from courtesy of Toshi from Japan.


This is Marga Hills front facia.


Here is another interesting approach by cutting out fake duct and drawing the air to the stock airbox.




Or you can try Spoon or Mugen way.
Spoon



Mugen


Both of this approaches strongly caution driving in heavy rain condition and flat out ask you to avoid hitting water puddles. If needed to be driven in that bad condition, Mugen gives you way to attach protection panel in front of the inlet.
I have driven in really really heavy rain not using the protection panel(because I can't use it with my different front facia) without any problem but I should know better not to take chances like that.
I will dish out more info if any of you are further interested.

 

here is my intake, it's a 100mm tube from the front in the airbox

air intake at the front:



the tube (without airbox)



with the airbox installed (the stock intake is closed when the top is on the airbox)

 

Also if you haven't got the dough to try Spoon or Mugen's, you can try this way.
Again pics and info courtesy of Toshi of Japan:

Back Yard Special's air panel.


or

Okuyama radiator panel.


This is pretty cool design by Toshi.
He has cut out the air guide panel and he is using Okuyama plate pictured above in conjunction with cool plate which guides air to the air box inlet as well as protecting rising heat from the radiator. The cool plate with S2000 logo, he is selling it for around $58.

 

Personally, i rather prefer the Spoon way. I don