My aFe Intake Review

[SDTopless]

Hi, I actually spent the money on an aFe intake and thought I would like to share it with you all. I installed the intake myself after I had my Milltek (catback) exhaust put in. To say for any sort of "gains" from my exhaust that I experienced/noticed for myself would be like me trying out for American Idol and believing I could sing (ok bad analogy). However, it wasn't until after I installed the intake that I "felt" something. Here's my take...

First off, it took ~30+ minutes (w/ my friend who happened to be there) to install. There were a few bumps in the road, but nothing much that we couldn't handle. You get an aluminum cover/top, heat shield, screws, filter, filter fitter(?), screws, instructions , and STICKERS!

Looks: It makes a nice looking addition to under your hood with the aluminum top & hyper black-coated heat shield. Not to mention, the filter inside is cone-shaped, ginormous, and maintenance free (however, you should always clean your filter). Also, from what it looks like, it has more surface area than a drop-in filter. Plus, the volume that's encased by the heat shield is greater than the old filter box.

Sound: That nice little whistle lets you pretend you have a supercharger. It's very subtle at first, but once you start revving and approaching at 1800 rpm you get excited . It's not until you hit the 2100 rpm mark that you realize it's actually working . You notice the whistling becoming much more sharp and distinct. And when you let off the gas you hear your intake let out a sigh, only gasping for another thrilling breath (cheesy).

Performance (the touchy subject): 1st thing I "felt" was that right from the beginning you notice your throttle is more responsive. It's kind of like the difference between from when you have Sport mode on versus not. The intake brings you closer to that mode w/o the button pressed. 2nd thing was from 2000-3400 rpm you feel your powerband smoothed out, but then you just realize @ 3000+ VANOS had just come & broke through the door .

Overall, I would say aFe intake is a worthy investment for these reasons:
PROS- Looks nice, seems better/more functional than a drop-in filter, sounds great, and you kinda' get to feel it!

What you might not like are:
CONS- INSTALL ! It is custom fit, but not exact. You may find yourself spending a bit more time custom fabricating little widgets [from crap around your household (aka cardboard & tape)] to fit into certain nooks & crannies so that the whole thing doesn't shift, scratch, or rub on anything. Also, I had to twist some of the intake tubing to accommodate for fitment into the heat shield. Lastly, there are openings at the sides of the heat shield (to the engine bay), but not at all significant enough to have performance affected by hot air entering in.

Feedback welcome.
Also, I'm willing to go further in depth with the analyzation of why aFe's intake may be better than just a drop-in filter.

**NOTE: This is all my subjective review. User experience may vary. I like it, you may not. Sorry for no pictures.

[jpass12]

I've had mine since last April and I'm pleased with it.

[LAbull]

How much and where did you get it from?

[BurnouTT-M]

The intake only fits on the 3.0, right?

[LAbull]

boooo..nevermind.

[BlackSapphireZ]

i sold mine the week after i got it.

felt absolutely NO noticeable difference and not worth $300+

[BimmerZealot]

Z4 or Z4M?

If Z4 M54 or N52? Thanks

N52 has the MAF sensor built into the intake box top not on the connecting tube so the intake option would need a new slot for the MAF for it to work, which is why I'm guessing there isn't one for the N52 yet.

[soeharyo]

thanks!

if i am planning to buy this:

1 where is the best place to buy it?
2 where would i go to install it, if i don't do DIY's?

Thanks

Rocky

[BimmerZealot]

Best place to buy it would be where ever you can find it the cheapest. Also any shop that works on BMWs should be able to install it for you. I think if you have a hint of mechanical knowledge you should be able to DIY it yourself.

[SDTopless]

I got this for my '03 Z4 3.0i. The gist of installing is basically taking stuff out & putting that thing in.

I got this from **********s.com and paid $332.89 (tax included). Shipping was free, however they kinda screwed up my order a bit, but nonetheless I got it!