Ha. I interpreted that to mean "If this new intake doesn't make gains, gains cannot be made." I thought that was a pretty bold statement.

Maybe your interpretation is more reasonable, even if you think it is bunk. :D

 

Tough crowd.

My work is done here, thanks for all who sent responses.

 

Geez... I for one would have loved it if AEM updated us on how the progress is coming but it doesnt look like they will anymore. Tough crowd is right..

Hopefully the guy who took his car in will give us updates now.

 

I will... but only if Ben gives me updates. I asked him to, and I won't be chasing him since I would rather he be working on perfecting the intake!

 

Yes we are a tough crowd. That is because everyone else on the market has a fairly generic system. I don't care what their name is or what their initals are. AEM is fighting an uphill battle against what everyone is used to seeing. It isn't saying that we don't want to see a nice intake developed from them. It had just better be more than a cone filter on a tube and it had better be quiet. Yes it is possible! If I were intending to produce what everyone else already has, I'd be quiet about it too. If his is honestly different then by all means update us. We'd love to see it. But, if it is basically the same as everyone elses, I'll be the first to say it.

 

Of course, if AEM's intake is vastly different than what is currently on the market then that is also a reason to remain mum.

Charles

 

I think when AEM said " It's not just a filter on a stick" they might have been talking about their new one, but they could have meant "there is some sort of tuning involved on what you perceive to be just a filter on a stick; thus, it is not JUST a filter on a stick, but a TUNED filter on a stick."

Gr. I hate it when I read something differently at a different time. I guess we'll see in a few days. Maybe we can talk Ashmason into coming to the OC RX-8 meet on the 7th so that some of us can take a gander? How about it, Ashmason?

 

I am not sure if there will be a filter on it or not. I suspect they will just be giving me my car back in stock form and sending me a new filter when they go into production, assuming they do.

Will let you know on Friday!

As for the meet. Maybe.... someone PM me the details.

 

That stinks.. You have been gracious enough to GIVE them your car for a whole week to complete their testing and they dont give you anything for it. The least they could have done is give you the prototype and have you hype it up... Thats what I expected would happen from the begining...

But I hope you get the new AEM intake.. that would be sweet.

 

I think AEM does give him a finish product for him lending his car. I could have sworn that they said they would offer the person a rental car also... hmmm..

 

Again, if they release a prototype before the unit hits production and the market, their ideas could be stolen. If their design is different then they may wish to get a patent. Believe me, when my header prototypes are done I will only let those who I know personally try them while I wait for the "patent applied for" paperwork to come through. Once I have documented protection I will then submit a few units for testing around the country. Of course, one difference is that I actually own an RX-8 that I can use for design and testing.

Charles

 

Yeah they offered a rental car re-embursement. But I have a second vehicle anyway so didn't want to deal with the hassle of going to the rental car agency.

I will get a free intake, it's just not clear when. Again I will know more on Friday. At this point I am just as interested in helping AEM out as getting an intake as part of the deal.

 

well, I just came from ramchargers, they have the long and short tube AEM intakes in. part numbers and eveything.. So there out there..

 

I checked Ramchargers... couldn't find anything for the RX-8.. besides I KNOW it's not ready.

Ben contacted me today and asked to keep the car until next week. The fitment is going very well and they are now conducting sound testing which is taking longer than expected. It has NOT been dyno'ed yet and Ben is thinking they may make an optional resonator.

The resonator sounds interesting, I don't know that I have seen anything like that on an aftermarket intake but proves that they are listening to our sound concerns and providing an option for those that want a quieter snort!

As for getting the intake on my car, Ben confirmed the car will be given back to me in stock for, and I will get one of the first intakes off the production line.

 

It appears that they are doing more than just fitting a generic cone filter to a tube and calling it new. This is a good thing. I hope this is true. Can't wait to see it.

 

And, since Ben said he will get one of the first intakes off the production line, indicating there will be production, they must expect it to make gains.

Resonator idea sounds interesting. I'm a little more enthused now. Hopefully, some details will be available before production begins and / or production will be sooner than later.

Ashmason, get those dyno results from them if you can when they have them. I'm interested in seeing what it makes, even if we don't know how it functions.

 

and torque if you can.. hopefully they will do a run with both hp and tq on the graph.

 

I will ask... but! My car is an Auto.... so it won't be apples for apples to the 6 speed.

 

Its nice to hear that AEM is listening to the RX-8 community and is actually doing something about it....

if all goes well AEM will come out with the best intake in the market yet...

cant wait to see what they come up with...

im dying for a good intake :D

 

What would be really cool is if AEM offered the intake along with a matching MAF to help with the fluctuating signals.

Charles

 

Well I got the car back today and the news is tentative at best. Ben if you read this and I make any mistakes, please correct me.

I can tell you that Ben indicated that the intake does run all the way down into the front bumper in true CAI style. But the sound seems to be an issue. There are two possible solutions, a resonator that sits up where the stock airbox goes, or a box around the filter, since that is where all the sound it generated apparently.

I say tentative news because Ben could not tell me if they were going ahead with production or not. He also indicated that no matter what, the gains always seemed to come back to 5 or 6hp.

Personally I would prefer a solid 5/6hp gain with some kind of intake noise reduction in the usable mid range, along with any increase in torque, to the 10hp that the K&N unit gives around the top end.

I for one am keeping my fingers crossed that AEM make the intake.

 

So what you're saying ashmason is that the AEM intake makes 6hp across the whole middle and upper rpm band, but it's loud?

 

So they ran a dyno it seems - interested in seeing the graph.

 

Reading too much into this guy's. Ben made a comment, no matter what we do it seems to come back to 5/6hp.

He did not state where in the rev band or anything else.

I am going on information I got from racing beat, they proved the K&N gave +10, at about 8900rpm. And they are shooting for a 4/5hp gain down where it will be more usable.

So.. I am assuming AEM are going for the same thing. NOTE: Thats me Assuming... no hard data to back it up with.

 

Ok, thanks for keeping us up to date ashmason. A hp gain in the bottom end/midrange would be nice. IF they could keep a power gain throughout the entire range they would sell a lot of intakes.