I don't know it this has been done before, but I just made my own Cold air Intake for my winning blue RX8. It only cost me $20. It took me about 45 minutes after I figure out what I need. And I took it for a test drive right away. I could feel the different right away. Especially after I got on the freeway. It pulls a little harder all the way to redling and in 6th gear passing was much better. It seem that the car was accelerating much better from 65 to 90 and coasted at 90mph with ease. My car is stock and She just have the sport package. I've modified cars before. Starting with my 1995 240sx silvia conversion to my 2001 protege 5. And both of them I install and cold air intake. So, I didn't see that much of a different in developing a cold air intake for the 8. The stock intake system get it air from just infront of the right tire, but there is a little openning for air flow from that area. However , beneath the front intake hose the run along the front of the car, there is a plastice cover that can be remove and that lead straight down to front openning of the bumper. I use my bother 04 350z intake pipe which he no longer need and cut to about 20 inches. I cut the stock front portion on the intake and hook it up the 350z pipe with fitts snuggly in the openning leading to the front air dam. And I got myself a cold air intake for my 8.I have been driving it for 3 days now and care feel much more alive. So save yourself the $200-300 and do it yourself.

 

Cool! Thanks for the tip!!!1!1!

 

Pics

 

yea would like to see pics...

 

yea pics man....

 

Yeah.. what everybody said ^^^^^^^

 

I think I understand what you did.... but pics would be good.

 

Isnt this basicallythe samething JeupRx8 did

 

Sorry! I can't post picture because I don't have a camera. I seen if I could borrow it from someone

 

I also went to Auto zone today and saw that they sell adjust intake pipe that would fit nicely. It cost $19.99. Right now my intake doesn't look nice for picture purpose and beside it can't be seen unless u remove the plastice cover. However, I plan to make it look and fit much better in the future and keep the cost under $30.What I want to do next is remove the stock intake filter housing and it its place, I plan to put a universal K&N cone filter at the tip. Right now the stock system is breathing much better by getting cold air from the front air dam.

 

I'm wondering the air quality. also... I not really sure would feel that much difference. beacuse as I remember racing beat did a test on rx-8. even took off the intake it's still doesn't gain much hp. like around 5hp. or something less than 10hp. just a thought.. :P

 

Your right about the hp gain. I suspect I'm gaining a little from the modification. What I am saying is that you don't have to spent alot of money on the intake, where you can do it yourself and probably get the same hp gain as racing beat of another intake system out there for the RX8. To make the RX8 breath a little better than stock is very easy. I don't know why Mazda didn't do that to the RX8 to begin with.

 

Probably because they're doing a worse job at filtering, or creating a lot of extra noise for only .5 HP, which most people don't actually like.

 

The noise level is about the same befor I made the modification, and regarding the filtering. I don't seen any difference with the stock setup. I just had the M flash about 3 week ago. The car felt different from the flash. It felt smother and I could feel some power gan from it. Since I relocated the intake, the car would pick up speed alot better, especially on the freeway.

 

How did to get to the intake pipe without removing the front end? The piece of chadding you or speaking of is very small . You and I are thinking alike and I totally agree with what you are saying but I had to do a lot more work to get my results. You are right in that the stock setup suxs. I did some pre filter air temp measurements on a 91 degree day in georgi a and found that below 45mph the air going to the filter was 121 degrees! Above 60mph it dropped to the ambient temp of 91. That means very little fresh air flow below 60 mph to the intake. Re routing made perfect sense even to an old fart like myself. I had to do it this way:
1- remove front end(its in the diy thread and not that hard)
2- take the stock air pipe and air box off/out of the car(save everything)
3- remove that peice of chad you speak off
4-open up airbox and take out baffles and air trumpet/cone screens(and old filter off course(save old filter those things cost $50!)
5- mount new k/n cone filter onto the air trumphet(get 3 1/2 inch filter) using only 1 of the 2 screens in the oe ,Re insert air box into car
6- cut the airhose that was on the oe airhose intake off the mounting piece(the piece that bolted on the car)
7- re route to the area in front of the raditor /behind the front rotory symbol with flex air intake hose 3 1/2 inch from local auto parts store(leave the vfd part of the intake alone)
8- take the screen you saved from the airbox and mount it into the airhose mounting piece you just cut off the oridginal hose (have to us a little silicone glue here)
9- mount the hose where you want it, mine is behind the front rotory symbol. You dont even notice it unless you look very closely.
10- re install your front end.
It really works. Gained more performance than when I put on my RB catback.
Its a little louder than stock AT WOT ONLY.
You don't have to move your maf.
My airbox is now cool to the touch (ALWAYS)
Its inexpensive to do
Car 's idle is unaffected.
I thinks it' the best diy mod from under $50 that can be done.
Good job man !
Olddragger

 

Well, I didn't have to do all of that. I just unsrew the two srew on each side, that were hold the upper part of the bumper. Then I just pull it back just enought to get an oppening so that I could remove and insert the modified intake pipe.

 

I'm plan to find tune the modification in the future. I probaly need to replace to stock hose that I'm using to connect to the down pipe.