Cold air intake

[Lotobear]

I'm considering fitting a cold air intake to my 2010 n/a Evora but can't seem to find a supplier in the UK.

I would be interested to hear whether this is worthwhile (seeking a bit more torque ostensibly) and whether I can order one in the UK.

Any other comments appreciated - car currently has a K&N panel filter and 3rd cat delete

Cheers🙂

 

[Alfa2Evora]

I can't answer how it'll affect your car if the CAI is all you'll have.

I've got a 2bular exhaust system and have had an ECU remap too, and combined with the CAI it makes a noticeable difference - driving it with the Sport button off is more like having it on in a standard car, and when you put it in Sport it goes like the proverbial. Plus, the induction howl when you push up towards the top end of the rev-range is nothing short of insane, .

I was lucky in that I was in the right place at the right time to grab a barely-used bargain on here otherwise I was looking at personally importing one from The States at something north of £500 at the time (a couple of years ago) as I'm not aware of anyone in the UK that supplies just the intake kit.

 

[agentdr8]

There's both the BOE CAI and the Radium CAI available for the NAs. I believe BOE ships worldwide; not sure Radium still makes their intake. Might be able to find one in the secondary market. 

[EGTE]

Just be warned that they are f. loud!

[Whitey]

I put  the Radium  one on my NA about 7 years ago and its been great but not made anymore. I think Hangar 111 do a CAI which may be worth looking at and will be cheaper than the BOE one. I also fitted a 2Bular rear box and 3rd cat delete and the car sounds great and performs well plus passes track noise levels.

[electro_boy]

BOE Fab and Radium are the popular CAI suppliers but both are based in US so could get costly regarding import duty etc also with the current virus situation it could take a long time to arrive and the exchange rate is not great at the moment.

https://www.boefab.com/collections/evora/products/evora-cold-air-intake

I believe Komotec do a CAI kit but its only for the Evora S.  This is sold in in the UK via Hangar111 so get in touch with them to see if can be fitted to the NA too?  This was on the expensive side as its made from carbon.

The other option you try is the Alias23 system for the V6 Exige.  It's made for the Exige so a bit of modification will be required to get it to fit a NA Evora.  Certainly the connection to the throttle body is different.

Shop link: https://alias23.com/collections/exige-s3-v6-all-products/products/lotus-exige-v6-s3-air-intake-kit

Forum thread link: https://alias23.com/collections/exige-s3-v6-all-products/products/lotus-exige-v6-s3-air-intake-kit

 

Will it make any power?  From reading posts on here and the US forums it does free up a few HP but usually people have also done a ECU map and other mods so hard to find an example just looking at the benefit of the CAI.  Certainly the sound is amazing and in my opinion os what the NA should've sounded like out the factory.  I love the whooshing, sucking in noises you can hear from the passenger side air intake vent.  I went for the BOE Fab design and got it done with full exhaust system and ecu so I cant comment on what difference just a CAI makes on power but I think for the sound alone its worth it! 

[trcm]

Forum thread link (corrected) : 

I had a back and forth with Bravo73 and alias23, but they didn't think it was possible to put the filter under the bracing bar that exists near the Evora side ducts.

I can't help but believe without the bulk of the Evora airbox, it would be simple to put a small shallow angled joint near the bar, with the filter just beyond it.

[Bravo73]

1 hour ago, electro_boy said:

The other option you try is the Alias23 system for the V6 Exige.  It's made for the Exige so a bit of modification will be required to get it to fit a NA Evora.  Certainly the connection to the throttle body is different.

Shop link: https://alias23.com/collections/exige-s3-v6-all-products/products/lotus-exige-v6-s3-air-intake-kit

FYI, @alias23’s intake won’t work in an Evora. And particularly not an NA (the throttle body is in a different position to the Exige/S cars). 

The @alias23 intake relies on a straight pipe with the filter on the far end (near the body vent). There isn’t a straight path from the vent to the throttle body on an Evora. That is why the BOE, ES Motorsports and other Evora intakes use bendable pipes. 
 

[alias23]

I guess the ‘ask’ has been around for a while and I should get my act in gear so if anyone is local to Gloucester and can lend me their Evora for a few days I should get what I need to make up an initial design.

Ping me if anyone’s interested

 

[Bravo73]

Don’t forget that Evoras come in 3 main ‘flavours’. 😉

[trcm]

Out with the old...

in with the new...

Snug fit, but easily done.

Fuel trims seem fine on the long run I did today, IATs seem much better (the stock airbox seems to get heat soaked after as little as 15minutes), and oh the sound is marvellous

Edited May 25, 2020 by trcm

[alias23]

Congrats @trcm I hadn’t thought about going ‘left’ but looks good... I might have to test one of mine now in that position!

The noise so great isn’t it?!!! 

[electro_boy]

Nice work! I love the sound the cars should have come like out the factory.

Did you make that your self or buy a kit from somewhere?

[trcm]

I'm normally quite lazy so would have bought a kit if one were available that I liked (the Komo-tec is huge and really expensive!).

I enjoyed reading over the Exige V6 threads and @alias23 work to develop a product there, and it was due to @Kristof Thys and @dixie v6 comments on that thread - about air straighteners and reliable MAF outputs - that I thought this would be worth trying on the Evora S. I spoke to @dixie v6 to find where he sourced his parts from, and as luck would have it he offered me a spare alu tube and fitted an air-straightener to it for me for shipment from Belgium to the UK.

All I needed then was to find an air filter (BMC delivered from Italy) and do some fettling to make it all fit, but this is actually half the fun if you like tinkering!

Edited May 26, 2020 by trcm

[dixie v6]

And you forgot to mention how cheap you got the intake 😅

 

 

Edited May 27, 2020 by Bravo73

[Jmanji]

On 03/05/2020 at 10:34, Whitey said:

I put  the Radium  one on my NA about 7 years ago and its been great but not made anymore. I think Hangar 111 do a CAI which may be worth looking at and will be cheaper than the BOE one. I also fitted a 2Bular rear box and 3rd cat delete and the car sounds great and performs well plus passes track noise levels.

What track were you at and what was your test results like? I have the same set up and was wondering if it will pass the sound  test

[Whitey]

That was at Castle Combe where they had a 100db limit on that day and I think mine came in at 92db from memory

[Jmanji]

That’s good to know I’m going to snetterton on Wednesday, they are not static testing but will be using drive by tests at 105db I am wondering if it will pass the test with the tubular box which is loud ?? Is there any way to muffle the sound? I am thinking 

1 put the 3rd cat back in?

2 swap back to stock exhaust ? Would that affect the cars ecu? 
3 use some type of bolt on muffler.

4 take the stick exhaust with and swap if I get told no? 

 

has anyone else been to snetterton with the tubular back box? 
also would a phone app be reliable to test?

[electro_boy]

I’m running a NA Evora with BOE fab intake Larini exhaust headers, zero cat and lotus sports exhaust.  That all comes in at ~100db static when doing a not official test by a friendly TLFer. 

I was totally fine at Donington which has 98db drive by and Silverstone which is 105db, never even got a sniff of a warning. So I think you’ll be ok.   The drive by sensors are placed on the side of the track so further away than the static test, so the sound has space to dissipate away hence, even though you are revving higher than the static test the sound level reading from the track side sensors is less. 
 

no idea how well calibrated phone microphones are, it will be ok to get you in the right ball park but don’t think it will super accurate. 

Edited July 9, 2020 by electro_boy

[Whitey]

As above, I am sure you will be fine with a 105 drive by limit.

Jairaj - did you fit the Larini headers yourself / after you bought the car - just looking for comparison of pre and post fitting if you can help.  And to confirm, you have no cats at all - did this trigger any codes or engine MIL light / limp mode?

Thanks.

 

[electro_boy]

Yep I added the Larini after I owned the car for a bit.  I started off with Evora NA with sports exhaust and 3rd cat removed.  Then added on BOE Fab air intake, Larini headers afterwards.

The sound is noticeably different, it is louder but also the quality of the sound is better.  Its not just the same but more of it,  hard to explain I'm crap with words.  But there is more going on with the sound the texture is better.  The air intake also adds to the intake noise, I always thought engine noise was from the exhaust but now I realise there is lots that comes from the intake too.

Hard to say if power felt any different due to just the headers, I got air intake and aftermarket ECU with custom tune all at the same time.  Also no problem with the ECU but then again I got a aftermarket ECU with custom tune.  I don't think removing cats would throw a warning light, as from memory the original headers had the sensors plugged in before the cats so I don't think the ECU has the ability to detect any changes further down the exhaust route? Is there another sensor further down the exhaust?

[Jmanji]

I have the boe intake as well and love the sucking sound it makes, I have also just sealed it to the iNtake duct and it’s now much louder !!! 
just got of the phone to Jim at tubular he is going to look at making a deflector for the rear which will probably help sound issues!! 
 

 Is have to work out how to mount the go pro and Harry’s lap timer on my phone ?? Any good ideas

Edited July 9, 2020 by Jmanji

[electro_boy]

Go Pro could be mounted to the glass between engine compartment and rear seats using a sucker mount.  I think track day organisers also require you to have a physical connection too, so if you have 2+2 Evora you could tether the camera to the rear seat belts.

[Kristof Thys]

@electro_boy @Jmanji  Typically you would have 2 PRE cat O2 sensors in the (Larini) manifolds and 2 POST cat.  Contrary to what is often shouted, from a technical perspective, there is no issue running without a cat.  However, on the POST cat O2 sensors you must use a so called "O2 simulator" or you WILL get a CEL (P042x "Catalyst system below efficiency threshold" bank x or y) on the stock tune & ECU.

Basically its an extension with a small cat integrated that sits between the exhaust gas flow and the sensor.

 

 

I am not debating the environmental impact (and no, I do have a cat (+Larini headers, +CAI, straight pipes).

 

Need to add (edit): this comes only from experience on V6 Exige (so supercharged), might be different on the S1 Evora's but it shouldn't be as the same manifolds with integrated cats are used as for as I know across all 2GR-FE (sc & NA) models?  If not, I've learned something new 😉 

Edited July 10, 2020 by Kristof Thys
note on S1 Evora vs V6 Exige

[Bulletmagnet]

Just resurrecting this thread rather than start a new one...

I like the idea of a CAI on my Evora S, mostly for enhanced intake/supercharger noise but also to tidy up the engine bay and make air filter cleaning/replacement easier. If I get a few gee gees as well, that’s fine👍🏼
 

I’d buy the Komotec one on Hangar 111, as I like the idea of the filter being in a casing to protect from engine bay heat...but it’s crazy expensive. Does anyone actually have one fitted that could vouch for it’s effectiveness/sound/performance...just to try and justify the price? Any better pics than on H111?

 

ES Motorsport say they do one with a HKS filter, but no pics...anyone got one of them?

 

@alias23 Any news on a kit for the Evora S? I’d potentially be willing to be a guinea pig...