After reading laidbacks review and seeing first hand the improvement it had on my buddies 335i(his was the original that eloy used to dyno) I was dead set on getting the scoop
So I purchased a used scoop from Rom3n after waiting nearly 2 month for a certain vendor to restock their inventory
I open the package that Rom3n so skillfully packaged to notice a bent piece of aluminum. I was very glad that I didn't pay full price, that was my first reaction. Install took about 5 minutes and could still not fully understand how laidback was getting the gains he did.
I start the vehicle and realize it would take a couple WOT runs before the ECM would compensate.
~low speed/rpm impression...
not noticeable at all
~mid rpm/speed impression
noticed a slight audible increase along with some improvement in responsiveness
~high rpm/speed impression
sound is incresed ever so slightly but not the intake sound we are used to, but more mechanical symphonious noise. The engine wants to rev even after 7000 all the way to 8000. It got rid of the drop at 7500 that I felt before and responsiveness as well as torque is increased as I am able to pass people in sixth from 60!
scangauge reading..
I observed oem intake temperature w/o RPI scoop to be 5 degrees warmer than ambient at best(which is very good). W/ scoop installed it was only 3 degrees warmer than ambient. This shows that there is a large amount of air being captured by the scoop.
overall impressions...
even if the scoop dropped power band everywhere just to make the engine feel as it does now I would buy it again. Next time you redline your s54 feel for the drop in power at 7500...now imagine the power doesnt taper off so abruptly...that's how the scoop makes it feel and more
