Page 2 - PROTOTYPE

The team developing this intake for our 2016 Chevy Camaro 2.0T or what I call "The TurboChevy" has been buzzing with activity. In the last post, we discussed the stock intake and analyzed each component to get a good understanding of its design. There were several ways our engineers could have created an intake for this system, and we tried and tested a few of those designs, which yielded some interesting results.

If you followed our 2016+ Camaro SS intake development, you'd see that we went through multiple designs to achieve the desirable.  In some ways this project is similar; let's walk through what we found!

Camaro parts under inspection

The Decision 2016

Rather than assume that the turbo muffling piece is actually a restrictor, we wanted to test it to be sure. Two models were 3D printed: an elbow designed to include the muffler, and an elbow that attached directly to the turbocharger, omitting the muffler. We tested both on the same day.

Camaro performance parts up for testing

We have undertaken an intriguing project. The stock intake design for this 2016 Camaro SS is quite unique and working to increase performance has been a challenge, but here at Mishimoto, we welcome challenges! In the previous post, we went through the different iterations our Engineering Team had created, and we designed a prototype for testing. More testing was needed, however, before we could achieve the level of performance we wanted from this design. We will go through a detailed analysis of our final numbers for this Camaro cold-air intake project.

Collecting the Dyno Data

Dyno testing for Camaro cold air intake

We strapped our Camaro SS onto the dyno so we can start the long sessions of data collection. First, we needed to establish a new baseline and test the prototype we showed in our last entry.

Old prototype Camaro SS parts

As a quick reminder, the stock inlet diameter measured 4.5 inches. Our intake also has a 4.5 inch mass airflow (MAF) housing and filter inlet diameter - the

In our last update, we left you with some dyno results showing the potential this kit has for increased performance. Now that the development process is nearing completion, we have a finished and fully functional prototype to test fit onto a BMW 330i. This kit is a direct fit for the E46 330i and it includes a very straightforward component list and simple installation instructions. Let's jump into what our final kit looks like.

Final E46 intake prototype

As seen above, the multi-ply silicone intake hose features a CNC-machined connector for exact fitment onto our filter. The heat shield is made of black powder-coated steel to help keep the filter shielded from the engine bay heat. The weather stripping along the edges seals against the hood to further assist with isolating the air filter. This oiled filter is a serviceable unit that can be used for quite some time with the proper maintenance.

Prototype E46 parts

Prototype E46 parts

Here is a shot of the entire kit fitted on our 330i.

Final

Our last update on this intake included dyno testing that yielded some interesting numbers. Now that we're moving closer to the release, let's take a look at the finished product!

Let's start with the intake pipes.

New 2015 WRX parts

These intake pipes will be finished in either wrinkle black, wrinkle red or polished, as shown above. The decision is up to you! These production samples came out nicely and look really great in person. Remember we are using full three inch piping with no step downs, which will require a tune on any WRX that has this race intake installed.

Color options for the 2015 WRX Intake

Each pipe will come with a built-in mass airflow (MAF) straightener to help with consistent airflow. Straighteners are very helpful in assisting the MAF sensor to record accurate readings and take turbulent airflow out of the equation. Let's also not forget that the MAF housing adapter is CNC-machined onto the pipe!

Filter for our 2015 WRX Intake

Pictured above is the filter we plan on

As we finally round the end of the long and arduous testing and data collection process, it's time to test the fitment of the final prototype to ensure there are no issues before we kick off full-scale production. A lot of effort has gone into designing and engineering this kit, and it has been rewarding to see this project finally come together.

There were some minor changes and cool feature additions that will make this kit unique. Take a look at some images below.

Prototype Miata intake box

After we pieced together the rest of the box, we cleaned it up with some fresh paint and added a neat feature that will help with cooling. Right underneath the front of the box, you can see an angled plate that has been attached. This plate acts as an air diverter that will help trap extra air rushing against the radiator fins, thus slightly increasing the cooling capacity.

Prototype Miata intake box

The mass airflow (MAF) sensor adapter has been moved to the straight section of the pipe, which alters

Last time we left you with a detailed breakdown of the massive stock intake system of the 2016 Chevy Camaro. Designing a prototype that will keep this big V8 happy has been quite a task, but our awesome engineering team has come up with a unique design for a prototype. Let's start by taking a look at our components.

Mass Airflow Sensor Housing

The stock mass airflow (MAF) sensor is sandwiched inside an air straightener. This straightener differs from others because it doesn't take up the entire length of the tube. Instead, it's pretty much only as long as the length of the sensor. Based on this, we decided to take that element of Chevy's design and incorporate it into our housing piece.

Prototype Camaro SS Parts

Prototype Camaro SS Parts

Our ability to 3D print many of our prototype components for testing allows us to cut down significantly on R&D costs, production time, and resources. This means we bring you the parts you need in a much shorter timeframe. Unlike most of our straighteners

Great news from the Mishimoto garage! We have tested and fitted the final iteration of our airbox design for this prototype MK7 intake. We made some minor adjustments for fitment and ease of installation, but more on that later. This has been an interesting project from the start because of the uniqueness of this box design - check it out!

Final Intake System

Once this prototype system was ready to go, we prepared it for final fitting into the MK7. The next step is paint! The final products will be powder coated, with the intake pipe color options ranging from wrinkle black/red powdercoat or chrome polish. So the painted parts below are just for visualization purposes.

Prototype MK7 parts drying from paint

MK7 GTI intake airbox

MK7 GTI intake airbox

As seen above, this version of the box has the SAI (secondary air injection) attachment. Also, compared to the previous version you've seen, the airbox lid is slightly different. There are now two bends instead of one on the lid, which drops