Did you try dealing with anyone at Mina Gallery for the answer? I would also eventually like to try some aftermarket intake for my 2005 XKR but the ones I have seen out there are not all that impressive looking although this one at Torque Developments International looks hopeful http://www.tdi-plc.com/catalog/produ...oducts_id=7246

Doug

 

It's probably a trade-off. The existing system is presumably pulling air from somewhere other than the engine bay (the intake tube disappears into the fender but I cannot figure out where) but the air path is obviously convoluted. The aftermarket ones seem much more direct in terms of air flow but they pull air from the engine bay. I think I would opt for the latter since I do not think it is that big a deal pulling slightly warmer air from the engine bay. In fact, in my Corvette, the original air intake system was basically a box that sat above the radiator shroud and sucked air from the engine bay. Some owners (myself included) modify that system by cutting an opening into the shroud and flipping the air box to suck outside air. It seems like there should be a benefit to doing this but, believe me, it certainly is not a noticeable one.

Doug

 

I have not had much luck with the aftermarket cold air intake systems. Jaguars are sensitive cars and sometimes reject them with CEL errors. I think if you are looking for more air intake with these cars, it is best to just get a freeflow(K&N) filter to fit the factory airbox. IMO.

 

I have used K&N in the past and plan to install on in my XKR. But what I have heard and read is that a clean stock filter will flow just as good as a K&R. The difference is that as the filter gets dirty, the dirty K&R will flow better than the dirty stock.

Doug

 

Just ordered CAI for my S-Type R from Mina's. Hope, it fits.

Jack

 

I put one of the Mina Gallery filters on my 01 XK8 and it worked great! The problem with the older XK's was that the intake tube leading into the box was TINY...like sucking air through a straw...and restricted the engines ability to breath. So, it wouldn't matter how clean the filter was it still couldn't get enough air. The new intake made it breath better and sound better. The difference was really noticeable. With mine, they supplied a bracket that attached to one of the bolts atop the shock tower. I had to do some twisting and bending of the bracket to get the filter to fit properly and clear the hood when it closed. Speaking of air restriction, take a look at your exhaust. The engine as as much problem pushing the air out as it does sucking it in. The Mina exhaust made a HUGH improvement on my 01. Can't understand why Jag didn't design these better from the getgo and get some free extra horsepower...maybe had to do with fuel economy.

BTW, at some point Jag changed the airbox design. The box on my 06 XKR has a flap that opens up when the engine needs more air. I understand from the Mina folks that the K&N filters don't produce nearly as much improvement on the newer models with the flap as they do on the older cars.

Good luck!

 

I also saw that the intake box on my 2005 XKR has the secondary flap. Replacing the stock box with an aftermarket will require disconnecting the solenoid that controls the flap, so I called Mina to ask if that would trigger any trouble codes. They said disconnecting the solenoid would not result in a check engine light. However, it looks like this later model stock intake is an improvement over the earlier design so I expect gains from swapping with an aftermarket intake would be minimal. However, some of the aftermarket ones look pretty nifty.

Doug