One of the easiest mods almost anyone can do themselves is to install an intake system. Whether its fabricating your own from house hold items, or a “kit” you bought from an aftermarket vendor, the point of the intake system is to provide less restrictive breathing for the engine.
The stubborn T8 ECU management systems of newer Saabs make a tune necessary to see any significant gains from bolt on modifications affecting air flow, such as intakes and exhausts. Until a tune, the intake is pretty much a fancy noise maker – and a very nice one at that.
I recently installed a short-ram intake designed by Taliaferro from GenuineSaab.com. Genuine Saab packaged the product well, and although simple, it looks great.
The heat shield was extremely simple to install, and seems to be effective so far. I must say Taliaferro did a great job in matching the fitment of the stock airbox with the heat shield. The carbon intake shines marvelously but isn’t too flashy. Lastly, the K&N intake fit great and sounded even better. It makes the turbo much more audible, putting a grin on my face when it spools.
I chose the Taliaferro because out of all the intakes available, it came with a K&N filter, and showed the most credibility with its testing in regards to which intake would best suit my goals for the Saab.
It’s been about 1,000 miles since the install. The car breathes and runs better, and I haven’t had a single issue, so I’d give the intake two thumbs up! Good job, Taliaferro!
Source: technologytell.com
