[ProtegeManiac]

 
   You have your mind made up that you want to buy a new Ford Mustang. While on their website, you notice that there is a new option available called the "Ultimate Performance Carbon Fiber Engine Package" for an additional $2500. The package consists of a carbon fiber intake manifold, air intake and valve covers. They claim that "carbon fiber is a space age polymer used in Formula 1 race cars because of it's light weight and strength. It allows us to extract the most possible power from the engine, while saving weight at the same time". There is no more information given. There is no claim made regarding an increase in horsepower.

 

It saves weight without sacrificing structural rigidity when compared to metals. If the carbon fiber bits are basically the intake manifold, and it isn't a good ram air (ie, structured to take in air from a hood scoop) or a cold air intake that takes cold air from somewhere ahead (if not below) the radiator, then it won't have any performance advantages vs a cold air intake made of plastic paired with an aluminum manifold provided the shape is nearly identical.

 

If anything, you'd save a lot of weight on the intake manifold, but not necessarily the rest of the CF intake parts. Otherwise, a carbon fibre hood will get you a lot more weight savings considering how it's a much bigger piece of metal.

 

That said, for $2500 that goes with your car loan as opposed to saving up for separately (although it does pile on interest since it'll be part of your longer term payment plan), you're getting performance parts that are covered by warranty, unlike getting other bolt ons that can even void some other warranties (even for ridiculous dealer reasons), so for that kind of money, this is what you're paying for. Other bolt on brands won't get you that much more power anyway.

 

Of course, if you're planning on doing a lot more than an exhaust later on, like a supercharger, then these parts will highly likely just get tossed out. If it's a roots type supercharger, even the intake manifold gets tossed out as V engines won't have space to the side, and given the size of roots-type blowers, they're placed between the cylinder banks. These kits are more expensive since they're harder to fabricate as they include a new manifold, unlike how turbos and centrifugal chargers can just use pipes going from the kompressor to the existing manifold.

Although I wouldn't buy a mustang, I wouldn't get the upgrade. I'm a skeptic when it comes to things like this, and I would go by the scientific test over the word of the enthusiast.

 

Dyno graphs have a lot less debate than frequency response graphs. At least you can clearly see which has more horsepower and torque. The debate is on whether it will make a difference. In this particular case though if it's a cold air intake and a manifold that has a different shape than the stock engine's then even without a graph he can gamble on account of how this isn't going to void warranties like getting his own bolt-ons might. The question though is if any mag has tested those bits vs an otherwise stock Mustang.

 

Of course, about that manifold shape, if it's a heck of a lot shorter, he'd get a graph that says it has more horsepower at the top end, but it might be come at the cost of torque, or at least just cancel out what torque the (possible) cold air intake gets.