photos by: the author
A Close Look at the Cold Air Inductions Air Intake System for the Camaro6
What self-respecting Camaro owner doesn’t want a little more power under the hood? Especially when it takes less than 30 minutes to install and doesn’t come with any baggage in the form of voided warranties or driveability issues. Enter Cold Air Inductions, Inc., the first company that we’re aware of to offer a cold-air intake system for the 2016 Camaro, aka Camaro6.
Free-flowing air intake systems are nothing new. When engineered correctly, they are an easy way to unrestrict airflow leading to the engine, letting the engine produce more power. Of course, all modern GM engines, including the potent LT1 used in the Camaro6, have intricate monitoring and adjusting systems, designed around making sure that the car is always producing the power it was designed to, which can stand in the way of simple improvements like a cold-air intake. Cold Air Inductions has invested heavily into engineering the design of its systems to work with the factory programming to increase power – to the tune of 11 rear-wheel horsepower in the case of the 2016 Camaro with the LT1.
There’s more to this air-intake system than just additional power, though. We got a close look at the company’s system for the new Camaro and wanted to share with you the differences we noticed between Cold Air Inductions and others that we have experience with.
One of the first things that impressed us about the Cold Air Inductions air-intake system for the Camaro6 is the craftsmanship. The airbox and air tube are made from aluminum and TIG welded. There are no flimsy plastic parts at all. The pre-oiled, re-usable air filter is massive!
Cold-air intakes from Cold Air Inductions are available in two finishes: textured black and near-chrome. Both are a powder coated finish for durability and easy of cleaning.
Cold Air Inductions cut apart one of their filters to show one of its unique features. One of the secrets of increased flow that the company found in its flow-bench testing is a specific radius in the base of the filter to help reduce air turbulence.
Cold Air inductions also adds features such as the step in its elbow that makes it easy to properly install the system (so you know how far to insert the air tube), and the step minimizes the disruption in airflow.
Another difference with Cold Air Inductions systems is that they are have thermal protection to minimize how much underhood heat raises the air inlet temperature. The company lines the inside of the airbox with a heat barrier, and the air tube features a thermal coating. The cooler the air going into the engine, the denser the charge and the more power the engine is able to produce.
All Cold Air Inductions systems have a closed airbox. The means that they don’t seal against the hood (which doesn’t always seal properly). The airbox lid features a window to make filter inspection easy (and it looks cool), and the lid is held in place with ¼ turn fasteners for easy removal when it is time to clean and re-oil the filter.
The company does before and after dyno testing on every system it manufactures, and shares the dyno sheets so you can see the power improvements over the entire engine rpm range. Cold Air Inductions tests with the hood closed so the results are as close to what you can expect when driving your Camaro on the street.
Here’s the dyno sheet for the Camaro with the LT1 engine. You might notice that the baseline numbers are a bit lower than some others have claimed. Cold Air Inductions consulted with OEM technicians to make their dyno as accurate as possible. The bottom line is that no two dynos are the same, so what’s important to note is the gain across the rpm range as well as peak numbers.
Bringing years of editorial, photographic and technical experience to the table, Cole Quinnell is a name you’re more than likely familiar with if you’ve ever picked up a car mag at your local newsstand. He spends much of his free time behind the wheel of his LS-powered ’66 Chevelle and his killer off-road Jeep!
