I purchased this intake during the summer of 2006 and have put approximately 6k miles on it so far. Unlike the other intake options, the Carbonio retains the stock engine cover and improves primarily on the stock inlet.
The stock inlet does not feed air directly to the engine. Instead of channeling air from the grille directly to the filter, it merely flows a path of air into the engine bay, from which the engine draws from.
This is a fairly inefficient design which Carbonio has significantly improved on. The Carbonio intake comprises of a carbon fiber inlet with a thermal heat barrier intergrated in the weave. In addition, they provide a Pipercross oil-less triple stage foam filter to improve on the stock paper filter. The pipercross filter provides excellent filtration as I haven't see any increase in aluminum wear or silicon particles in used oil analysis.
One major concern I had with the Carbonio was regarding the possiblity of hydrolock, since the carbonio inlet is completely sealed. There are a set of water drainage holes on the bottom of the airbox and the air still needs to flow through the filter, thus reducing the possiblity of hydrolock. So far, I have driven with the intake on in very rainy wet conditions as well as snow and have not encountered any issues.
Overall the intake improved throttle response significantly, which I mostly attribute to the low-restriction foam filter. Where I notice impressive gains is in the 4k to 6krpm range. The inlet is designed to provide ram-air-like effects as speed increases due to its smooth transition from a large volume of air into the smaller inlet to the engine cover. I believe this inlet design is responsible for the mid to upper RPM gains I felt. In order to test this hypothesis, I ran the stock inlet for about a month with the pipercross filter. When switching back to the Carbonio inlet, I noticed the mid-to-upper RPM gains came back.
Another benefit of the Carbonio is that it maintains the stock MAF profile and flow straightener. While other "filter-on-a-stick" intakes claim to have a similar cross-section to that of stock, the MAF sensor still sits in the housing differently than how it was designed to read. Also, all the tubular intakes are devoid of the flow straighter, whose absence can skew MAF readings and impact engine performance negatively. While the extent to which these two elements impact performance has not been thoroughly researched by me, I opted for the safer route and left both the MAF profile and flow straightener in it's stock form.
In addition to its impressive performance gains, the Carbonio is also a beautiful sight to see. The intricate mold fit perfectly in the stock position. While carbon fiber is difficult to mold with exacting precision, Carbonio has managed to sculpt their intake so that it is a seamless install, maintaining proper clearance for the hood cable and utilizing both stock attachment screws. Although other people have had some issues, my Carbonio has not hazed, yellowed or turned green. The weave is perfect and the resin has been resiliant against scratches and road grime.
I purchased the Carbonio from Keith Lucas at APR. Despite having to wait a month for the intake to come off of backorder, I think it was worth every penny.
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