Intake Mod Problem

Earlier in this blog I showed you how to modify your dual stage intake so both intakes remain open at any RPM. This little modification initially sounds great and makes you feel like you are going faster, but it's not as effective as you may think. The additional roar from the second intake is slowly lost over time as the computer learns the new modification. Not only that, but the car is actually more sluggish from 0 RPM with both intake valves open. This seems to defy logic since the secondary intake sucks air from out of the cabin, and more of it, but it is true. The stock intake setup with no modifications is the optimal setup and is not as restrictive as you may assume. Lexus designed the dual stage intake to retain the plush Lexus feel while at the same time offering maximum intake at higher RPM. The car simply does not need as much air at the lower RPM, and both flaps open at low RPMs provides detriment to the overall acceleration. The detriment is not large, and it only becomes the matter of a few tenths of a second in a quarter mile, but that can be big to some people. After nearly a thousand miles with the intake modification, I have come to the conclusion that the stock setup is better, and I will be removing the modification. I will miss the additional roar at lower RPMs, but the nearby traffic will not.