Best Air Filter For My 03 Targa

Coming From MB AMG World I Generally Install K&N Filters, Is This OK For The TARGA as well ? If so, where is the best place to obtain one ? I use to go to performanceparts.com - is there a better site ? Thanks in advance..

Good, I am interested in the answer as well Ken

Stock is fine.......I don't think KN filters are any better than stock IMO..

Absolutely! Unless you think cleaning a filter is cool, none of the aftermarket filters will do a better job than the stock paper element.

But they will cost you more and provide you with an opportunity to foul your MAF if you over oil them Karl

ive had nothing but the best of luck with K&N in all of my cars, and it is indeed better than a paper filter, but the gains on a car with an air box design such as the porsche will not be noticed like it was on my BMW M Coupe which had a noticable 4 more miles to the gallon average on just replacing that alone, but always be careful not to over oil them, or do what i do, when you clean it then oil it, set it overnight on some paper towles to absorbe any leftovers before putting in the car to save your maf

Correct me if I am wrong, but if you gain a extra 4 miles to the gallon, wouldn't that mean less air is getting to the motor. If the K&N restricts more air than a paper filter then you would lose power but get more miles to the gallon due to less air getting to the motor.

The best one for that particular car really is the factory filter.

not really, considering if the car is struggling to get the air it needs for the way its being driving, in my case very hard, a car that is struggling to breath will get worse mpg

I think you might be wrong on this subject....if a motor is getting more air then it will burn more fuel, simple physics. I hardly think Porsche or BMW would put a air filter that would cause the motor to struggle air.there is a thread on twin-turbo forum as we speak, and some pretty qualified people give their opinion as to K&N filters. Regardless its your car and you should install whatever filter you prefer.

well if i was getting less air then when i dyno'd the bmw before and after the simple mod why was my hp increased instead of drastically decreased, its not just simple physics in this case anyways, you have to look at all the factors and simple just saying more air = less mpg isn't the only equation, and it is a well known fact that bmw put a very restrictive air box on the Z3 line of cars, and any BMW person will tell you that, in fact, since the S54 M3 has 330Hp and the MCoupe with S54 same engine only has 315, its not because it has been detuned, but because of the air box. and to top that off why would porsche use BMC filters, which is the same as a K&N filter in their race cars instead of a paper filter ?

Probably because the race cars don't use air boxes at all, so they have to use an aftermarket cone-type filter. Karl

Actually the difference is the intake manifold and the exhaust, due to a smaller engine compartment. Regardless if you believe that K@N filters are superior and give you more HP then thats your perogative.IMO they don't give any performance benefits over stock paper type filters and may actually be more restrictive in certain applications. P.S. I love BMWS , I also own a M5 sans K@N. Cheers J Steve Weiner-Rennsport Systems Addict Rennlist Tech. Advisor Registered: May 2001 Location: Portland Oregon Posts: 2337 There is no difference in performance (unless clogged) between the stock paper filter, the BMC or K&N ones, except for washability of the two cotton gauze ones. __________________ Steve Weiner Rennsport Systems Portland Oregon [phone removed] For Parts, Services, & Technical Information, visit us on the Internet at: http://www.rennsportsystems.com E-mail

i doubt very seriously on many cars at all that any air filter is going to give you much if any HP gains, and company's like bmc and K&n have proven through countless hours of research and development that there filters are far better than paper, but im sure it's all a matter of opinion anyways

Plus, keep in mind, the oil on the K&N type has fouled the MAS in some cases

How about some impressions on changes in induction music with a straight filter change in the M96 motor? Performance/mileage issues aside, is there much change in the induction music in going from stock paper to say, BMC? Keeping the stock airbox, of course. TGIF!!!

i didn't notice any until i put the orange cap in the bypass tube

I put the orange cap in my car a few weeks ago. I have PSE, and noticed a slight change in the engine music, but then noticed (actually, my 11 year old son pointed it out to me! ), that it had a negative side effect. Without the plug, when you decelerate, the PSE has a wonderful "gurgle" which was gone with the orange plug installed. I pulled out the plug, and the gurgle is back!