Next in line of articles on accessories and modifications for your Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky is the CAI or Cold Air Intake.

The Cold Air Intake is nothing new to the world of auto performance but it has gotten a lot more technical in the past few years. In the earlier days when motor heads first discovered the performance benefits to drawing the more dense cold air from outside the engine compartment rather than the hot less dense air form around the engine. People first were fabricating there own intakes using plastic tubing and snaking it through the engine compartment. Nowadays you have companies like Fujita Air that use computers to design the TIG welded mandrel bent 6061 T6 Aluminum tubing used in the construction of today’s Cold Air Intakes.

A few facts: Your stock air intake on your Solstice and sky does in fact draw its air from the very front of the vehicle but it was designed for a balance of fuel economy and noise reduction. As your stock Solstice and Sky draws the cooler air in it has to pass through a series of noise baffles and a huge air box that happens to be black (the perfect color for conducting heat) so by the time the once cold air makes its way to your engine it has not only become the same temperature of the engine compartment itself but it is extremely turbulent thus causing for a less efficient burn.

Now enter the aftermarket CAI: Most Cold Air Intake systems work in the same way they redirect the air intake for the engine to a cooler area usually in the front of the vehicle away form the heat of the motor. The Cold Air Intake will draw the air in and give it a straight shot to the intake manifold. This serves two main purposes; first the air will remain cooler and thus more dense and able to burn the fuel more efficiently and as a result giving your motor a few extra horsepower. Second the air is not subjected to all the twisting and redirecting as found in the stock air box so when it gets to your motor it is smooth and with out turbulence thus promoting a more efficient burn. Also Cold Air Intakes usually have a larger intake tube thus providing your motor with more air, more air = more horsepower!

There are a few Cold Air Intake options on the market for the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky. They all do the same thing you just have to weigh you options when purchasing. For instance GM provides a CAI system that they will install and will allow you to keep your existing warranty but it is about $100 more expensive than a the Fujita F5 CAI. The Fujita CAI will either have to be installed by a performance auto shop or if you have a basic set of tools in the garage you can do it your self in about 1 hour. But by choosing the Fugita CAI you may be voiding certain parts of your GM warranty. Its all about the Pros & Cons:

Pros:

• Add about 7HP or 4RWHP to your Solstice or Sky
• Better Throttle Response
• Loose 20lbs of weight off your car
• New look to your engine compartment
• Better fuel economy

Cons:

• Your bank account will be about $300-$400 lighter

• GM Part Direct
• Fujita Air