The Toyota Supra A90 Intake Upgrade Guide. The Toyota A90 Supra is the most recent generation of one of the company’s most well-known performance vehicles. For many reasons, the Supra is a JDM classic, and the Mark V is shaping up to fit right in. While the A90 is not the same as previous Supras, it is still a turbocharged 6-cylinder beast that begs to be tweaked.
A performance intake is a fantastic alternative for people looking for a low-cost A90 Supra performance upgrade. A performance intake can be regarded a wonderful starting point or the finishing touch to a well tuned design, depending on how you look at it. The goal of a performance intake upgrade is to improve engine ventilation over the stock system. In general, the performance of an enhanced intake scales with engine performance, as highly tuned engines are frequently throttled due to insufficient airflow.
In this article, we’ll go through the benefits of upgrading your A90 Supra’s intakes and recommend some of the top A90 Supra intakes on the market right now.
Toyota Supra A90 “Cold Air” Intake Debate
Aftermarket intake performance is hotly debated. Some enthusiasts contend that the majority of aftermarket intake systems are not true “cold air” intake systems. This is due to the fact that many aftermarket intakes draw air from the same position as the stock airbox. These people would then argue that there is no difference in performance because there is no difference in air temperature. Such argument, however, does not hold water in the instance of the A90 Supra or the B58 engine in general.
Most folks are correct when they remark that the majority of performance intakes available for the A90 Supra aren’t true cold air intakes. To be deemed a true “cold air” system, an updated Supra intake filter would need to be re-routed to the bottom of the engine compartment and away from the heat created by the engine. There are currently no true cold air intakes for the A90 that meet that requirement. Yet, air temperature is not the only factor that influences performance. Aftermarket intakes frequently increase the volume of air entering the engine significantly. This is especially true for a turbocharged engine such as the B58.
Reasons for a Toyota Supra Intake Improvement for the A90
In addition to the preceding remark, keep in mind that performance intakes influence turbocharged engines differently than naturally aspirated engines. Air pressure rises when more air is drawn into a less restricted intake. As a result, the turbo doesn’t have to work as hard to compress the incoming air. As a result, the turbocharger is more efficient and can push compressed air into the engine more quickly, producing greater power.
If you plan to modify your B58 and increase the turbo boost pressure (psi), a high-flow intake will be even more vital. Tuning the engine and running greater boost levels necessitates drawing more air into the engine. At high boost settings, without more air streaming in, your turbo will struggle to compensate and will be forced to work overtime to compress adequate air.
The Advantages of an A90 Supra Intake Upgrade
- Engine induction sound is noticeably louder.
- increased airflow with reduced constriction
- throttle responsiveness is slightly faster
- Turbo spooling is now little faster.
- 5-10whp plus bone stock
- When paired with a tune, it produces 15-25whp and 15-25wtq.
Besides from the performance advantages, many individuals improve their intake because of the increased noise. If you’ve never heard induction noise, it’s difficult to explain. In essence, the suction of air into a smoother flowing intake is easier to hear, which is definitely a sight to witness. While the performance advantages of an A90 Toyota Supra intake upgrade are arguable, the improved sound is unquestionable.
In addition to marginally enhancing horsepower and torque, an A90 Toyota Supra intake improvement could increase throttle responsiveness and turbo spool time. The inertia and flow characteristics of the incoming air can affect engine performance depending on the structure of the improved intake. While an enhanced intake does not increase throttle response by itself, it can be a result of the altered airflow characteristics.
The performance of an A90 Toyota Supra intake modification is also affected by the type of intake used. Some aftermarket intakes include an enclosed box design similar to the Factory B58 intake. Because they are not directly exposed to the atmosphere, closed box intakes are slightly more restrictive. Some open-air intakes do away with the restricted original airbox design, allowing the intake to draw in more air at a faster rate.
The Most Effective A90 Toyota Supra Intake Upgrades
In our opinion, the three greatest 3.0L Supra intakes are listed below.
1) HKS DryCarbon A90 Supra Cold Air Intake Kit
When it comes to high-quality aftermarket parts for Japanese vehicles, HKS is one of the most well-known names in the industry. You won’t find a manufacturer with a greater pedigree or community status than this one, which has been in business for nearly 50 years. They also sell performance intakes for hundreds of different vehicles, proving that they know what they’re doing.
The HKS DryCarbon A90 Supra Intake is open-air in design. While this occasionally results in incoming air that isn’t as chilly as it should be, HKS has devised a workaround. In comparison to standard aluminum piping material, the DryCarbon structure minimizes heat transfer. Furthermore, the pipework is designed to significantly reduce turbulence inside the intake.
The carbon structure of the HKS considerably saves weight. The HKS DryCarbon A90 Intake is 35% lighter than the stock intake, according to HKS. This equates to a 1kg weight savings. In terms of sheer air volume, the overall benefit is a 13% increase over the stock intake. The HKS is also the most expensive option on our list due to its carbon build.
Price: $829.00
Increases in horsepower: 0-4whp, with a comparable increase in torque.
2) Cold Air Intake System for Injen SP A90 Supra
While Injen isn’t as well-known in the aftermarket as HKS, their SP intake is an excellent choice. The SP has a more traditional build than the HKS DryCarbon, which decreases its price significantly. Whilst the HKS intake is made of carbon, the Injen is made of aluminum. While its material composition may not be as advanced, it has a distinct benefit over the default intake shape. The SP has one of the largest diameter intake tubes on this list, which significantly improves airflow.
The fundamental advantage of the Injen A90 Supra performance exhaust is its open design. The intricate architecture of the factory intake throttles incoming air. The SP is far more straight, with fewer direction changes that reduce air velocity. The Injen SP, like the HKS, is an open-air intake. The fully replaceable Super-Nano-Web filter delivers exceptional filtering to compensate for the SP’s exposure to the atmosphere. Because the SP has an open-air intake, induction noise is louder than in closed-air systems.
While performance numbers for some intakes can be difficult to obtain, the Injen has dyno figures. The SP is said to increase performance by 15 horsepower and 17lb-ft of torque. Having said that, they did not specify if this was on a modified or stock A90 Supra. Actual statistics are likely to be slightly lower than on a factory engine.
Price: $299.96
Increase in power: 5-15 hp / 5-17 lb-ft
Related : The Guide for LS2 Supercharger Upgrade
3) Cold Air Intake aFe Takeda Momentum A90 Supra
The aFe Momentum intake, unlike the previous intakes, is a closed air intake, identical to the original configuration. In the case of the Momentum, this has a couple of advantages. While closed air systems can be constrictive, the aFe system makes use of the largest filter available. The larger filter increases the overall surface area of the filter, allowing more air into the system. As a result, the system flows 22% better than the factory intake.
The housing of the Momentum actually has better heat-shielding properties than the other two intakes on this list. The housing is made of heat-resistant XLPE plastic, which aids in thermal dispersion. The Momentum intake also includes an aluminum heat cover to keep it safe from high engine temperatures. The aFe intake complements the A90 Supra’s black and red engine cover in appearance.
Overall, the aFe Momentum delivers excellent performance at a reasonable price. The Momentum improves factory performance by 12 horsepower and 24 lb-ft of torque, according to aFe dyno results. It’s unclear whether these data were from a stock or modified A90 Supra, but it’s definitely reasonable to assume that the stats are a little lower on a stock car.
Price: $398.06
Increase in power: 5-12 horsepower / 5-24 lb-ft
Synopsis of the A90 Supra Enhanced Intake
For good reason, performance intake systems are among the most popular aftermarket additions. They provide an excellent blend of performance, sound, and pricing. This is especially true for the 3.0L B58 engine, which relies heavily on air flow. In modified and altered A90 Toyota Supras, power gains can be as high as 10-15whp peak.
We choose open-intake systems because they typically provide the best flow and acoustic enhancements. But, with a minor tuning or upgrade, open and closed systems will provide comparable benefits.
