There aren’t many supercharged engines around nowadays especially not in luxury sedans as most vehicle manufacturers are turning towards hybrid powertrains. That isn’t the case with Holden special vehicles which have been around since 1987. This division of Holden has implemented a supercharged 6.2-litre 556 HP V8 in many performance models of the now-discontinued Aussie brand.
This is the infamous LSA engine that produces 740 Nm of torque and it comes with a bulky intercooler. The 2 air-to-liquid units help keep the high-twist four-lobe rotor Eaton supercharger. This is the guarantee you get from GM that the LSA will make you smile when you go for a spirited drive, but what about when you do so on a track?
Benefits of a Cold Air Intake
Efficiency
Don’t get me wrong the LSA is no slouch when it comes to enjoying going through winding roads for long periods but staying at the limit is something you can’t just do safely without a cold air intake. With an LSA cold air intake system you can push the large hunk of an engine without worrying about the cooling system not doing its job. This will also make your HSV more efficient too.
Reusable
The stock air filter of a 6.2 LSA is no slouch but a cold air intake has a filter that you can remove and put on no matter what. It lasts a lot longer than the stock filter and you can even clean it with an air compressor to keep it in its best shape. An aftermarket LSA cold air intake filter is a better solution in the long run, not just for performance.
Power
Talking about performance you can get a small bump in HP with a cold air intake system. Your V8 will thank you for it despite it being a small number. This will pay off especially when you run your Holden for many laps at the track without stopping for a break.
Types of Cold Air Intakes
Tune
There are not a lot of options when it comes to a cold air intake system but you do have the option to go for a tune-required CAI. This type of filter requires you to put your HSV on a computer and tune it properly so you get the most out of it. This gets you the highest jump in HP and performance.
No-Tune
If you don’t want to fiddle around with tuning, you can also go for a no-tune LSA cold air intake. It may not improve performance as much as a tune-requited CAI but it will definitely be better than stock in terms of efficiency.
Spacer
For those of you that are still undecided you can go for cold air intakes with a spacer. This spacer lets you change the intake tube diameter so that you can keep your LSA at stock levels and tune it at a later date so that you get more out of this cost-effective aftermarket upgrade.
What Matters in a Cold Air Intake
Dry vs Oiled
The air filter itself can be either oiled or dry. Why would you want it oiled? Well, because they come with a thin layer of oil that helps trap any dirt that would otherwise go through the filter if it was dry. Dry filters are more affordable but they are not reusable like oiled ones. You need to swap dry filters every oil change, while oiled ones can be used for about 80,000 km before you replace them.
Plastic or Metal
The air intake tube of a CAI system can be made either of plastic or metal. Plastic intakes will make your LSA a bit quieter but they will also expand when there’s lots of heat. Metal air intakes, on the other hand, are going to help heat dissipate a lot easier and they also come in different colours which means you can make the engine bay more stylish. When it comes to metal air intakes, aluminium is better than steel as it’s lighter and it lets heat escape much quicker which, in turn, helps keep the system much cooler.
Short Ram vs Cold Air Intake
Short ram air intakes are similar to cold air intakes but they are not as protected and long lasting as the latter. Short ram systems are made so that their simple design benefits the engine as it helps send the air in much quicker. This keeps it cooler as it doesn’t travel through as much heated metal or plastic.
What you have to keep in mind here is that if you were to drive at a slower speed or idle, a short ram air intake is not going to be as efficient as a cold air intake. If the weather is hot, you will get better results with a cold air intake than with a short ram intake.
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