TEST
SPRINT FILTER AIRBOX ON HONDA CIVIC TYPE R
HORSES
IN A BOX
The new Sprint Filter airbox with dynamic intake gives 15 hp of maximum power to the Honda Civic Type R, with an even more noticeable gain at low RPMs. Can you get so much from an air filter? The answer is yes, and we'll explain why! Pierluigi Mancini
W
e’ve talked about the importance of air filtration and the efficiency of the airbox on a tuned-up engine countless times. If I’m not mistaken, one of the first issues of the most popular magazine in the 20th century that I bought in a newsstand was about air filters. Then, one day, with a phone call I joined the team and still today I enjoy testing cars on the track and on the bench, looking for that final horsepower and that last tenth of a second. The secret behind the success of the magazine Elaborare, something that we all share, is surely a common passion and stubbornness
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ELABORARE 251
Igor Gentili in always looking for the most interesting developments, to get to know them better and analyze them. And I think I’ve never worked so hard as in this case to understand how a simple filter – if you can call it “simple” – can transform the character of a car that’s already exceptional on its own. Let’s talk about the latest evolution of the Honda Civic Type R: a 320 hp “beast” that is loved for its incredible engine, combined with a chassis that is fantastic, to say the least. For me, it’s the best frontwheel drive car with a 2,000 cc turbocharged engine on the market, with all due respect to the Golf Clubsport and in spite of a somewhat
baroque look. Skeptical by nature, I have to say I was incredulous when I was called in to do this test and was told, “You
won’t believe your eyes... it improves performance by a lot!” Ok, anything’s possible, but 15 hp from an air filter.... But in the
end, I had to accept the facts, because not only is there a boost of 15 hp, but what’s truly amazing is how much you recover The Sprint Filter C-Tech airbox for Honda is made of autoclave molded carbon fiber, very strong and extremely lightweight. It can be supplied with different types of filtering panel for special needs. The kit distributed by Motorquality and sold for €1,550 + VAT includes everything you need for installation. Note the excellent quality of the finish.
in terms of maximum power along the arc of rotation. But let’s go step by step.
The kit The Sprint Filter kit for the Honda Civic Type R is a product of the highest quality. It’s so light that I might have thought the box was empty if I hadn’t heard something moving around inside when I shook it. Then I opened the box and...wow! It’s
one of those things that gives us motor fans goose bumps. I took out two carbon shells of the finest workmanship, perfectly made and beautiful to look at. Then three different filter panels, depending on the type of use, produced by Sprint Filter with their most advanced technology that uses polyester fabric as a filtering material (lightweight, easy to clean, practically
eternal, highly efficient as a filter). The kit comes complete with all the accessories for mounting, including the original Honda clips for anchoring the airbox. Beautiful and light as a feather, considering that it weighs only 810 g compared to the 2.3 kg of the standard airbox.... Truly exceptional!
Bench test The first part of the test took place on the
track, with acceleration and pickup tests in the original configuration. Then at the Abbasciano garage we locked the Civic into the test bench in the early morning to take advantage of the cool air and, with the first firing we got a maximum power of 297 hp. That’s less than the declared 320 hp, but a number of reasons can explain the lack of horsepower. First of all, the car was fueled with 95 RON gas,
which, compared to 100 RON, causes a loss of a dozen or so horsepower on this engine. Second, the control unit doesn’t accept on the bench the R Plus mode, which provides for a more powerful ignition advance curve that can also deliver a bit more horsepower. Without pulling the car off the bench, to avoid any doubts of a different tension of the strops, we started to ELABORARE 251
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