Pipercross Air Filter – Golf GTI MK6 Review

Pipercross Air Filter – What is it?

An air filter is one of those parts of a car that seems rather crude. Its name says it all. It is meant to filter the air entering the engine as impurities and the insides of the engine do not go well together. The problem with traditional air filters is that the filtering media is usually made of paper or cotton. Paper and cotton are effective at filtering but suffer from a rather short lifespan. All the dust and other impurities stopped by the filter, clog the filter quickly which restricts airflow.

Restricted airflow will make the engine behave as if it is running short of breath. This means that the engine cannot run at its full efficiency. A Pipercross filter is a solution to this problem. It actually increases the airflow allowing the engine to breathe freely which translates to an easy revving engine with decent improvements in performance as well.

What Are the Benefits?

I got my hands on the Pipercross performance induction kit and sampled it on the Golf GTI MK6 to see if the claims made by Pipercross were accurate. Let us take a look at each of the benefits and see how it stacks up in the real world.

Longer lifespan: This is definitely something the Pipercross air filter does really well. The multi-layered foam technology used by Pipercross here is quite efficient when it comes to the filtration side of things while also managing to do so without restricting the airflow. This is thanks to the innovative design that foregoes the v-shape of traditional air filters. This allows the Pipercross Performance Induction System to work at its full potential over an increased lifespan.

Easy cleaning: Filter cleaning is something no one relishes but the Pipercross Performance Induction System makes it as hassle-free as possible. All you need is some running water and the filter can be cleaned quite easily. The design ensures that there is no build-up of grime that needs special manoeuvring or special tools to get to.

Improved fuel economy, power and torque outputs: I will get into details about this but there are improvements. They are not monumental and will not make a Golf go like a Ferrari but it does make the car feel a lot nicer to drive. It responds better to throttle input and the engine feels more alive. There is a noticeable improvement in the low end and there is a bit more torque in the high-end.

Increases engine note releasing the real noise of your engine: On the Golf GTI MK6 It doesn’t give you the full roar of an induction system I have heard from other cars as it has to work in conjunction with the turbocharger, but even then it does make the engine sound better. There is more depth and growl to the engine note and all the good sounds that come from the turbo are enhanced. The turbo blow-off sound when you come off the accelerator is really loud.

Fitting Time and Effort?

The second biggest fear people have with aftermarket parts after reliability is the installation difficulty. A product can be awesome but if it requires you to be a rocket scientist to be properly installed then it can seem pointless.

However, the Pipercross induction kit is not that complicated. It does take a bit of time and patience but is not out of the reach of anyone who has a basic understanding of how a car works. The instructions that come with this product is very detailed and helpful and everything is explained as clearly as possible.

This means that as long as you follow the instructions, chances of something going wrong is very low. The gist of it is that you have to remove the cold air box and the pipes to the inlet of the turbo and fit the new pipes and the rest of the unit. It can take a complete novice about two hours to fit while someone a bit more mechanically adept can do it in much less than an hour.

The fact that the Pipercross performance filter is designed to fit inside a standard engine compartment makes everything very easy as there are no permanent modifications that need to be done to the engine bay.

Testing In The Golf GTI MK6

Coming to the heart of the matter, I installed the Pipercross performance induction system inside our Golf GTI MK6 and took it for a spin and could immediately notice improvements.

I reiterate that expectations have to be kept reasonable but there is enough of a boost in performance to consider using this product. The biggest and most pleasing improvement was the way the engine reacted to throttle input. It felt more urgent. It was like the engine had suddenly been let free.

Pipercross promise an increase upto 30% in airflow and while I did not have the means to measure this claim, the effects of increased airflow were very apparent. The annoying but tiny gaps between putting your foot down and the engine trying to catch up feels notably improved.

The other improvement was in the sound department. The turbo swoosh sound is enhanced and far more discernible now. When the throttle is mashed hard, the engine produces this suction sound that is very pleasing to the ears. When the throttle is suddenly released, the turbo dump sound is very apparent.

I accept that all of this can be termed cosmetic changes but a lot of the allure of a performance-oriented car is the way it sounds and the Pipercross Performance Induction System definitely improves things on this front.

Verdict

So, is it worth it? If you are someone looking for additional performance and increased turbo sound you will love this Pipercross filter on the Golf GTI. It is made of high-quality materials and won’t cause any reliability issues and above all, will give your car a new lease of life.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *