C&L Performance 2010 Mustang GT Cold Air Intake System (No Tune Required)
C&L Performance is proud to announce the availability of the FIRST complete air intake upgrade for the 2010 Mustang GT. This is the ONLY system that facilitates the features of the factory "cold air" induction feed as well as the noise transmission tube, which transmits engine intake sound into the passenger cabin of the vehicle. At 1,137 CFM flow capacity, the C&L system flows 42% MORE than the factory (800 CFM) assembly. (Although the original 2010 air intake has been promoted as a factory performance item, testing has shown that there is still room for improvement.). Installation of the new C&L Intake system will not only transform the sound of the vehicle, giving it a much more throaty sound, but also provide a worthwhile performance improvement as well.
This "no tune" configuration is ideal for someone who is looking to improve both the sound and the performance of their vehicle without the added expense of tuning. The disadvantage to running a "no tune" intake (versus using computer tuning) is that you do not receive the crisp revised throttle response that the tune delivers, and you will not have as many options available to you in the future if you decide to perform further modifications that require computer tuning adjustments. You can always purchase the "no tune" version first and then purchase the tuning support at a later date. Just be sure that you remove the "no tune" insert from the mass airflow housing when you load the appropriate programming into the computer.
In addition to a major body re-styling and upgraded interior, the 2010 Mustang GT also received a revised air intake assembly and different computer calibration programming, which resulted in a higher factory horsepower rating of 315 HP. This is an increase of 15 HP when compared to the 300 HP rating of the 2005-2009 models. Dyno testing has shown that when compared with stock 2005 models, rear wheel horsepower is anywhere between 12 to a maximum of 15 horsepower higher on the new 2010 GT. Using three back-to-back baseline pulls, our 2010 test vehicle delivered 272, 274 and 274 SAE corrected rear wheel horsepower on a Dynojet Dynamometer. On this same dyno, stock 2005 Mustang GT's will typically measure anywhere between 260-262 SAE rear wheel horsepower. This improvement of 12 to 15 HP over the previous models is due to two specific changes that were implemented for the 2010 model year. The first, and most obvious, is the revised "cold air" intake assembly that flows 800 CFM, which is 45% better than the stock 2005-2009 assembly, which flowed 550 CFM. This accounts for the majority of the power increase, with the remaining difference coming from a revised ignition timing level. On 2005-2009 Mustang, peak timing advance at wide open throttle in the upper RPM's is 24 to a maximum of 25 degrees total. This would be considered a factory "safe" level of timing for 87 octane fuel. On the 2010 Mustang, timing has been advanced to 27 degrees, and in some cases it may go as high as 28 degrees at wide open throttle under load in the high RPM's. Since the vehicle is equipped with dual engine knock sensors, the computer will automatically retard the timing by as much as 5 degrees in the event that detonation is detected. 27 degrees is about as high as you can go on the factory engine without experiencing detonation and triggering the knock retard feature of the computer on low to mid grade fuel. Most aftermarket performance tunes for the 2005+ Mustang GT vehicles deliver about 30 degrees of timing for a 91 octane tune, so the potential raw horsepower performance benefit of tuning (aside from throttle control and other user adjustable features) is less than that of the previous 2005-2009 models.
A couple of very important things must be noted about the revised air intake used on the 2010 Mustang. Calling this intake a "cold air" system (as opposed to previous models) is very misleading. ALL fuel injected Mustangs, going all the way back to the first models produced in 1986, have ALWAYS drawn in fresh air exclusively from outside of the engine compartment. The temperature of the air going in to the engine on the 2010 model is not one degree cooler than that of any previous Mustang. There is a duct that feeds "fresh air" to the lower half of the factory air box assembly, but the QUALITY of the air is no different than on any previous model. Putting a "Snowflake" drawing on the lid of the factory air box and the words "COLD AIR INDUCTION" in big, bold lettering will not ever change this fact. Another piece of marketing that has caused a lot of confusion has to do with comparisons between the new 2010 air intake and the "Bullitt" assembly that was used on the special edition "Bullitt" Mustang and what Ford now sells as the "FRPP" upgrade for 2005-2009 models. Many individuals were led to believe that 2010 GT's were to be outfitted with the same assembly as the FRPP/Bullitt package. The 2010 air intake shares nothing in common with the "Bullitt" assembly, and although it DOES flow substantially better than the factory 2005-2009 intake assembly, it still flows a little less than the "FRPP/Bullitt" assembly (800 CFM versus 835 CFM).
The increase in airflow capacity is the result of a revised airflow path, which is substantially different than the previous 2005-2009 models. In order to accomplish this, Ford re-configured the engine compartment by re-locating the power steering fluid container from behind the radiator over to the front of the driver's side valve cover. This allowed the air path from the filter to the throttle body to take a much longer flowing path with a more gradual bend. The factory mass airflow diameter was also increased by 5mm as well. These changes allowed our aftermarket replacement, even one that does not require tuning, to flow better than our highest flowing "Racer" assembly that was developed for the 2006-2009 models, which is widely regarded highest performing (and best flowing) intake available for those vehicles.
*Note: This intake does not require a tune as the MAF housing is equipped with a special insert
