DINAN High-Flow Intake - BMW X1/X2 (16-20) & MINI Clubman/Countryman (14-19)

The Dinan carbon fiber intake for the MINI B46/B48 engines (as well as the BMW F48 X1 and F39 X2) is tantamount to an exercise in efficiency. Given a confined space with limited options and an even smaller budget; create an intake that provides power, sound, and throttle response in an aesthetically pleasing package. While not the easiest of things to accomplish, we embarked upon the task with our team of engineers determined to provide a solution. Through a bevy of flow bench testing, it was quickly determined that the biggest hindrance to improved flow on the stock intake was the factory snorkel. Unfortunately, the snorkel also was the piece that would cause the largest increase in cost to a potential kit. As a result, it was quickly abandoned as a potential area of improvement.

Instead, attention was turned to finding a way to introduce a secondary inlet for additional airflow. With limited room to work with, traditional secondary ducting was not possible. This, in turn, led to multiple experiments being conducted on the effectiveness of a possible open-air inlet on the upper lid. With different shapes, locations, and sizes of openings being tested, the goal was to ensure that the added secondary inlet did not cause any unwarranted side effects such as an increase in air temps in the system. This is commonplace with open-air intake systems where lots of overheated engine bay air is utilized in the intake tract. The results of these tests showed that a 12 square-inch opening for additional air on the opposite side of the upper lid from the engine provided a perfect balance of additional volume to assist the factory snorkel all the while not causing an increase in turbo inlet temperatures.

This was the case regardless of testing conditions (single/multiple gear pulls, constant speed, 0-100mph runs, etc.). With more air being pulled into the system, throttle response is improved and additional power is realized in the form of max gains of +5 HP / +5 ft-lbs of torque. The secondary air inlet also allows the intake system to be more audible so the turbo spool and BOV can be appreciated. A stark difference from Dinan's traditional fully sealed systems where induction noise is not nearly as recognizable. Not to be outdone by the increased power and sound, the system is made of immaculate carbon fiber so it looks the role as well. The end result of an optimized lid, an improved filter, and thorough testing, yields an incredibly efficient and cost-effective solution that you will be hard-pressed to beat.