Sorry about the Rant, But I need a reason, if anyone has one, to make me feel good about buying this product.

I am having a hard time justifying the cost of the Mugen Carbon Fiber Airbox I want for my TSX. I really want one because I know that Mugen makes great products and the look of the CF box is hot, and it would look great under my hood. It's not that I can't afford it. I just can't help but feel like I am getting ripped off at the price! I just don't see how the design and manufacture of this product can possibly justify the premium price.

http://www.kingmotorsports.com/produ...70&vehicle=TSX

Has anyone else bought this intake?
Are the performance gains, appearance of the CF lid, and weight reduction, really worth the $900.00 premium over the Comptech Icebox or other intakes out there?
Most intakes cost under $200 and offer similar performance gains.
Most CF hoods I have seen cost hundreds less than this tiny CF box so I don't think it could be all of the CF material that cost so much.

Can anyone explain to me why this item is priced in the stratosphere?
I am not trying to bash Mugen, especially when I know that they make high quality products that fit and perform as advertised, but I can't help feeling like a sucker if I buy this thing for $1079.00. I feel like this item probably costs them in the tens of dollars or certainly less than $200 to make, and they are making a profit of 10 times the cost.

I understand the free enterprise system and supply and demand. I know they can charge whatever they think people will be willing to pay for this product.
I even understand that sometimes charging a premium price is used to make a product more exclusive and the few people that can afford it will have a more unique and exclusive item. Plus it is probably not a high volume seller anyway.
I am sure that there are people who didn't give the cost of this item a second thought.
I don't even mind paying a premium price for a premium quality product. I will usually pay more to buy the best when I feel the quality / features / performance justify the cost.

I will probably end up buying this thing eventually anyway, because I want it that bad, I know it will increase my cars performance and look all bad ass under my hood, and yes I like the exclusivity of it. I just wish I could feel better about it.

If anyone has an opinion I'd like to hear your feedback.

Thanks.

 

Not worth it in my opinion. If you are going to spend that much, why not get the Comptech SC and a Injen CAI for less than you would spend on the Mugen part alone. You'll have more horsepower and torque in the long run. If your goal is for Japanese parts and the Mugen status, then go for it. The ROI on the part just doesn't add up.

 

when u say comptech sc..u mean super charger right? cuz if you are, the sc and injen will run you way more than 1k..which is the cost for the mugen intake

 

There's no way I'd ever pay $500 for an intake even if it was CF, NEVERMIND $1000.

That's ludacris.

Unless you are going to try and use it to help you win car shows, etc... I really don't see the point.

 

Because Mugen apparently feels there is a market of people illogical enough to pay that much. See below:

Maybe he means the Comptech header?

 

Sorry, my bad, I did mean the Comptech Header. I had SC on my mind since I just bought one.

 

you must be outta your mind to spend that much on the mugen cf intake!

i didn't even spend the $$ on the cheap icebox - just ghetto'd my intake

 

I would say: if you want it and can afford it, go for it. It's your car...

You pay to a certain extent for the Mugen name, then you definately pay for the fact that it's carbon fibre (which isn't cheap). Plus research and development, shipping costs, import duties, and then the markup of whoever is selling it.

I made a few investigations into the Mugen box and a few things were pointed out to me: it was designed for the CL7 which makes much less torque to start with. A lot of people go for the Comptech Icebox or the Mugen box if they can afford it because they don't want the low-down loss of torque that normally comes with a CAI. An enclosed box is also more quiet.

However it means that the gains aren't as noticeable on the more torquey CL9.

I had a message from somebody who had one once who reckoned that it made a difference but felt it would probably work best with headers and further exhaust work.

If you track your car and every bit of weight reduction counts, then it might make a big difference to you.

Entirely up to you, how you drive and what value you place on things...

 

id say throw in a $40 K&N filter that drops into the factory airbox and enjoy 75% of the total gains youd see with any brand of air intake.

 

Tried that already. It didn't even come close.

 

[QUOTE=curls]

Unless you are going to try and use it to help you win car shows, etc... /QUOTE]
Haha thats me....however I like the gruppeM intake better and its cheaper.

 

^ @ Noobs who can't quote!

a few people have this intake... i think they even posted some feedbacks~

 

like cccolts said... go for the gruppeM .. its a few hundred cheaper and you get a whole lot more CF for the money, will sound better, look better and give more performance IMO

 

I think this intake would only be worth it if you are going to show as its a rare part. In terms of perfromace the Injen for 200 will spank it.

 

Converting your USD price to Singapore dollars = S$1.7k - ouch!!!

We get Mugen stuff from car accessories shops which buy direct from Japan sources for less than USD800 - lowest I heard was about USD750.

It's a great product which has proper R&D but at that price, it's really up to you - I'm not a Mugen airbox user but those using it here are quite happy with it, but they are also willing to pay big $$ for the brand and R&D factor.

 

I heard from a past owner of both Mugen and Gruppe-M..and he said Mugen is the 'better' product than Gruppe-M.
And for me, I'm thinking of either of them as well..but the price for the Gruppe-M(which I heard is a little cheaper, and not many people have it) appeals to me very much..I'm still deciding on it though..
I was kind of waiting for your update for Gruppe-M which you ordered sometime ago..How much lower is it compared to Mugen? So I can get an approx range of price and I could ask for a better quote.
Thanx

 

WOW! $1079 for an intake, you got to be crazy to spend that much on an intake!



wait a minute, hey I have a Mugen intake we'll I'll be damn I must be crazy then

 

you are a crazy mugen whore.

 

I'd rather a new set of wheels and tires.

 

The reason i decided to go for the gruppeM is that its design has been dyno tested and its also as rare as the mugen and looks even more unique then the stock box looking mugen. Because it uses a pod filter it should also have a nice sound

The groupe M should only be about 700 or so us dollars for you, have you seen the gruppeM USA website? I paid about AU$1100 for the gruppeM the mugen here would be even more... say 1500 or so. So i think you could esaily save a few hundred over the mugen.

 

I see, yes I like the shape of the gruppeM as well and it surely is rare.
and I didn't know there was a website for the GruppeM...Thanx for the info!!
I'll be getting quotes for GruppeM, Top Fuel and Mugen..(I live in Canada BTW)

 

50% reduction in vacuum! How does the GruppeM do? The GruppeM lets you use an SRI while avoiding the hot air in the engine bay. More attractive to me if it comes close to the 50% reduction in vacuum that the Mugen claims to give.

 

<----- Wonders what Peter Bigblock thinks of a $1K intake.

 

Is the Euro Accord a K20A? I checked the GruppeM websites in the UK and USA and neither had intakes for the ACCORD / TSX, only for the K20A in the RSX. in the states the TSX is a K24. At least in my 2006 it is. Would it fit properly in US spec TSX?

 

how much weight can you shed off with an intake?

negligible, i'd guess...

 

do you have an intake in your car. have you removed the large chunks of plastic from your bumper.

the carbon fiber one has to weigh a heck of a lot less in terms of percentage compared to the stock one.

 

Check the Honda section where it says ACCORD CL7 euroR.
the Engine type is K20A and yes ours are K24A..but I heard that it will fit both types of engine. That's why I'm considering of buying one too.

 

whether it is expensive or not, it depends on your income, or how rich u are

for 1k, u get what you pay for, the intake worths the 1k!

"I want it badly" is a very good reason to get it.

Ask your gf or wife why she buys LV handbag? it is just few pieces of leather with the LV logo and it costs 10 times more compared to regular brand. Why???

 

You can get Injen intake, Hondata reflash, and DC Header for close to the same price.

But for all of the Mugen whore's out there. I don't blame you. I overpay for name brand stuff all of the time too

 

I guess I will be a mugen whore.

Any of you other Ho's seen the Accord page on the JDM Mugen website?

http://translate.google.com/translat...3Doff%26sa%3DG

whoops just checked the link and is not direct, you have to click on the "SPECIAL PAGE" tab and then click on lineup and then click on the pic of the Accord.

be sure to click on the "concept" tab for a nice flash movie.
Much better pics than on the KingMS site, and if you scroll all the way to the bottom on the Aero Dynamics page, they have a color selection chart for the Parts. How come you can order the painted color matched parts in JDM but here they only come unpainted?

 

i never knew the mugen reduced vacum by 50%, that's very impressive... surely the gruppeM could match that though given the high flow k&N filter and the extremely short distance the air has to travel? Damn i wish i could dyno test both and finally see which one is better

 

TOMM, i think gruppeM, mugen and topfuel are all good choices - i believe youd be the first or one of the first with the top fuel if you got that, and i think they do offer good gains... but it only comes in an SRI so unless you have some plans for heat shielding i dont think it'll offer really good gains like the other ones. In saying that its cheaper again at bout 2-300 dollars less then the gruppeM and defintiely a unique jdm intake.

 

No, you can actually order the painted versions.
It just costs more of you can get better quotes at a local bodyshop you know of.
(also, it's better to get unpainted version since the colour won't match the car perfectly, so it's better to go to a high-quality bodyshop for painting)

 

Yes, I'm still deciding on it..it's hard haha..but I still have few weeks left to think about

 

can someone explain to me what 50% reduction in vacuum actually means?

 

the Mugen website says 30% not 50 %...

 

ah thanks for clearing that up... 30% is still quite good i think.. even tho i dont exactly know how vaccum effects engine power

 

I was the one who quoted the 50%. I got the value off the kingmotorsports link in the first post.

 

If you visit the actual/original Mugen website(Japan)
it says(I translated with a software) reduction of approximately 30%.
I'm not trying to argue or anything but I feel like I can trust more on the original Mugen website than Kingmotorsports(distributor)...
here is the link if you can't believe me.
http://www.mugen-power.com/street/ac...ts/parts2.html