EA888 Gen 3 Intake Test
The EA888 engine is a masterpiece of engineering, found in an abundance of MQB platform cars from the MK7 Golf GTI and R to the Audi S3 and Leon Cupra. As these cars have become more and more affordable, we have seen more and more on the track, especially the MK7 Golf GTI. That’s why we thought it would be a great idea to gather up a selection of intakes that we sell for this engine and put them through their paces on one of our infamous intake tests.
The easiest way to break the factory intake down is to look at the 3 different parts that it comprises of: Air Box, Inlet Hose and the Turbo Elbow. Each piece of the factory intake can be changed for an aftermarket component, with each piece available at a different price point and offering different benefits. In our test, we use the entire setup available from each brand where available.
The car that we are using for our test is a MK7 Golf GTI. It is stock other than a Unicorn Motor Developments Stage 1 Map and a Clubsport back box exhaust, so pretty representative of what our customers will be driving.
The intakes that we’ll be testing:
The Baseline: Stock Airbox
Before we started bolting on intakes and shoses we needed a benchmark. The car put down 297.4 bhp and 312.9 lbs. ft of torque with a completely stock intake. With an ambient temp of 6°C, the intake temps peaked at at 66°C.
Ramair
The most affordable intake in our lineup is the Ramair which comes in at a wallet friendly £479.48 at the time of writing. The kit includes an open intake with heat shield, a 4″ metal inlet hose and a turbo adapter too. It retains the factory inlet duct at the front. When it comes to providing more noise, this is definitely the loudest on the test.
| Total Price | Peak BHP | BHP Gain | Torque Gain | Ambient Temp | Max. Intake Temp | |
| Ramair PRORAM | £479.48 | 304.2 | +6.8 | +9.5 | 7°C | 73°C |
A healthy gain for an open cone, but you can expect to experience heat soak when stationary which is common issue for this type of setup. It looks smart in the engine bay too.
MST Performance
Next up is the MST intake which only costs a fraction more at £483.55. Like the Ramair, the kit includes an the intake, hose and turbo inlet adapter whilst retaining the front ducting. It features a silicone hose, which definitely looks smoother than the Ramair component. The intake has a neat lid on the top which is secured in using bolts, but if you wanted to extract maximum noise from it, you could remove the lid to turn it into an open system.
| Total Price | Peak BHP | BHP Gain | Torque Gain | Ambient Temp | Max. Intake Temp | |
| MST | £483.55 | 305.3 | +7.9 | +9.9 | 10°C | 69°C |
The MST intake has proven its bang for buck performance once again, just like it did in the GR Yaris and FL5 test. It made outperformed the Ramair even though it was ran at a higher ambient temperature and the enclosed system meant that intake temps were reduced too. In the box were some stickers and a keychain too which was a really nice touch.
Racingline R600
The go-to in the world of EA888 powered cars, the R600 intake from Racingline Performance. The go-to in the world of EA888 powered cars, the R600 intake from Racingline Performance. Priced at a reasonable £404.35 for the intake only, we also had the Silicone Intake Hose and Turbo Inlet to fit too. The total of all 3 components will set you back £646.77.
| Total Price | Peak BHP | BHP Gain | Torque Gain | Ambient Temp | Max. Intake Temp | |
| Racingline R600 (Intake, Hose & Turbo Elbow) | £646.77 | 306.2 | +8.8 | +8.5 | 11°C | 68°C |
This kit looks like it could be mistaken for an OEM item it’s that well engineered. The fit is second to none and it although the intake ducting and air box is a complete unit, it looks like it merges the stock setup into one. It’s easy to see why this is the intake chosen by tuners and drivers alike with great gains of almost 9bhp. If you really want to go the extra mile, we would recommend purchasing the Racingline coolant pipe which re-routes it under the airbox as the OE routing is pretty unsightly. A carbon lid, available in gloss or matte, is also available which would really add that wow factor.
Forge Motorsport
The most affordable carbon intake in our test is that from Forge Motorsport. There are three different components available, depending on whether you have a right or left hand drive car. As we’re testing on a right hand driver car we only need to use two of these components, the intake and the all-in-one silicone hose that comes complete with the turbo inlet adapter.
| Total Price | Peak BHP | BHP Gain | Torque Gain | Ambient Temp | Max. Intake Temp | |
| Forge Motorsport (Intake, All-in-one Hose) | £863.98 | 300.5 | +3.1 | +6.5 | 11°C | 72°C |
The fit and finish on this intake is second-to-none. What’s great is that the coolant re-route pipe is included with the intake so there’s no need for any extra parts to be purchased. Their all-in-one hose is often the go-to part for enthusiasts looking to upgrade this item as it offers excellent value for money with how it combines the hose and turbo elbow.
Unfortunately for us we didn’t see the gains that we were expecting to see from this kit. We know that it’s a great performer as there have been many independent tests carried out in the past were it performs just as well as Racingline’s R600 kit. Our theory is that the map the car is running just doesn’t suit this intake and that is why the power is down. We’re confident that you wouldn’t be disappointed when purchasing this kit.
Eventuri
We’re now at the top end of the price points for the intakes. The Eventuri intake comes in at £930. This is for the intake only as they don’t offer an intake hose or turbo elbow.
| Total Price | Peak BHP | BHP Gain | Torque Gain | Ambient Temp | Max. Intake Temp | |
| Eventuri | £930 | 306.5 | +9.1 | +10.1 | 10°C | 70°C |
We saw fantastic results from the Eventuri intake, especially considering that we’re using the stock inlet hose and turbo elbow too. What’s even more staggering is that we didn’t really give it a true test as we didn’t fit the lower inlet scoop as the customer didn’t want the grill cutting on their car. So there’s potential to see even more of a gain with that part fitted too!
GruppeM
Now for the most expensive intake of them all, the GruppeM intake. You could be forgiven for being unfamiliar with GruppeM, especially if you’ve been involved with the VAG community for a long time. GruppeM are a Japanese manufacturer of carbon intakes, and are synonymous with Japanese performance cars. They do have a great range that caters for all, but are lesser known for their European applications.
| Total Price | Peak BHP | BHP Gain | Torque Gain | Ambient Temp | Max. Intake Temp | |
| GruppeM | £1,436.96 | 307.6 | +10.2 | +14.5 | 9°C | 67°C |
Well here’s the result that you get what you pay for! The GruppeM intake not only performed the best, but it made power everywhere on the rev range and we saw a peak gain of over 10 horsepower. It certainly looks the business under the bonnet too.
Out of all the kits that we have fitted, we would definitely say that this is the most difficult. It takes a bit of patience to get right, especially when it comes to fitting the front inlet duct, but once it’s in, it looks great!
The Breakdown
1. The Value Kings: MST & Ramair
If you want the best performance-to-price ratio, the MST and Ramair kits are nearly inseparable. Both delivered solid gains of roughly 7-8 bhp. At under £500 for the full kit including the hose and elbow, these are the smart choices for a budget-conscious build. If you want noise, go for Ramair, if you want a bit of extra performance go for MST.
2. The Enthusiast Choice: Racingline R600
There’s a reason the R600 is the go-to in the MQB world. It looks OEM+, offers a choice of foam or cotton filters, and delivered a very respectable 8.8 bhp. While the total kit (including the high-flow elbow and intake hose) climbs to £646.77, the fit and finish are hard to beat.
3. The Showstoppers: Eventuri & Forge
If engine bay aesthetics are as important as the dyno sheet, these are your picks. Eventuri is a highly regarded name in the intake world, and it’ll hold its value when you come to sell it second hand. The Forge intake is arguably the best looking and we reckon that it was the second loudest intake that we tested, perfect for those wanting to hear intake noises!
4. The Powerhouse: GruppeM
The GruppeM system is the undisputed king of this test in terms of raw numbers, delivering a massive 10.2 bhp and 14.5 lbs. ft of torque. However, at £1,436.96, you are paying a significant premium for those extra few horses. We’d be interested to see what this intake is capable of when used in conjunction with an intake hose and turbo elbow adapter.
No matter which you choose, the EA888 platform responds incredibly well to better breathing. Ready to wake up your MQB car up? Check out the full range at Tegiwa!