R53 Cold Air Intake

One of the best ways to get some more power out of your R53 MINI's engine is to increase the volume of cold air available to it. The Craven Speed Cold Air Intake allows massive amounts of cold air to get to our custom Unifilter lifelong foam filter. By sealing off air from the engine bay and opening the big filter to the cowl duct by the windshield, the engine has access to the cold air it needs to perform at it's best.

Update: Custom reducer now included for easy install of OEM or Aftermarket Intake tube.

• Powder-coated
  5000 series aluminum for better insulative capacity, lighter weight, and lower cost.


• Wrinkle finish
  This feature hides cosmetic blemishes, and is highly resistant to corrosion and scratching.


• Poly-carbonate top
  Made out of the same material used in bullet-proof glass, the box top bolts to and seals your intake while allowing a quick visual inspection of the filtering element for cleanliness.


• Top Stays Put
  The box top also now comes ready to be secured in the box, as well as scratch free with protective film in place.


• Battery terminal bolts into place
  Your battery terminal WILL NOT come loose even while autocrossing.


• Optional expansion port
  For the garage DIYer. This punch-out allows you to run your own hose from the front grill direct to feed the intake with even more air.

Samco is known throughout the worldwide aftermarket automotive industry as the leader in silicone hoses. Their offerings for the MINI are no different as evidenced by this fine specimen.
From the Samco website:

All SamcoSport hoses are made by hand in the UK and each hose is 100% visually inspected before it leaves the factory.

All Samco hoses meet or exceed the requirements of SAE J20 & are manufactured under an ISO 9002:2000 quality system.

Samco hoses are made from the finest European silicones specifically designed for automotive use, and our light blue SamTek® lining used on all hoses has delivered outstanding resistance in the harshest environments over the last 12 years experience.

We are proud of our permanently staffed laboratory (unique within the performance hose world) specifically set up for the testing & development of silicone hose.

This hose normally retails for $120 BY ITSELF! Since the hose is designed by Samco to accommodate a variety of intakes the hose is longer than necessary, it will need to be trimmed as part of installation.

The UniFilter foam filter breathes much better than the stock paper filter, and it never needs to be replaced, saving you money. Simple rinse with mineral spirits and spray with filter oil in order to keep it flowing and filtering optimally.

Keeping the filter clean is essential to performance of any foam filter. In order to maximize the benefits of the UniFiler, the CravenSpeed Cold Air Intake utilizes a smoked, poly-carbonate top that both seals and protects while allowing quick visual inspections for cleanliness. Just open the hood and take a glance at the filter and you'll know if it is time for a rinse.

As demonstrated here, the CravenSpeed Cold Air Intake can be modified easily to take advantage of the ram air inlet on R53 MINIs. See photo. This customer made their own Red hose to run from the ram inlet to the Craven CAI using PVC tubing and electrical tape.

This part is designed for the first generation MINI Cooper S (R53) with a standard transmission.