Performance air filters for the W116

[floyd111]

In my search for tips and tricks how to save fuel in my cars, I keep bumping into people explaining the importance of a clean air filter.
Now, in my position as a Automotive/MC distributor here in Taiwan, we also represent MWR, a high-end air filter manufacturer from Holland.
Unlike K&N and the sorts, MWR filters actually make a huge dent in HP, even more in combi with ECU remapping. They are used in MotoGP, for example.
The magic lies in their patented foam, washable for years. The other part is that the filters are built with additional aluminum plates, that direct air evenly to all cylinders at the same time.

I could persuade the Mother Company to do a limited amount of filters for some of the W116's. My guess is they'd probably end up costing anywhere between 100 and 200usd each. I'd have to order 25 of a specific model to persuade MWR to do this type of one-off.

Question I have is.. Since there is no ECU, additional remapping is not even a topic. Second, these engines are old skool, not high-RPM top engines from Japan.
How much do these W116 stand to gain from a strongly increased air supply? (without compressor, off course)
Is such a custom project worth it? Would there be demand?
Anybody found/used high-end filters before? What was the result?

[oversize]

Air filter design is not that important and the factory one does the job fairly well.  Aluminium plates in the filter to direct air?  Sounds like snake oil to me....  $100 is too dear and no-one would pay it in such a small market.  Oil soaked filters are illegal in some areas.  You don't dent hp; you can gain it, or lose it.

I do believe flow is restricted by the factory snorkel and the hump inside the assembly to clear the CIS fuel distributor (assuming you have K jet).  Cold air is far more important and if you construct an intake that can draw high pressure air from the front of the car you will achieve results.

[rob280sel]

With K&N filters being available for the W116 at half the price, dont think there is a market for it.
K&N do have a good reputation. Dyno results from another forum for my other car showed increased HP with just changing Air filter to K&N.

[floyd111]

Comments noted.
I DO come from a MC bizz, and these engines are very different from the old-skool MB engines.
Our dyna's show K&N not delivering a single extra HP. To us, K&N are a scam. For MWR MC, our dyna's show a 8HP increase on a S1000RR and a 10HP increase on a Hypermotard. Pretty serious gain, where a 2500usd titanium Akrapovic exhaust system actually does nothing at all in the HP spectrum, give or take 1% more..and as often, 1% less HP

That aside, this is about cars, and your thoughts are that K&N is an improvement over OEM lead me to conclude OEM must really be bad.
This leads me to conclude a possible  MWR W116 prototype may actually work wonders.

About the aluminium plates.. this is not snake oil. MotoGP does not allow for snake oil. See www.racingairfilters.eu to see a better explanation than I can offer.
K&N actually approached MWR to buy their patent. They must have known something was up with this design.
Also, my agenda is not to make 15usd on a hard-to-develop custom-made W116 filter. by shipping 25 units to a bunch of ignorant believers around the planet.
I want to find out what works. I built my own MWR filter for my 20 year old shadow 400, and since I installed it, this crappy bike seems 15 years younger.
In this case, a 2800CC, even old, is not a small cubic size. I think serious gains are a possibility.

[oversize]

I challenge you to run the car on a dyno & then do another run with the air filter completely removed. I'd suggest you will see very little difference. Airfilter back on and bonnet shut you will probably find a hp decrease due to the engine drawing hot air. So some mods aren't about increasing hp but simply maintains what you have during adverse conditions

[oversize]

Lots of people have said all a K&N filter will do is increase induction noise and nothing else

[floyd111]

Yes, I am not at all sure an actual high-flow filter on a W116 will make a dent worth 200usd.
Not even sure (like you said) that -NO airfilter- would make a dent.
Still, there are a lot of people who claim it does make a diff, but I had my doubts as well.

[djenka018]

If it feels like more power with KN... who gives a batshite if it is not scientifically measurable.

Hence I wash my car regularly.

[floyd111]

hahaha!

[s class]

PLates to redirect airflow to each cylinder is B.S. because after your fancy deflecting plates, the air needs to go through the air mass meter, then through the throttle, into the plenum, then into each of the individual cylinder intakes. 

[floyd111]

W116 engines are very differently built  from high performance SBK's.
Hence my doubts whether such filters would be able to make a difference for engines like the ones under our bonnet.
But, when you speed everything up, like on SBK engines, air flow/air deflecting starts weighing in more than you would imagine.

[oversize]

PLates to redirect airflow to each cylinder is B.S. because after your fancy deflecting plates, the air needs to go through the air mass meter, then through the throttle, into the plenum, then into each of the individual cylinder intakes.

I totally agree and would not consider any filter that is supposed to 'direct flow' for those reasons.  The only thing that will direct the flow of air into a cylinder is the shape of the port and the intake valve