Okay, I'm in...
Without a doubt, K&N filters are a valuable performance product. I've run their systems on a number of cars and bikes over the years, and they have shown remarkable performance where an increase in air flow, or, extra protection from excessive dirt was desired. In off-road applications, (dune buggy, 4X4) K&N is worth its weight in gold. It's also a proven solution for custom builds when the OEM stuff isn't workable anymore. Good stuff, yes, however, as I stated in another thread, I'm not sold on what any K&N package can offer me now.
I did a lot of racing and car building in my youth, a real lot. But, I've been away from it all for many, many years. I am disappointed that I'm not up to snuff in some areas, never seen a DOHC Lady with her bra off. But, it's also good to be less educated today, because I have to read up on the features of a particular product before I buy. I don't think enough of us here are reading up, we're just throwing old tricks at a brand new design without considering the true value of what we have in hand, and that's just plain wrong.
Start any ad you want with "15-20% gain," and I'll be asking you to prove it. Is this in HP?, TQ? Numbers please? Method of test? Most often the answers don't come easy, and many times, not at all. When the manufacturer can back his claim, I'm in. When Dennis Reinhart put his name on a chip, and explained why I should "use these plugs and stat," he came to prove his word. But, I don't believe anyone should buy into any product on advertising, or, past reputation alone.
I've taken my factory air box apart, and I've made comparasions to air boxes of similar cars. It's my opinion that the MM has one of the largest OD systems on the street, and the forced air flow is as clean and straightforward as the engine bay will allow at this time. Fresh cold air forced in from behind the grille, ported through a flat, even surfaced air filter, to a MAF that's as far from the heated motor as it could be, and into the motor with few bends as possible and no kinks. I've not seen a better design. I would like to see some changes at the front end, but I'll leave that to the alchemists.
First thing the FIPK does, is trade off fresh cold forced air for heated engine bay air it has to suck in on it's own. That's a loss, and I don't think there is a mathematical or performance equasion that can balance the trade off. The FIPK system does not produce air, it only maximizes the use of air available to it. Where this cold air was once forced into the system from forward movement of the car, the FIPK now sucks the hot air from inside the engine bay, where at some speeds, due to air damming and ground effects, air is more often sucked out than forced in. Your best air, is air forced into the system, and as cold as possible. This wasn't any different in the '60, and ignoring that defies customary logic.
Moreover, a lot of "weekend warriors" like to dress up their cars and engine bays with do-dads that make it look like they are in the know. Well, K&N is for you, for sure. The FIPK is a fancy looking piece of equipment, and your car will surely look faster, hood up at the hot dog stand. Mention K&N as the kick-ass mod on a site such as this, and it's an automatic sale for one or two warriors, just don't sticker-up the car, ok?
Add to that, the block-headed warrior who thinks he's smarter than the K&N guys, and you've got trouble. The FIPK system introduces an oil based cleaning process into the air system that enhances the filter's ability to pass air and capture what a normal filter may pass through. However, the oil based process has it's affect and over time, the MAF will become clogged and fail. I know more than one block head who believes that if the directions say "apply light film" they automatically believe that the'll get more by applying more and butter the filter like it's toast. Now, here's where you get your 15-20% gain...in repair bills.
The factory air system on the MM is the best we have going for us right now. Use standard and inexpensive filters and change often. You want as much cold, clean air going into the motor as you can get, and the factory air box provides that. You don't need a fancy filter that need to be washed every once in a while, and comes to foul the motor when you're too busy to pay attention. A filter system that's good fpr 100K between changes is perfect for the OTR trucker, but it's trouble for the performance car. And, if you get the K&N filter that fits our air box, it will cost you more per filter, provide the same performance, and I'm willing to bet that you'll change it less often.
Okay, come get me...cha-ching!
PS. added after post. Sorry to have covered thoughts already presented, it took me a while to write this.