GT-R R35 Cold Air Intakes: aFe vs Injen Off-Season

A Nissan GT-R R35 cold air intake is one of the first bolt-ons every VR38DETT owner looks at, and the off-season is the perfect time to install one. With 480 to 565 horsepower feeding a hand-built 3.8L twin-turbo V6, the R35 rewards better airflow — especially once a tune enters the picture. In this comparison we put the two intakes NLP Performance actually stocks for the car head-to-head: the aFe Takeda Stage-2 PRO 5R and the Injen SP short-ram. We break down airflow, filter technology, fitment coverage, honest power expectations, and what the install looks like on a cold Tampa morning in the garage.

What Does a Cold Air Intake Do on a Twin-Turbo GT-R?

A cold air intake on the GT-R R35 is a paired filter-and-tube system — one feeding each of the VR38DETT's two turbochargers — that replaces the restrictive factory airboxes with high-flow filters and smoother ducting. On a naturally aspirated car an intake mostly changes sound and shaves a few peak horsepower. On the R35 it is more interesting: the twin turbos actively pull air, so reducing inlet restriction lets the compressors spool and hold boost with less effort, which shows up as crisper throttle response and a noticeably more aggressive induction note.

Here is the honest part. On a bone-stock GT-R running the factory tune, the dyno gains from an intake alone are modest — aFe quotes +9 horsepower and +9 lb-ft for its Takeda kit, and that is a fair real-world ballpark for either intake on a stock car. The VR38DETT makes 480 hp in 2009-2011 CBA cars, 545 hp in 2012-2016 DBA cars, and 565 hp in 2017-2021 facelift models, so a 9 hp bump is single-digit percentage. The real payoff comes when the intakes are paired with a Cobb Accessport tune: more airflow headroom supports higher boost targets safely, and that is where an intake earns its keep. Think of it as the supporting mod that makes the tune breathe, not a standalone power adder.

GT-R R35 Platform: Years, Power and Why Airflow Matters

The R35 Nissan GT-R ran from 2009 to 2021 in the United States, and every one of them is powered by the VR38DETT — a 3.8L twin-turbocharged DOHC V6 hand-assembled by a single Takumi master builder. Output climbed steadily over the generation: the 2009-2011 CBA cars make 480 hp and 430 lb-ft, the 2012-2016 DBA cars jump to 545 hp and 463 lb-ft, and the 2017-2021 facelift cars produce 565 hp and 467 lb-ft, with the Nismo pushing 600 hp. Power routes through a rear-mounted GR6 six-speed dual-clutch transaxle and the ATTESA E-TS all-wheel-drive system, which is a big reason the roughly 3,900 lb coupe still rips to 60 mph in under three seconds.

That twin-turbo architecture is exactly why intake upgrades behave differently here than on a naturally aspirated engine. Each turbo draws through its own filter and tube, so lowering inlet restriction helps both compressors move air more efficiently — you feel it as quicker spool and a harder-edged induction roar when the boost gauge climbs. It also means the GT-R is sensitive to the quality of the parts you bolt on: cheap tubing or a poorly sealed filter can ingest hot underhood air and actually hurt consistency. Both the aFe and Injen kits in this comparison address that with sealed heat shields, which is the baseline you want on a 500-plus horsepower car.

aFe Takeda Stage-2 PRO 5R: Our Top Pick

The aFe Takeda Stage-2 PRO 5R is our recommended GT-R R35 intake because it covers the widest fitment, carries a published airflow figure, and costs the least of the two. aFe rates it at 24% more airflow than the factory intake with a +9 hp / +9 lb-ft gain, and it fits every R35 from 2009 through 2021 — Base, Premium, Black Edition, Track Edition, Pure, 50th Anniversary and Nismo. A one-piece powder-coated heat shield seals each PRO 5R filter away from engine heat, and the oiled five-layer cotton-gauze media is fully washable and reusable, so it is a buy-once part.

Injen SP Short Ram: The Aluminum-Built Alternative

The Injen SP short-ram is the premium aluminum alternative for 2010-2012 GT-R owners who want show-quality fabrication. Injen's SP series is its flagship traditional intake line, built from mandrel-bent aluminum tubing and finished in a durable black powder coat. Injen is the only intake maker holding patents on its tuning process — its MR Technology (a tuned bleed port in the tube) is designed to smooth the air signal and prevent the low-end torque dip that plagues cheaper short-rams. At around $930 it costs more than the aFe, and its fitment is limited to the 2010-2012 R35, but the build quality and under-hood presence are a genuine step up.

aFe vs Injen: GT-R R35 Intake Comparison

Side by side, the choice comes down to coverage and value versus fabrication and finish. The aFe Takeda wins on fitment breadth (all R35 years), published airflow data, and price. The Injen SP wins on tube material and looks but is locked to 2010-2012 cars and costs more. Both use oiled, washable filters and both feed the twin turbos through sealed heat shields, so thermal protection is a wash.

So who should buy which? If you own any GT-R outside the 2010-2012 window, the decision is made for you — the aFe Takeda is the only one of the two that fits, and it is the one we would recommend anyway thanks to its lower price, broader coverage, and documented +24% airflow number. If you do own a 2010-2012 car, it becomes a genuine choice: spend around $690 on the aFe for the proven, data-backed performance package, or step up to roughly $930 for the Injen SP if mandrel-bent aluminum tubing and a dressed-up engine bay matter as much to you as the dyno sheet. Neither is a wrong answer, but for pure value per dollar the aFe is hard to beat, and remember both currently carry an instant discount at checkout — 10% off the aFe and 5% off the Injen as of this writing.

Do GT-R Intakes Need a Tune?

No — neither of these intakes requires a tune to run safely, because both retain the factory mass-airflow (MAF) housings and do not change the air metering the ECU expects. You can bolt either one on a stock car and drive it. That said, the GT-R's VR38DETT is a MAF-based engine, which means two things matter. First, the real power is unlocked when you add a Cobb Accessport tune: the extra airflow lets the tuner raise boost targets with headroom, turning a 9 hp bolt-on into a meaningful part of a 50-100 wheel-horsepower package. Second, oiled cotton-gauze filters demand discipline — over-oiling after a cleaning can leave residue on the sensitive MAF elements and throw off fueling. Re-oil lightly, let the filter sit before reinstalling, and the MAF stays happy for the life of the car.

Off-Season Install: What to Expect

Installing a GT-R intake is a classic off-season garage job: budget about an hour with basic hand tools and no spring compressors or special equipment. With the car cold, you will remove the factory engine covers, disconnect the two factory airbox assemblies, transfer or connect the MAF housings to the new tubes, and seat the new filters inside their heat shields. Both aFe and Injen ship complete with the hardware and couplers you need. Because the R35 runs two separate intake tracts, work one side at a time and keep the left and right components organized. When Florida winters dip into the 40s and your GT-R is parked more than driven, this is the ideal weekend project to have it breathing better and sounding meaner by spring. At NLP Performance in Tampa, FL, our team installs and tunes GT-R platforms year-round and can bundle an intake with a Cobb package if you want the full airflow-plus-tune result.