Acura Integra Type S Cold Air Intake: Cobb Redline Review

An Acura Integra Type S cold air intake is the first bolt-on most DE5 owners reach for, and for good reason: the 2.0-liter K20C1 turbo-four makes 320 hp and 310 lb-ft through a factory airbox built for noise rules, not airflow. Swapping it for a high-flow intake frees up the turbo, sharpens throttle response, and adds the induction and blow-off whoosh the stock car muffles. In this review we dyno the numbers, weigh the filter types, and name the best intake for the 2024-2025 Integra Type S — starting with our top pick, the Cobb Redline Carbon Fiber Intake.

Why the Integra Type S Responds So Well to an Intake

The Integra Type S (chassis code DE5) shares its entire powertrain with the 11th-generation Honda Civic Type R (FL5): the same K20C1 2.0L single-scroll turbo engine, the same 320 hp at 6,500 rpm and 310 lb-ft from 2,600-4,000 rpm, and the same 6-speed manual with a helical limited-slip differential. There is no automatic — every DE5 is a three-pedal car. That shared hardware matters when you shop, because most "Civic Type R" intakes are tagged to fit the Integra Type S too.

One detail makes an intake especially easy on this platform: the K20C1 runs a MAP-based (speed-density) fuel strategy rather than a mass-airflow (MAF) meter. A cold air intake therefore will not throw a MAF-calibration fault or a check-engine light on an otherwise stock car. You get the airflow and the sound immediately, and a supporting Cobb tune later unlocks the rest. From our Tampa, FL shop, the intake is the single most common first mod we fit to a new Type S.

The factory airbox is the restriction worth removing. Honda routes intake air through a molded plastic box and a paper panel filter sized to hush induction noise and pass drive-by sound regulations, and on a 320 hp turbo motor that paper element and narrow snorkel become a bottleneck under boost. A performance intake replaces the panel filter with a large conical or high-flow element and swaps the corrugated factory tubing for a smooth, mandrel-formed or molded tube that reduces turbulence ahead of the turbo inlet. The sealed-airbox designs (Cobb and aFe) add a heat shield so the filter draws cooler ambient air instead of engine-bay heat, which keeps intake air temperatures — and therefore timing — more stable during back-to-back pulls. The audible reward is the turbo's induction whoosh and the recirculating diverter-valve chatter on every upshift, muted almost to silence from the factory.

Cobb Redline Carbon Fiber Intake: Our Top Pick

The Cobb Redline Carbon Fiber Intake (part number 7H2160) is the intake we recommend first for the 2024-2025 Integra Type S. It pairs a molded carbon fiber charge tube with a fully sealed airbox and a high-flow dry filter, so it pulls cooler air from behind the bumper while looking like a factory-plus upgrade under the hood. Because Cobb engineers its hardware and its Accessport software together, the Redline intake is calibrated to match Cobb's Stage 1 and Stage 2 maps — the tightest hardware-to-tune integration you can buy for this car. It fits the 24-25 Integra Type S and the 23-25 Civic Type R.

On the dyno, an intake alone is a modest-gain part — expect roughly 5-10 wheel horsepower on a stock DE5, with most of the benefit felt as quicker spool and crisper part-throttle response. The Cobb Redline earns its price once you add a tune: paired with a Cobb Stage 1 or Stage 2 map it supports the higher airflow those calibrations ask for, and that is where intake, downpipe, and software stack into double-digit gains. If a Cobb tune is on your roadmap, buying the matched intake up front is the smart move.

There is a reason we call it the top pick rather than the highest-flowing pick. Every quality intake for this platform flows enough air to feed a stock or Stage 2 turbo, so raw CFM is not the deciding factor at 320 hp — integration, filtration, heat management, and finish are. The Redline wins on integration: because Cobb validates the hardware against its own Accessport maps, there is no guesswork about whether the intake will lean out fueling or overshoot a boost target on a tuned car. The molded carbon tube also shaves weight versus the factory plastic assembly and looks the part on a car that stickers near $52,000. For owners who plan to keep the DE5 stock or lightly modified, that same money buys the aFe or K&N plus a downpipe — which is exactly why we lay out all four below.

How It Compares: aFe Takeda and K&N

If carbon fiber and tune-matching are not priorities, two proven intakes deliver most of the airflow for well under half the Cobb's price. The aFe Takeda Momentum uses a one-piece sealed roto-molded housing with a large conical filter, while the K&N 69 Series Typhoon runs a mandrel-bent aluminum tube and a washable cotton-gauze element backed by K&N's famous warranty. Both are tagged to fit the 2024-2025 Integra Type S.

Integra Type S Intake Comparison Chart

Here is how the four intakes line up on the attributes that decide most DE5 purchases — filter media, intake tube material, warranty, and price. The Cobb Redline is the premium, tune-matched pick; the aFe and K&N systems are the value plays in the $390-$450 range.

Dry vs Oiled Filters: Which Should You Run?

Dry media (aFe Pro DRY S and the Cobb high-flow element) is oil-free, so there is zero risk of over-oiling and contaminating a sensor, and it cleans with soap and water. Oiled cotton-gauze media (K&N) traditionally flows a touch more air per square inch and filters very fine dust well, but it must be re-oiled correctly after each cleaning. For a daily-driven street Type S, both keep the 2.0L turbo protected; we steer new owners toward dry media for the maintenance simplicity and point experienced tuners who service their own filters toward the K&N for its lifetime warranty.

Whichever you pick, all three systems install in about 45-90 minutes with basic hand tools. You remove the engine cover and factory airbox, transfer the factory hardware, seat the new tube and heat shield, and torque the clamps. Because the K20C1 is speed-density, there is no MAF to recalibrate — the car runs normally the moment you finish. Pair any of them with our Cobb power package guide when you are ready to tune, and with the Integra Type S cooling upgrades if you track the car.

Which Integra Type S Intake Should You Buy?

Buy the Cobb Redline Carbon Fiber Intake if you are running — or plan to run — Cobb's Accessport and want the cleanest hardware-to-software match, the lightest tube, and a carbon look that suits the car. Buy the aFe Takeda Momentum if you want the best balance of price, a maintenance-free dry filter, and a sealed housing; the Red Edition adds a red-accent lid if you want the color to pop. Buy the K&N 69 Series if you value a washable filter you will never replace and the reassurance of a 10-Year/Million Mile Limited Warranty. All four are in stock at NLP Performance and ship to your door, and every one of them is a genuine upgrade over the restrictive factory airbox on the 2024-2025 Integra Type S.