Cold air intakes are one of the most common mods car enthusiasts get for their Chevrolet Corvette C7. It’s practical, easy to install, and it’s pretty affordable too. There’s just a lot of practical benefits you can enjoy for just around half a grand.
With a simple modification like a cold air intake system, you’ll improve your car’s horsepower and torque output, fuel economy, and engine lifespan. Not to mention how good the sound under your car’s hood will be, especially under full throttle.
Finding a cold air intake is easy, but finding the best one for the Corvette C7, however, can be pretty challenging. To help you out, we’ve created a list of what we think are the best Corvette C7 cold air intakes. Of course, these intakes vary in brands, price, and performance increase. Still, all of them are guaranteed to deliver the extra airflow your car needs.
#1 Corsa Performance Carbon Fiber Air Intake System
- Manufacturer: Corsa Performance
- Air Filter: Maxflow 5/Drytech filter
- Performance Gains: 15hp
- Vehicle Fitment:
- Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray (2014-2019)
- Chevrolet Corvette C7 Grand Sport (2017-2019)
Aftermarket intake systems these days are pretty desirable for their unique properties that outmatch the stock intake of the C7 Corvette. Our first intake is an apple that doesn’t fall far from the tree. The Corsa Performance Carbon Fiber Air Intake System remains one of the most sought-after intakes for the ‘Vette. And for some good reason.
The Corsa Performance Carbon Fiber Air Intake System boasts a 100% carbon fiber construction. This choice of material proves to be a good decision, judging from how good this intake looks. On top of that, it can deliver 15hp and 15lb-ft of torque, which is not that bad if you think about it.
Corsa Performance also gives you the freedom to choose between two air filters. First is the Maxflow 5 filter, a high-performance, oiled conical air filter for superior air filtration. The second is the Drytech filter, another high-performance yet dry air filter recommended for users who prefer the convenience of maintaining a non-oiled filter.
Overall, this Corvette C7 Stingray cold air intake is an ideal option for those who want to put their stakes on a well-trusted brand.
Corsa Performance Carbon Fiber Air Intake System Features:
- Delivers up to 15hp and 15lb-ft of torque
- 100% pure carbon fiber construction
- Comes with a machined MAF mounting bracket
- Easy installation (1 hour or less)
- Backed by Corsa Performance Limited 1-Year Warranty
#2 aFe Power Momentum Air Intake System
- Manufacturer: aFe Power
- Air Filter: Pro-5R filter
- Performance Gains: 18hp
- Vehicle Fitment:
- Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray (2014-2019)
- Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06 (2014-2019)
If you’ve been eyeing for some C7 Corvette aFe intake for quite some time now, then here’s something special for you; the aFe Power Momentum Air Intake System. aFe Power presents some relative data to cement the validity of the intake’s results, like dyno tests. But, of course, this is just one of the reasons why C7 Corvette owners love this intake, not to mention how it’s such a sight for sore eyes.
The aFe Power Momentum Air Intake System is an affordable option for your car if you want more power and better engine performance. It utilizes the popular Pro-5R filter, making sure that the outdoor air is cold and squeaky clean before it even gets sucked into your engine. This air filter is just one of the things that makes this intake system great.
Another impressive feature about this intake is its housing, a rotomolded housing with a unique sight window. That’ll come in handy, especially during times when you’re lazy enough and don’t have the time to pick apart the intake just to check if it’s still usable or if it’s up for periodical maintenance. And also, this housing connects itself into a rotomolded intake tube with a built-in resonance chamber to get rid of those undesirable air intake noises.
aFe Power Momentum Air Intake System Features:
- Delivers up to 18hp and 22lb-ft of torque
- Unique rotomolded one-piece housing w/ a sight window
- Rotomolded tube with built-in resonance chamber
- Comes with a massive conical Pro-5R air filter
- Backed by aFe Power 2-Year Warranty
#3 Airaid MXP Performance Air Intake System
- Manufacturer: Airaid
- Air Filter: Airaid premium air filter
- Performance Gains: 12hp
- Vehicle Fitment:
- Chevrolet Corvette C7 (2014)
- Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray (2015-2019)
- Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z51 (2015-2016)
- Chevrolet Corvette C7 Grand Sport (2017-2019)
Performance gains aren’t always the prime factor that entices car enthusiasts to get a cold air intake. Sometimes it’s the build quality, how solid the intake’s construction is, and how it can set a car like the Chevrolet Corvette C7 up for a long time. Such a cold air intake system that doesn’t provide as much performance gains as its counterparts but does exhibit a great build design is the Airaid MXP Performance Air Intake System.
Like most C7 Corvette intakes, the Airaid MXP Performance Air Intake System features a rotomolded air box that embellishes the aesthetics of the engine bay. However, it steps up from the clear restrictions and limitations of the OEM. In addition, this intake system also features a rotomolded XLPE tube designed to make sure that your engine’s air-fuel ratio is at the optimum level.
What really sets this CAI up from the rest is its built-in velocity stack, which promotes better volumetric airflow than the stock. Match that with a heat shield, and you’ll get some bolt-on horsepower that rises up to 12hp at around 5156RPM.
Airaid MXP Performance Air Intake System Features:
- Delivers up to 12hp
- Rotomolded XLPE tube that maintains optimal air-fuel ratio levels
- Comes with a built-in velocity stack
- Backed by Airaid 1-Year Limited Warranty
#4 Holley iNTECH Cold Air Intake System
- Manufacturer: Holley
- Air Filter: 4-layer air filter
- Performance Gains: 21hp
- Vehicle Fitment:
- Chevrolet Corvette C7 (2014)
- Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray (2015-2019)
- Chevrolet Corvette C7 Grand Sport (2017-2019)
Another highly-acclaimed intake in the C7 Corvette community is the Holley iNTECH Cold Air Intake System. When you scrutinize it, you’ll see that the price of this CAI is just right, relative to the number of benefits you can gain from it. Not to mention how solid its construction is.
If you’re slightly budget-oriented and are looking for a bang for the buck intake system, then you might want to check out this C7 Corvette Holley intake.
The Holley iNTECH Cold Air Intake, as Holley claims it, represents their highest degree of technology for late model cars. It can produce dyno-proven gains of 21hp and 21lb-ft of torque, which is pretty impressive if you think about it. In addition, with a one-piece intake tube, you can ensure that your engine will get the maximum volumetric airflow it needs to function better.
What’s more, the iNTECH CAI utilizes a patented Slip-Seal housing-filter-tube. Basically, Holley eliminated the use of adapters and hose clamps to make installation much more straightforward. Aside from that, this CAI comes with a reusable dry 4-layer air filter, further eliminating the need for constant air filter oiling.
Suppose you want guaranteed convenience partnered with guaranteed performance gains. In that case, the Holley iNTECH Cold Air Intake is the one for you.
Holley iNTECH Cold Air Intake System Features:
- Delivers up to 21hp and 21lb-ft of torque
- One-piece intake tube for more airflow
- Utilizes a patented Slip-seal housing-filter-tube for easy installation
- Comes with a reusable dry 4-layer filter
- Backed by Holley 1-Year Limited Warranty
Extra: BMS Drop-In Performance Dry Filter
- Manufacturer: Holley
- Air Filter: 4-layer air filter
- Performance Gains: 35hp
- Vehicle Fitment:
- Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06 (2015-2019)
- Chevrolet Corvette C7 Stingray (2014-2019)
- Chevrolet Corvette C7 Grand Sport (2017-2019)
- Chevrolet Corvette C7 ZR1 (2019)
We all know for a fact that not all aftermarket intakes can be trusted. If you frequently visit the forums, you’ll know that many car enthusiasts think that air intakes are just a sham, and the performance gains they give are not real. We slightly believe that this is true, but some trusted brands out there provide actual performance gains (hence the list).
BMS thinks that a lot of aftermarket C7 Corvette intakes are visually unappealing. The worst part is that their fitments are, well, ill-fitting. So, after realizing that the C7 Corvette’s stock intake problem is the incompatibility between the OEM filter and how it matches with the OEM MAF housing, they decided to do C7 Corvette owners a favor.
And this is where the BMS Drop-In Performance Dry Air Filter comes in. It’s 15% less restrictive than the OEM filters and 10% more free-flowing than the “leading” aftermarket filter. In addition, this dry air filter can deliver up to +30whp (around 35hp, if you consider the 12% drivetrain loss of a manual C7 Corvette). All of these claims are backed by BMS’s dyno test results.
And to further back up its reputation, you can check out this cold air intake discussion. You’ll see for yourself how many C7 Corvette owners would choose to own a BMS air filter rather than own the “leading” yet overpriced air intake.
BMS Drop-In Performance Dry Filter Features:
- 15% less restrictive than the factory air filter
- 10% more free-flowing than the “leading” aftermarket air filter
- +35hp increase
- Backed by Burger Motorsports 1-Year Warranty
There are just so many notable features about the Chevrolet Corvette C7. One such thing is its availability for aftermarket modification. Cold air intakes are one of those modifications that many car enthusiasts flock at, simply because it’s cheap. It is indeed a surefire way of introducing more power to your car.