Some say the Mustang made its name as a stylish and sporty compact, and that's true in a certain sense. But sporty cars don't make history if hot-rodders don't like them, and hot-rodders don't like cars that don't take well to modification. That thought weighed heavily on the minds of many when word came down that the reliable old Windsor was going away in favor of the sophisticated modular engine. However, time has proven that the Mod takes even better to max-power modifications that its predecessor. Lighter-weight modifications like cold-air intakes, on the other hand, require a somewhat more considered approach to one-up Ford on engineering.
If the modular engine has gotten any real criticism over the years, it's that you can't do much to it without tuning the computer. The old Windsor used a straightforward, OBD-I style fuel injection system that was legendarily forgiving of aftermarket skullduggery. The mod motor's system, though, is notorious for fighting back against large increases in airflow even within the limits of the stock mass airflow sensor. As such, the best-flowing intakes on the market -- particularly those designed for larger MAF sensors -- will require some tuning. When it comes to choosing an intake, make sure you're getting a true cold-air intake; a CAI flows a bit less than a short-ram intake, but short-rams draw hot air from under the hood, sacrificing much-needed torque through the rpm band for a bit of high rpm horsepower.
The Airaid CAI isn't the cheapest on the market, and it isn't the most popular for exactly that reason. The cheapest CAI available as of 2013 comes from SR performance, and it is half the price of the Airaid. However, you get what you pay for with the Airaid; the SR looks fine on paper, but the reality is that the MAF signal with the Airaid is much more stable. That makes this intake far less likely to cause driveability problems. That's the good news. The bad news is that a high-flow filter alone is worth about 4 to 5 wheel horsepower, and any CAI using the stock MAF sensor isn't going to add much more than that on a stock engine. However, the Airaid does offer nice sound without hurting driveability much, and it flows well enough to support future upgrades and a larger MAF sensor.
On newer S197 Mustangs, JLT's intake might have a couple of laminar flow problems that disrupt MAF sensor stability. However, the JLT intake has proven a very popular choice for SN95 Mustangs. The JLT design is very straightforward design made of black ABS plastic, and it places the MAF sensor directly adjacent to the standard-equipment K&N conical air filter. The JLT is compatible with 80 mm and 90 mm MAF sensors and 78 mm throttle bodies, so it there's flow capacity in reserve for future upgrades. JLT says its "next generation" intake is good for an 8 to 12 horsepower increase out of the box; but again, about 5 horsepower of that comes form the filter alone. JLT also says that its CAI system doesn't require any computer tuning when used with the stock MAF and throttle body, and consumer experience backs that up.
There's a reason that other manufacturers like JLT use K&N filters on their CAI -- it's because K&N wrote the book on boosting horsepower through intake flow. Small surprise then that K&N's stalwart Fuel Injection Performance Kit should still prove a popular choice in the aftermarket CAI game. The FIPK for this generation of Mustang is as good as anything else on this list in terms of performance and prevention of driveability problems. K&N's customer service, assembly and installation instructions, fit and quality levels are about what you'd expect for a company that's been making CAIs for Mustangs since there were such things. Because it's designed primarily for use on stock or near-stock engines, the K&N isn't optimized for high-rpm horsepower; this system's forte is in delivering the kind of mid-range torque that SN95 Mustangs desperately need. This kit makes a near-stock Mustang a bit more fun to drive without any nasty repurcussions.
Ultimately, you're going to see the best results with a complete system that upgrades the entire intake tract from filter to intake manifold, and back to the computer. A few companies offer combination kits that will allow you to set the computer straight on the intake signal and capitalize on it by optimizing engine tuning for the extra airflow. SR performance, Airaid and BBK offer their kits with a Bama tuner; BBK also offers its long-tube intake with a new 78 mm throttle body, but expect to have to buy a tuner to get it all to work together. The Bama tuner adds between $350 and $380 to each of the kits, and holds 10 pre-programmed tunes from Bama. It also offers data-logging and information on performance and real-time fuel economy, it's compatible with Windows and it can read and clear codes like any diagnostic scanner. For $400, Airaid offers an upgrade to the Diablosport tuner, which does all the same things, is compatible with Mac and PC, and has 1GB of memory. It's also much better-looking than the Bama tuner; it has a touch-screen display, and looks for all the world like a very nice smart-phone.
