Ahh...I've compiled a list of its advantages and disadvantages. Hopefully, this will solve some issues...it definitely cleared up my mind about each.

Cold Air Intake (CAI)
PROS: Since its farther away from the engine it get colder air wich carries more oxygen thus creating bigger explosions in the engine thus giving more horse power.
CONS: Since its a longer pipe it takes longer for the air to get to the engine (less throttle response), since its closer to the ground there is a risk of getting water into the engine causing it to stop.
Neutral: Poorly designed CAIs can gain little, no, or even lose power.

**The cold air intake may have risks but they can be avoided by intaling a bypass valve which is designed to take in large volumes of air with a sudden thrust of the gas pedal and will safely level off and switch to your primary air filter as you coast on the highway. **

Short Ram Intake:
PROS: Smaller pipe so air response is faster, almost no chance of water getting into engine.
CONS: Since it is closer to the engine it heats up when the car is at a stop and delivers hot air with less oxygen molecules causing the HP to go down.
Neutral: Louder, deeper sound- pro to some, con to others

** Temperature difference is gone when the car is in motion, there is enough air flow to forceably scavange hot air out of the engine bay to be replaced by colder air. **
**However, SRIs with a well designed heat shield can lessen the issue of hot air.**

Note: At any rate, a "good" CAI vs a "good" SRI are practically equivalent when at speed.

[b]Bottom Line:/[b]Any intake is better than a stock intake because the internals of the after market intake is smoother and tested to perform better than stock. stock intake air boxes allow LESS air than moded intakes. MORE air = MORE power!

 

air bypass still lets in hot air from the engine, the only real chance of hydro lock is if you drive through a puddle thats large enough, otherwise driving through extremely heavy rain wont ever cause a problem.
Even though CAI pulls in cold air you still will be pulling in hot air after the car is on long enough.

To improve things in general, use thermal wrap to block cars heat and this can be done on both the shorty and the cai

and they both sound the same, your just changing the position that the sound is coming from with the cai

 

So your decision: SRI or CAI?

 

where ever the mood takes you ^_- im running a CAI and ive driven through heavy rain multiple times without a bypass valve and i have no issues, but its going to be pulled out when i put a turbo on anyways

 

So you can't have a CAI and turbo simulatenously?

 

Okay so I'm going to take a random stab at that question based on what little I know about turbos.... a Turbo works by "spooling up" off of exhaust fumes and as it does that it forces more air into your intake so you need an intake that works with the turbo.... Long and Short of it: No you can't use a CAI w/turbo but there's no reason why you would want to anyway...

 

if you plan on getting a turbo i would do some more research first. the intake piping for a turbo is specific for the turbo. or look at a picture of a turbo system.

 

absolutely always i always recommend a shorty, but with a turbo, i would recommend a cold air. and absolutely you can run a cold air intake with a turbo. the hot exhaust gas never gets run through the intake system. there are two impellers on a turbo linked by a shaft. the hot exhaust gas spins one side which caused the other side to spin.

 

most cars you dont really have the option for a CAI on a turbo, because the piping and where its run just really wont allow for it unless you change things around and make a hole for it. It is also somewhat counter productive to have a CAI on a turbo because you have cool air being pulled in, then it becomes heated by the turbo regardless of how cold it is, it will heat it up to the basic temp of the turbo itself. Then you have it run through the fmic which cools it down again, by doing that you risk letting moisture in by the fluctuating temp changes. Plus i dont want to have to remove the battery from the front and put it in the back of my car just to get that inital cooling air.

If you want the air going in through the turbo to be truely cold you want all the cooling to happen at or after your fmic, thats why there are water cooled systems and a sprayer systems. and with the water cooled system you can get more hp if its ice water ^_-

 

yea it would take a custom setup to have a cold air intake for your turbo but its relatively easy if the compressor side of the turbo is facing the passenger side of the car. especially if the turbine side of the turbo is wrapped... a cold air can make a big difference. but even if it isnt, that cold air passing through the hot turbo can only heat up so much (newtons law). colder air in will be colder air out. its not really a big issue though, cause a turbo is going to make so much horsepower. i guess im just a fanatic about it spooling up as soon as possible and making the most amount of power.