Air filters are one of the easiest performance mods you can make to your car. Here’s a collection of some of the best air filters for the Nissan Skyline GT-R.
Air is just as important for the health and performance of your car, as it is for you. So, do your GT-R a favor and keep on top of its air filter. There’s a lot of uncertainty about the true merit of air filters as a performance upgrade, but our ultra-scientific test did find some tangible gains to be made. So, if you want to get your GT-R breathing better than ever, here are some of the top aftermarket options on the market…
Best Air Filter for a Nissan Skyline GT-R
Replacement Panel Filters
The R32, R33, and R34 generations of Skyline GT-R all have a panel filter as standard, situated within an airbox. In fact, so too does the ultra high-tech R35 GT-R, albeit a slightly more heavy duty design. As such, regardless of whichever type of GT-R you have, the simplest way of upgrading its air filter is by merely swapping out the old, worn stock panel for an improved modern aftermarket alternative. As you can imagine, there are plenty on offer, so let’s take a look at some of the main options.
APEXi
APEXi is one of the big names from the golden ’90s era of JDM tuning houses. Like most of their counterparts, they’re still going strong today. This high-performance panel filter is claimed to improve throttle response a little bit, and shouldn’t need any maintenance for 15,000 miles. Do bear in mind though that it only fits the R32, R33 & R34 Skyline GT-Rs. Not the R35.
You can purchase it online at Nengun for just $35 / £27.
HKS
HKS is perhaps a little better known than APEXi, but they too are a well-renowned JDM tuning company. If you want to source an air filter from them, you’re in luck. The HKS Super Air filter makes use of an optimized fiber material to reduce air resistance but maximize filtration performance. So, while it perhaps doesn’t look as sporty as the red APEXi, it’s still more than up to the task.
Like the APEXi filter, this HKS product only fits the R32, R33 & R34. Buy it now from Nengun for just $32 / £25.
Nismo
Where better to source Nissan upgrade parts, than from Nissan themselves? Alright, technically Nismo is a slightly detached company, but still, this product is from Nissan’s official performance branch – so you know it’ll definitely be well-optimized for your GT-R.
Again, this product is only applicable to the R32, R33 & R34. Be aware that you’ll also need to clean it every 2500 miles These panel filters sell on Nengun for roughly $73 / £57.
K&N
It would be amiss of us to mention air filters without highlighting K&N – the de facto aftermarket air flow specialist. Unlike previous options mentioned, K&N caters to both the older ’90s-era Skyline GT-Rs and the 21st Century R35 GT-R. However, the designs for each are very different.
The panel filter for the older cars ($65) is a simple replacement job, and impressively is claimed to last for 75,000 miles. Meanwhile, the R35 replacement ($150) utilizes four layers of woven cotton material for maximum protection from particulates.
Blitz
The BLITZ LM Stock Replacement Filters are made from durable cotton and designed to reduce intake restriction, while providing maximum filtration without sacrificing the stock air-box.
These are for the R35 GT-R only and you’ll need to buy two of them. Over at Nengun, you can pick these filters up for $73 / £57 each.
Mine’s
An alternative air filter option for the R35 GT-R is the Mine’s VX Air Filter. Mine’s is a serious powerhouse of JDM tuning, especially when it comes to Nissan models. In fact, we’ve got a feature article on one of their R34 demo cars.
As you’d expect, Mine’s has really gone to town with the design of its replacement panel filters for the R35. Made from 3 layers of cotton and lined with aluminum mesh, Mine’s claims that these filters are 1.7x more efficient than the standard ones. That should translate to gains of roughly 3-5PS on the dyno. However, it’s worth noting that these filters have been developed to work best in conjunction with the Mine’s VX-ROM ECU map.
Pick up a set of two from Nengun for $224 / £175.
High-Flow Induction Kits
The more power you chase, the more air you’ll need. As a result, many people opt for the open-air cone or pod filter solution (for an increased surface area), though it’s important that these are protected from heat. After all, that’s largely the purpose of the casing that fits around regular panel filters. Happily, through either heat guards or just clever placement, it’s possible to keep cones and pods cool.
In the R35’s case, you’ll need to bin the stock airboxes and replace them with a pair of larger bore induction pipes with high-flow cone filters.
These are generally 3 inches or more in diameter and tend to mount the cone filters down low in the front bumper to place them in an area of cold, dense air for maximum power gains. They also offer a larger cross sectional area which allows the factory MAF sensor to more accurately measure air flow – a crucial factor as power levels increase.
HKS
HKS offers these mushroom-looking filters for the R32, R33, and R34 GT-Rs. The idea behind these is that they’re relatively compact while still offering greater surface area for induction compared to standard. The variant pictured above is the HKS Super Power Flow air filter, which you can pick up from Nengun for $300-$310 / £234-£240.
However, HKS also provides a similar set-up that comes with revised pipework for more efficient air induction further down the chain. That ‘Racing Suction’ kit is also available from Nengun, albeit at the higher retail price of $792 / £779.
APEXi
Another option is APEXi’s Dual Funnel Power Intake. Here, APEXi has inserted a primary funnel on the top portion of the air filter which then channels the air flow directly into the lower funnels at the base of the filter. This minimizes turbulence within the intake for smoother and more efficient air flow. The RB26DETT engine in the ’90s GT-Rs requires a pair of these filters, though you can buy them individually if you’ve got an RB25-powered GT-T.
Forge
How about the R35 GT-R? Well, given how popular it is amongst the high-end tuning community, there are several induction kits out there. One of which is the Forge kit ($716 / £600), which uses much larger (80mm) than the stock pipework for massively improved flow and higher horsepower potential. The Pipercross-supplied filters allow unrestricted airflow, which is great for performance, but you must remap your R35’s ECU as a result. Forge recommends the use of either the Cobb Accessport or EcuTek solutions, both of which will allow your GT-R to reach its power goal safely.
AMS Performance
If we’re talking about high end cars, we might as well talk about high-end parts. This comprehensive $2130 AMS Performance induction kit is certainly that. Comprising of not only filters and intake piping, but also revised intercooler piping, this system has been proven capable of sustaining up to 1500PS. Oh, and did we forget to mention? It’s fabricated from carbon.
For the full details on what benefits the system can offer you, check out AMS Performance’s website.
