Dyno-tested : C6 LS3/LS7 iNTECH cold-air system from Holley

Feeding an engine cooler, denser air adds power—and C6 Corvettes are no exception. Though finding additional power in Chevy’s highly tuned 6.2L and 7.0L powerplants can be challenging, there is still room for improvement. The designers at Holley Performance Products took one look at the stock air intake system under the hoods of LS3 and LS7 Corvettes and knew a redesigned setup would unlock power.

Holley set out with a “clean sheet” approach for their new iNTECH line of cold-air intakes for late-model Corvettes. Instead of a panel or oval-shaped filter, Holley chose twin conical filters to feed additional air to the engine. The filters feature a four-layer, high-flow design that draws air from the corners of the open space between the radiator and the front bumper.

Besides the filters, the iNTECH Cold Air Intake system includes a computer-designed intake tube that merges the air from both filters and funnels it over the radiator and to the throttle body. A flexible silicone coupler and high-quality clamps secure the intake system to the throttle body, and a molded heat shield keeps engine compartment heat away from the filters.

The Holley iNTECH Cold Air Intake system adds 5 percent more horsepower and torque to both 6.2L and 7.0L Corvettes, which equates to 14.8 and 20.4 wheel horsepower, respectively. The system takes just a few minutes to install, which makes the power-per-minute ratio high.

To see the new iNTECH system in action, we spent some time at Holley’s Bowling Green, Kentucky, facility while they walked us through the installation on a C6.

1.Holley’s iNTECH Cold Air Intake system for LS3- and LS7-powered C6 Corvettes includes two high-flow filters, heat shield, intake tube, coupler, clamps and hardware, and detailed installation instructions.

2.The LS3 and LS7 (Z06) kits share most of the same components, though the intake tubes are specific to each engine—making them true, direct-replacements for the OEM pieces.

3.We began the installation process by disconnecting the PCV tube from the stock intake tube.

4.Next, we unplugged the mass airflow (MAF) sensor.

5.After loosening the clamp sealing the intake tube to the rubber coupler, we removed the OEM intake assembly.

6.The final stock piece to be removed was the rubber coupler and clamps.

7.With the OEM air intake system removed, it’s obvious how the Holley iNTECH system’s twin air filters have considerably more air filtration area (and flow) than the OEM panel filter.

8.We prepped the cold-air system by removing the MAF sensor from the stock intake tube.

9.Then, we installed the MAF sensor into the intake tube using the supplied screws.

10.Next, we installed the supplied PCV fitting into the Holley iNTECH intake tube.

11.Each of the high-flow, conical air filters was attached to each side of the intake tube using the supplied clamps.

12.Then we attached the heat shield to the intake tube using the supplied black-oxide stainless steel screws.

13.We installed the supplied silicone coupler to the throttle body using the supplied clamp.

14.The Holley iNTECH Cold Air Intake draws air from the corners of the area between the front bumper and the radiator.

15.Then, we installed the Holley intake assembly on the OEM rubber mounts, rolling the coupler around the intake tube with a finger.

16.Next, the second clamp goes around the coupler and is secured.

17.The wiring harness is then reconnected to the MAF sensor.

18.Finally, we reconnected the PCV hose to the iNTECH intake tube.

19.The new cold-air intake system blends in perfectly to the C6 engine compartment. Adding power never looked this good … or was this easy.

20.The Holley iNTECH Cold Air Intake system adds about 5 percent more power to LS3 and LS7 (Z06) Corvettes, which translates to 14.8 horsepower and 12.6 lb-ft of torque on the 6.2L engine, and 20.4 horsepower and 16.8 lb-ft of torque on the 7.0L engine on Holley’s in-house Dynojet dynamometer.

Photos By Wes Duenkel