Guys,
Problem here in Luxembourg is that I can under no circumstances fit a FMIC. This counts as a major modification and would make the car illegal to run, as I would have to relocate the license plate (illegal) for it to work like it should, cut the bumper (illegal), and the FMIC would have to come with TUV, the German equivalent of your MOT, but muuuch stricter.
So I am kind of bound to keep a TMIC (bought a Mazda RX7 one from Peter88 to improve my set up a bit), which is why high engine outputs are not necessarily on my to-do list. 150, 155bhp would be nice, but I am focusing much more on weight reduction and chassis and suspension (look at my Member's Garage for more, my car's fucking naked).
The plan is to dump the aircon and put the filter as close to the front grille as possible but while within legal limits here in Luxembourg, which is why this is so hard for me.
Lowering the filter would not have been a problem, legally or logistically, so really the best solution for me for the time being. And as C3DPO mentions weather plays a part; temps here in Luxembourg are very England-like and nooothing like Kenya.
I'll have some time on my hands tomorrow and I'll check with my tuning shop to see what their race car guy has to say.
Also, this might be a silly question so don't judge too hard (I am no expert on mechanics and stuff and just learning to do that stuff by working on the EP), would it be worth it if I heat-wrapped the intake pipes from the air filter to shield them from engine temp ?
I'll keep you posted.