So I just picked up a 22 Charger Daytona and I want to get a little more pep out of it before I take it out to the track here in Vegas. I spent all night looking at cold air intakes like the Legmaker or JLT but then I read a bunch of threads saying the factory box is actually better for flow and aftermarket ones just heat soak like crazy. I have about 1800 bucks saved up and I really want that aggressive sound too but idk if I should go for a full exhaust or just start with some simple bolt-ons. Should I even bother with an intake or is there something else that actually gives a better bang for my buck?
Just saw this pop up and wanted to chime in because that Vegas heat is an absolute beast for HEMIs. I remember my first track day out there... I was so focused on getting more power but my oil temps hit 260 degrees before the second session even ended. It is kinda scary when the car starts pulling timing to save itself. Honestly, before you worry about intakes, you might want to look into stuff that keeps the car from breaking or bogging down under pressure. Since you got a decent budget, I would suggest focusing on some reliability and drivetrain stuff first:
Yo, congrats on the Daytona! That 2022 is a total beast and youre gonna have an amazing time out at the track! Since youre dealing with that desert heat and want actual performance gains, I really think you should look at the technical side of handling and power delivery instead of just chasing a few HP from an intake. Here is how I would spend that 1800 bucks to make the car way faster and safer:
Youre spot on about the intakes. Ive been messing with Mopars for a long time and the heat soak on those open-element filters is real, especially in that Vegas heat. Most guys just end up losing power after a few pulls because the intake air temps go through the roof. The factory box is actually designed pretty well for flow, so you're right to be skeptical. If you really want that sound without wasting money, a mid-muffler delete is the way to go. It gives you that aggressive bark for a fraction of the cost of a full cat-back. With the rest of that 1800, honestly, I would just put it toward a really solid set of tires. Good rubber makes way more of a difference on the track than any 5hp bolt-on ever will.
Building on the earlier suggestion, I'm in the exact same boat with my Daytona. It's honestly pretty disappointing how fast these HEMIs get sluggish. Unfortunately, I've had issues with basic bolt-ons not being as good as expected out here. Just get any cooling gear from Mishimoto. I'm still trying to figure it out myself because the heat soak is just brutal tbh.