Define better, man. I'm pretty sure Lexus knows how to build cars. I'm sure they wouldn't design the IS500 such that the stock parts damaged the car. More airflow can also translate to more particulates passing through. That has been a problem for high flow air filters in the past; they increase flow by being crappier filters.

 

Underneath the thin layer of CF is likely plastic. Plastic and titanium still get heat soaked, just like the stock plastic. I'll believe any claims about "smoother passage" of air if there's actually engineering data to back it up. It's an intake tube that feeds into a manifold. I will admit they do look good, and I think that's really the point of them.

 

All filters that flow more have less filtration capability, which SHOULD hopefully be common sense to anyone. Filter media has a lot to do with it, though, so if you can get close to factory particulate filtration AND have more airflow, it is a win. We have no idea how these air filters flow, as I am not aware of any IS500 air filters being tested, but you can see plenty of tests on YouTube where aftermarket filters outperform factory in both airflow and filtration. That being said, if you use nothing but stock filters for the rest of the car's life, the car will run and perform perfectly and just fine. Honestly, most power gains on this engine are moot, so people saying that they are feeling a 1.5whp increase on a 400whp+ car is silly. I like to modify cars, so it is an easy mod to do.

 

Which I completely understand. I also mod for the sake of modding.

 

You can also try Blitz Dry Filter for the IS500 as well. Cheaper than TOM's, better filtration, and flows well. Can get them on eBay from Japan seller for about $100 with today's Tariff penalty. It's the Lexus High Performance Air Filter, outsourced to Blitz. I believe this filter is also used by Japan Lexus Racing in the GT500 series.

 

Found this video really informative on air filters and the trade offs you have to make. Was the end of K&Ns for me after seeing it for sure.

 

Coming from a motorcycle background, I can say for sure the OEM’s choke down both the exhaust and intake to restrict performance and for emissions, even with track only performance machines. I say this only because IMO, there is no reason to think car manufacturers do not do the same thing for same reasons, dependability and emissions. Personally, I think the present intake in restrictive, it just sounds like it, but I have yet to configure a better set up other than that vacuum mod (I have not done).

Again, coming from my background in motorcycle/motocross racing, oiled vs dry filters can really have more to do with your location. If you live in the desert or drive along the beach a lot, I’d go oiled because of all the super fine sand. If you live inland or in the mountains with “hard dirt,” a dry filter is fine. If you do oil, do so lightly.

 

I find the results of the test on air filters a little bit off for the K & N filter. The fact that it is very good for larger particulate matter and the worst for fine size particulate matter is a little bit strange to say the least. The K & N filter works by using the oil in the fibers to trap the particulate matter. I think that the way they dumped a half a cup of flour directly on top of the filter neutralized the oil in the filter by absorbing all the oil making it useless. In the real world the dirt flows at a much lower rate into the air filter so the K & N filter would work as designed. A more accurate test would have a low and steady flow of particulate matter over a controlled period of time. Just my two cents.

 

The idea of an air filter is to stop particles/dirt from entering your engine while allowing your engine enough air for combustion. Wix filters are great quality for that, K&N was not in the past, I can’t say how they are now. I only use OEM or Wix for me.

 

The smaller the micron particulate, the harder it is for any filter to trap. It makes perfect sense that a filter would do worse with smaller particulates than larger ones.