Holden 3.0L Intake Upgrade – ORSSOM OTR Gains 15kW at the Wheels

6 days ago
2 min read

Deacon recently brought his Holden 3.0L back to Revhigh for the next stage of upgrades, focusing on improving airflow and overall engine efficiency.

The vehicle previously ran a hot aluminium intake setup, which can often restrict performance due to heat soak and less efficient airflow. To improve the setup, we removed the old intake and installed an ORSSOM OTR (Over-The-Radiator) intake, along with a performance downpipe upgrade.

Intake Upgrade Results

After completing the installation, the car was tested again on the dyno. This was a tune vs tune comparison, meaning the ECU calibration remained essentially the same. Because of this, the performance gains were largely the result of the improved intake system.

Dyno Gains:

+15kW at the wheels
+20Nm torque

These gains highlight how much airflow improvements alone can impact performance.

Improved Response and Efficiency

Beyond the dyno numbers, the upgrade also delivered noticeable improvements in throttle response and overall drivability. The new intake allows cooler, more direct airflow into the engine, which helps the vehicle perform more efficiently.

As an added benefit, the improved airflow can also contribute to better fuel economy, making the upgrade beneficial for both performance and everyday driving.

Why OTR Intakes Make a Difference

An OTR intake system is designed to pull cooler air directly from the front of the vehicle rather than drawing warm air from the engine bay. Cooler air is denser, which allows the engine to burn fuel more efficiently and produce more power.

In this case, simply replacing the restrictive hot intake setup with the ORSSOM OTR system delivered measurable gains even without major tuning changes.