I believe the argument is that in a supercharged application, the air is heated anyways, so you just want to get the most airflow. ....so take out all the bends and ridges.

In N/A, you want the coldest air possible.

I have a "short ram" (cone at the end of the stock tubing) and I didn't notice a difference from my FWI...... hope that helps............ I also don't have to worry about puddles or cleaning all the dirt and grime out of the filter.