Hi VxonFumes,
That's an interesting thought.
Baa runs a warm air intake, with a vacuum gauge and the vacuum readings have always seemed low at higher engine loads when compared to my previous car (also a 1.8L 4 cylinder).
Unfortunately, I bought the car like this and don't have the original bits to change it back to a cold air intake to compare the two.
I doubt the previous owner intended it as a WAI of course, I think he replaced the original panel filter and box with a pod filter "cause it sounds cool at WOT"