Buy it for looks and sound. For every +10 degrees intake temperature, you loose approx 1% of hp. So if you're running 280hp, you'll loose 8.4hp for a 30 degree difference. Now theres also the agruement of when driving, how much does it really heat up under the hood with all that air rushing around. I don't doubt that it does, but really how much. I've read that short tube are more for TQ and long for HP, just because of the physics involved. But all in all, and at the end of the day I feel it really doesn't matter. So buy what you like. Droping my bumper to clean my filters really isn't my thing, but to each his own. Buy it for looks and sound cause there is not much difference in the performance. If you think 8hp is going to win you any race (what ever form) consistantly, I'll take that bet.
