NVThs1

I am not a pro so dont' take this as fact, but Cold air intake is just that. Cold air. Cars perform better in cool temps. If you leave the cone exposed to the engine, the engine heat wil get sucked into the cone and now you have warmer air going through the system which will rob power. So the box acts to block the hot air from getting into the cone and focuses on allowing the cold air to get in. That is why you find the cone up front in cars and why the ricers would bend the pipes to have the cones right at that openings of grilles and body kits.