what's really interesting about the exhaust pipe welded on idea is that my Chrysler's intake has a similar device on it. A plenum that goes nowhere between the air filter box and the throttle body....
yeah, i read on those posts that its a factory deal on some cars.
alot of that reading was mumbo jumbo to me since i'm not a mr. science type, but the main jist of it seems to be sound cancellation which to me makes perfect sense. i'm not smart enough to measure sound dB's and then calculate how long the pipes should be based on that data, but i'm willing to take a ballpark shot at it based on gut feeling.