[jwight]

That's the resonator - the air doesn't really go anywhere, just takes a longer path to the throttle body. A common mod was to cut it at the two outlets and then RTV a circular piece of metal in each hole - the "50 cent mod." That's only for 2008 models - the resonator changed in 2009.

 

[jwight]

From a Breathless Performance post in 2008:

"After all the testing we have found that the factory box is a sealed ram air box, which obtains air flow from only the outside (not hot air from the engine bay). Use of a high flow filter proved to out-perform the so-called cold air induction systems. The intake temp on the stock system, with a good high flow filter, was about 10 to 20 degrees cooler then the others thus giving a higher timing curve and optimum fuel mixture and increased Horsepower. This turned out to be an easy and cheap HP increase. Coupled with our .50 cent mod of the silencer part of the airbox removal again increased the HP and reduced 0-60 and 0-80 by over 1 second."