Jack88

Quick question, what are the Mann air filters supposed to look and feel like? I ordered one from Amazon, took a month to get here from China. The box was smashed, the lid ripped off, and the filter itself felt cheap. The element material feels like cotton, and the rubber is pink and feels soft and squishy. It does look like ones in pictures, though, so I'm not sure. Is this really how they are? I feel stupid asking, but I'm suspicious and not sure if it's unfounded or not. My gut says it's a counterfeit.

ltooz_a6_a8_q7

It's only toilet paper - it doesn't matter as long as it fits Hopefully you don't pay to much for the brand.

Cheers,
Louis

MP4.2+6.0

Yes, that is basically what they look like. Yes the rubber on an OE one is basically as you describe too. These days though I just buy from audiusaparts. Discounted dealer parts prices for tune up and brake items are now often pretty close or sometimes better than if you are buying name OES type brands. Ditto on the HVAC filter. I can take a dollar or two out by shopping NGK plugs, but also close. Paid $11 for the most recent W12 dealer oil filter cartridge. And yes, there is (modest) knock off risk, though from what I have seen more so for parts that cross to the A6. A6 was Audi's biggest seller in China by far in the D3 era.

EHLO

The Mann is cotton, but the lettering isn't aligned on what you have, something a German company would never let happen.
Show us the box.
I doubt a counterfeiter would go to the trouble of stamping a part number for the box itself into the cardboard.
Here's what I got from autohausaz.com;

MP4.2+6.0

Hmmm. Good point on lettering. While ECS prices are often high, they usually have good pictures of the actual part. Here is theirs for the Man filter, straighter printing and all:


https://www.ecstuning.com/b-mann-par...er/4eo129620c/

Jack88

I have the box pictured, but when I received the package, the lid had been ripped clean off and it was smashed pretty well.