You answered your own question!

 

It's just some form of protection from objects potentially hitting and puncturing the radiators. Anecdotally, my friend's AMG GT had radiators unprotected and got a puncture which prevented the car from being driven. Had to be flat-bedded and he paid out of pocket for the repair.

 

Ok, I caved in and bought and installed the radiator grill store version.
I went with the aluminum option based on feedback from the RGS. The installation was a breeze, once I had my Z06 up on the quickjacks it took about 20 to 30 min to get the panels off and the inner panels moved out of the way. Installing the screens was also very easy, it just took a bit of manipulating to get them up in there but there is tons of room to work with. The passenger side needed a little trimming to fit better around the sensor but that was also very easy to do. Putting it all back together was also easy, RGS provided new panel plugs which made the remove and re-installation easy…
I used the word “easy” a lot because it was very easy to install these. The hardest part was feeding the zip-ties through the grills but if you have a helper it is also…wait for it…..easy…

Including the time to lift and drop your car you can easily get it done in under 3 hours, I think I could do it in 2 hours now that I have done it once before.


At $349.00 shipped I think it is a great deal. I am not a fan of removing body panels and I am certainly not a fan of some chevy tech removing them and putting them back on….and I am even a lesser fan of paying over $800.00 for some honey comb or ABS plastic grate…..

If you are on the fence about the RGS grill guards….I say pull the trigger….super easy to install and you don't have to take painted body panel off your new car.

 

The real protection of these grill guards has been discussed in other threads.

The efficiency of rocks hitting the radiators is poor when you consider the size of the small pebbles that can damage the radiator vs the grill guards opening size in square inches.

What the grills do is provide a more blacked out look to the front radiators and the side radiators.

Specifically, the ABS plastic grill provide a more blacked out look vs the sheet metal guards because the difference of the material thickness at larger viewing angles.

 

That is exactly why I went with a aluminum ones, I didn’t want the blackout look….

 

I put mine on at ~700 miles and am at ~4900. Radiators are pristine. My friend's car has no protection (yet) and has about the same mileage but has >10 visible strikes on his front radiators. I put them on to help protect my purchase. They don't change the visuals from the front or sides as you really have to look closely to notice they are installed.

 

I just turned 1000 miles and already have one strike in the upper left corner of the passenger side from a huge bug that slightly bent the fins, it is very difficult to see but was enough to make me install the guards.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience with the RGS version, I'm thinking of doing the same