Grand Sport hood scoop
Personally I HATE fake scoops, brake vents, fender ports, etc... even the fake grill mesh most cars have these days really make me cringe. I have no idea why the manufacturers love them so much, cars usually look better without fake plastic bits on them, but yet when you look at just about any car out there, it's got a fake something or other...



It is there to equalize air intake (make-up air) to balance out the air drawn out of the engine compartment by the heat extractor vents (side gills). Just as your home air conditioning system needs to have vents in strategic places around the home to feed air back in to the system. Without air in, you eventually won't get air out.
The idea was to make it as small as possible to not add a drag penalty and negatively affect aerodynamics any more than necessary. At speed, the gills on the side of the car draw air (due to pressure differential) out of the engine compartment to help lower air temperature both for engine cooling as well as cooler air available for the intake. The front opening allows air to enter the engine compartment to make up for the air drawn out by the side openings without adding too much of a drag penalty to the overall aero performance of the car. It is a balancing act.
Last edited by talon90; Jul 12, 2011 at 10:56 AM. Reason: spelling
Personally I HATE fake scoops, brake vents, fender ports, etc... even the fake grill mesh most cars have these days really make me cringe. I have no idea why the manufacturers love them so much, cars usually look better without fake plastic bits on them, but yet when you look at just about any car out there, it's got a fake something or other...
....for the most part form should follow function.
Last edited by ohmy; Jul 12, 2011 at 11:35 AM.
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts



Understand. Not trying to sell you on anything. I know where my information comes from. It is what it is and folks can either choose to believe it or not, not much more I can offer to convince.From the Z06 press release:
Quote:
Previous Z06 models, from the original 1963 model to the 2001-04 editions, incorporated suspension and/or engine upgrades that complemented existing Corvette systems. Not surprisingly, the specs for the ’06 read like the blueprint of a champion. They include:
LS7 7.0-liter/427-cubic-inch Gen IV V-8 with lightweight reciprocating components
500 horsepower (373 kw) at6200 rpm
475 lb.-ft. of torque (657 Nm) at 4800 rpm
7000 rpm redline
Titanium connecting rods and intake valves
Dry-sump engine lubrication system
Engine hand-built at GM’s new Performance Build Center
Aluminum body structure with one-piece hydroformed perimeter rails frame and magnesium front cradle
Fixed roof design optimizes body rigidity and aerodynamics
Carbon-fiber composite front fenders and front wheelhouses
Unique front fascia incorporating a larger grille, cold-air scoop and lower air splitter Wide-body rear fenders and a unique rear spoiler incorporated with the CHMSL
Huge 14-inch (355-mm) cross-drilled front disc brakes with six-piston calipers and 13.4-inch (340-mm) cross-drilled rear rotors with four-piston calipers
18 x 9.5-inch front wheels with 275/35ZR18 tires and 19 x 12-inch rear wheels with 325/30ZR19 tires
3-inch-diameter exhaust with bi-mode mufflers and larger polished stainless steel tips
Engine, transmission and differential oil coolers; and steering cooler
Rear-mounted battery to improve weight distribution
Unique interior features including revised gauge cluster and lightweight two-tone seats with more aggressive bolsters
Curb weight of 3130 pounds / 1419.7 kg (estimated)
3 inches (76.2 mm) wider than other Corvette models
Vehicle developed simultaneously with C6-R racecar.
The new Z06 has an unmistakable and aggressive appearance, with design cues that include:
A wide front fascia with a large, forward-facing grille opening, a splitter along the bottom and “Gurney lips” along the sides to provide aerodynamic downforce
A cold air scoop in front of the hood that integrates an air inlet system for the engine The trailing edge of the front wheel opening is radiused to achieve improved drag, but protects the body finish with a tough molding, and a large air extractor is located behind the wheel
A fixed-roof bodystyle optimizes body rigidity and aerodynamics
Wider rear fenders with flares cover the massive rear tires and a brake cooling scoop in front of the wheels visually balances the fender extractor
A tall rear spoiler houses the CHMSL on the top of the rear fascia
10-spoke wheels
Four larger stainless steel exhaust outlets
New-design Z06 badging on the front fenders
On all C6's there are small openings at the bottom of the shroud to allow air to get to the air breather compartment. At idle, some air from the engine compartment can move over the top of the radiator into the air breather compartment, but once the car is in forward motion, the air breather gets it's air from the openings at the very bottom of the shroud and, in the Z06/ZR1/GS, through the front fascia scoop. Again, the front scoop is intended for the purpose of getting cooler air to the air breather, not to increase the volume of air. You can tape over the scoop, and the engine will still get all the air it needs to rev to 7,000 RPM.
As far as aero, the small scoop actually gives the car's front end some additional down force, as the recessed area of the nose, directly in front of the scoop's opening, is a high pressure area. Increased drag is minimal at the scoop's opening.
As I posted last year on the same subject.
From Dave Hill presentation on the C6 Z06 at the registry birthday Bash in Bowling Green, KY in early 2005.
"Front fascia scoop operable and testing shows main benefit is to reduce air temperature entering engine...not so much to increase airflow due to bends in design necessary to eliminate possibility of water ingestion"
Straight from Dave Hill's mouth to the doubter's ears.
Last edited by JoesC5; Jul 12, 2011 at 11:51 AM.
Personally i hate fake scoops, brake vents, fender ports, etc... Even the fake grill mesh most cars have these days really make me cringe. I have no idea why the manufacturers love them so much, cars usually look better without fake plastic bits on them, but yet when you look at just about any car out there, it's got a fake something or other...
Last edited by Steel City; May 8, 2019 at 10:09 PM.
























