For those who can’t get enough of looking at the new MINI Challenge race car, you’ll want to click through to both of these links.
+ 2008 Australian MINI Challenge in pictures / Round 2 / AUSmotive.com
+ MINI Challenge Wakefield Park 6 Apr 08 / Smugmug (Courtesy of Tiaan)
Its strange to see a car with a non-functional hood scoop, but its worse to see a race car with one. I think MINI should offer a “hood scoop delete” option.
I had a look at the Mini Challenge cars in the pits on the weekend as was very surprised to see that the hood scoops actually are functioning!
They have a curved section on the back of the scoop to direct air down to the turbo.
Lee, I noticed that as well.
TV highlights of all three races from Round 1 at Eastern Creek can also be seen <strong><a href="http://www.ausmotive.com/2008/04/05/eastern-creek-mini-challenge-highlights.html" rel="nofollow">HERE</a></strong>.
Well thats good news. Maybe there will be a functional scoop on future R56 models…?
My R56 bought last june 2007 have some “openings” on the hood scoop. So it’s there already.
As another observation, the Aussie Clubman Cooper S model’s bonnet scoop is completely closed by a black plastic trim insert.
At the recent round of Australian V8 Supercars (an exclusive two make car series) held in Hamilton, NZ, the NZ MINI Challenge cars finally got equal billing on the TV programme. Unfortunately, in NZ like Australia, anything other than a Holden Commodore V8 (a GM / Opel Aussie-made derivative) and a Ford Falcon V8 (Fords answer to the Holden) gets the yawn treatment from petrolheads.