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      11-09-2013, 08:50 PM   #18
BIG CRAIG 203
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Drives: 2011 X5 50i
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: stamford,ct

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Neon01 View Post
As an aerospace engineer I understand what you're trying to post, however, what's uncertain in this case is whether or not the volume of space behind those grilles is sealed or vented. If it _does_ vent to somewhere, it's unlikely that this will significantly impact the overall drag of the vehicle.

I think you would have a stronger case if the closed grilles were a part of some laminar or turbulent low pressure region (such as in your pickup truck analogy) that would be disturbed if they were gone. As it is, they are completely within the free stream airflow, and probably creating a high pressure region (due to being almost completely oblique to the vehicle velocity vector) anyway, so I'm not sure if creating a hole there will really change the flow over the vehicle much. It will divert less flow over the rest of the front of the vehicle. If that is beneficial or not is unknown.

One thing is certain - unless the x50i has these regions ducted somehow and the x35i does not, it will certainly create a situation no worse than the one on the x50i. Though there are heat exchangers in those locations on the x50i, the air still flows over those and has to go somewhere.

When I asked Singh, part of what I was inquiring if anyone had actually done it before since I simply don't know what's behind there. If there are large chunks of white styrofoam supporting that region of the bumper, for example, I certainly wouldn't want that visible. Also, whether those areas on the x35i or x50i are actually ducted or vented somehow.
I believe that on my 50i it vents the breaks
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