2010 Mazdaspeed 3: Pondering the Hood Scoop

I think the current scoop is well integrated into the hood.

Unfortunately the rest of the old nose is far better looking than the current car.

Not related to hood scoops so much: remember when intake inlets were buried in the engine compartment behind the battery or inside of one of the front fenders? I notice that most newer cars now have the inlets opening directly towards the grille. Even my mom's shatbox Versa has a little intake scoop located right above the radiator. I know, who cares, but I think it's a cool trend.

I think hoodscoops are always cool IF they are functional - is the Mini Cooper's?

I'm pretty sure the Mini Cooper S's hood scoop is not functional. When I last looked at one, the hood scoop was completely blocked with a piece of plastic. It seems it's mostly there to help differentiate the front of the car from the regular (non-S) Mini Cooper.

I agree with mrb5091 though, I'm all in favor of hood scoops as long as they are functional. The MS3 and the Subaru WRX (and any turbocharged Subaru really) are good examples of cars with functional hood scoops. More speed = more air being taken in by the hood scoop = better cooling for the intercooler (and depending on turbo placement, cooling for the turbo, which is the case in my WRX as far as I can tell) = more power = more fun.

What can really be a hassle though is when the hoodscoop catches a low-flying bird. I've seen some pictures before of a bird that got caught in a Subaru hood scoop and was subsequently found laying on the top-mounted intercooler. That can't be fun to clean up. I've been lucky with my WRX so far (I've only caught countless insects on the interstate). *knocks on wood*

A few examples of cars with fake hood scoops: Dodge Challenger (as you mentioned), Toyota Rav4/Tacoma (lame), etc.

norsairius,
OMG, thankfully that hasn't happened to us (yet) either. I'd like to say right now "Not it!" for cleaning detail if/when it does.

Aesthetically, I'm not a huge fan of hood scoops, but in terms of design, I'm a fan. Obviously they are functional and provide fresh air for the intercooler, but they also allow for a TMIC design, which means shorter piping (quicker spool) and more air through the radiator than a FMIC layout, all else being equal.

On the other hand, non-functional hood scoops, such as those on the new turbo'd Minis, annoy me.

@feloniousmonk -- agree, I like the cold "ram-air" style intakes that a lot of cars are coming with these days, even the cheaper ones.

I'm OK with hood scoops as long as they are functional. That said, I like the fact that the 1st Gen cars have a more subdued appearance; I prefer a car that is faster than it looks. The new configuration may be better in theory, but the 2nd Gen car isn't proving to be significantly -if at all- quicker than its predecessor.

There's a couple pictures of birds, dragonflies, and other small animal martyrs that have been gobbled up by the new Mazdaspeed3. Also, glad you didn't call it an air intake. :)

http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtests/2010/06/2010-mazdaspeed-3-now-thats-a-proper-air-intake.html

ditch the hood scoop and get a fmic, i don't care if you get a faster spool you also get ridiculous heat soak

I like the look sans hoodscoop better, but this example seems to be both relatively subtle and effective.

Cooper S scoop is non-functional. not sure why it's on the car. Fine on the Mazda - it does its job.

I always liked the subtlety of the original MS3's scoop, but it's hard to argue with improved function.

The first-gen Cooper S's scoop was actually at least somewhat functional. It was at least not blocked off like the one in the current generation. I am surprised that they did not try to vent the turbo or something with the scoop. I think it looks great on the car, but the fact that it's for appearance only is weak.

No hood scoops. No wings.

I wish my Mustang's hood scoop was functional :(

The current gen Cooper S (07+) has a non-functional scoop because the intercooler is mounted in the front.

It's to keep the same look as the previous gen Cooper S (02-06) which had a functional scoop because the IC was top mounted.

THe two cars are drastically different in terms of tuning and performance. The first gen MS3 made it's peak power at 5500 rpm but then dropped like a rock to just slightly above 100 hp at redline. The new one holds power much longer in the rev range making it a much easier car to drive and a faster one on the track. I've tuned lots of the first gen cars and I extended the powerband safely by adding timing - sometimes as much as 10 deg for a total advance of 18-20 at redline. Stock they hit 12 at 4700 and drop to 10 for the remainder of the range. The new generation MS3 has a continually climbing timing pattern that tops out at around 17 deg total advance at redline. Dyno the two cars and you'll see the stark difference this makes above 6000- all else being equal.

Cconsidering all of the heat soak issues I have with my 06 Mazdaspeed6 (no hood scoop), I would welcome one if it resolved the issue. Plus 274hp (stock speed6) is good but 290hp (with hood scoop) would be even better

The last gen MS3 had it all over this one in the looks dept. It also had more features, since they seemed to have dropped the HIDs for this, the top of the 3 line, while offering them on the mid-level trim. I know they've improved the mechanicals a fair bit, but I just couldn't see buying this one.

Like it better when it was integrated into the grill.