Ok, so im coming home today and I pass this performance shop in Tucson called "Apex-R Motorsports" and I see a CRX being fitted with a roof scoop. What is the overall purpose of this thing and how can it possibly improve performance?

 

they look cool.

 

In rally cars they use them to force cool air into the cabin area. It keeps the driver and navigator cool since race cars don't have a/c.

 

Like DESIGN said (you beat me to it!), rally cars have those... far as I can tell, they're just for ventilation, to allow fresh air into the car so the driver and co-driver don't die from the heat.
As far as fitting one to one's daily driver, looks'd be the only reason. And to spend money, I guess. smile.gif I think it would kind of ruin the lines of a "normal" car, myself, but I think the WRC cars look cool with them.

 

To add to the "Rice" factor. rolleyes.gif

Unless they rally in the the dusty roads of Catalonia of course eek!

 

To add to what DESIGN and CDCHASE said, they also use those as intakes for the vehicles especially on gravel rallies like the Safari Rally so that when the vehicles drive into the rivers and ponds (I have personally witnessed those) the vehicle can not ingest water. They are also of great use to mid engined vehicles. They kinda create a "ram-air" effect. On FF or FR cars they are basically for show.

 

they use them to feed air to the cabin, would you want to roll down your window with all that dust flying around? i beleive it has filters installed so they drivers can still have fresh air without noise and dust pollution.

 

The hood-scoop fad came from the Rallying scene, where a/c and power windows do not come as an option on the cars, in spite of the 1.8Mil price tag on some of them. The guys have it spot-on, the scoops are to supply fresh air to the driver and navigator, some teams use 1, some 2. It also comes in handy to create equal pressure within and outside the vehicle should the car, the driver and the navigator fall into a lake. They'll be able to open the doors sooner and complete the stage by swmming to the end

On the street, it's just for looks and Rice, as most of the vehicles have A/c.

Hood scoops are usually mounted in VERY bad taste(the case here)

 

Is there an echo in here?

 

I dunno man, is there?

BUMP!