RE: Why don't automatic R/T's have functional hood scoops?
Regarding the engineers spending a lot of time on the Challenger's hood scoops...I am not sure how much research went into the design as it is basically a direct copy of the 1970 scoop, which was blocked off and never functional.
I know they did a lot of work trying to make the scoops perfomance functional functional but couldn't. They also had to change the front hood angle because when they originally put it in the air tunnel the front hood blew clean off.
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