We had some thoughts regarding the brake duct openings on the Autokonexion widebody kit's front bumper. The first thought was, "hey, that looks a perfect fit for a 32oz. Big Gulp!" The second thought was, should we add real brake ducts that run all the way to the rotor surface? We checked the insane steering angle that the Secret Element Super Angle tie rods allowed, and couldn't really find much space for 4" or 3" hose. We also saw the huge (and super heavy) 11" VW Corrado brake rotors and Carbotech XP12 brake pads up front and thought, "ya, those should hold up just fine on most tracks." The third thought we had was, should we run ducting to the radiator? The Setrab oil cooler and intercooler, being in front of the radiator, were causing reduced air flow to the radiator. With the new 55mm Koyo radiator and revamped cooling system, we hadn't noticed any overheating problems...yet. Plus, allowing air to enter through that opening would create a low pressure region just ahead of the bumper canards. That would not be good for aero. No no no. That would be bad for aero! This brought us to our fourth and final thought: Let's plug the hole! So that was what we did.
We made circular plates (in carbon fiber of course) to cover up the openings from inside, and made them as "bolt-in" pieces so we could easily remove them in case we ever do experience brake fade on a braking-intensive aero-not-intensive track (i.e. Auto Club Speedway Infield). No more cardboard and blue painter's tape!
