[Mushroomlogic]

Lets start with some basics. I have owned a mk3 ‘98 gti 2.0 8v aba a3 (yada yada yada all the signifiers) for about a year now. I have saved it from imminent death mechanically. Also, I should mention I intentionally bought it aesthetically modified but there have been no body panel modifications.

So, lets get into why we are here. I am pondering the idea of my gti having a hood scoop for aesthetic reasons. Everywhere I look all I can find about hood scoops in general is that unless they are functional they will be shunned from the “real” car community full stop.

My argument is that they don’t have to be delivering air to the intake system to be a valid modification to a car. Sometimes looking good is the function. 2 examples of ,(imo) good looking, tastefully hood-scooped vehicles that you could have gotten from the dealer are the 2015 tacoma/4runner and ‘97 Subaru legacy outback. Neither vehicle gains any buff horses from the feature but the hood scoops remain. Why is this? I think it’s because people value pleasing aesthetics. This is something that the car mod community knows so well that we have a special term for when a modified car has no aesthetic enhancements (sleeper). So if color and and wheel gap and window tint and tire sidewall color and three piece wheels and front splitters and stretched tires and camber and bags (and jeez do i have to keep going?) are acceptable things to do to ‘YOUR OWN’ car then what makes fake hood scoops different?

Change my mind.
Discuss!

 

[BSM]

Subaru hood scoops are functional.

 

[GarThor]

I think the difference is that while hood scoops might look cool, they are actually a detriment to the aerodynamics of the car. So if you get one, and its not functional, you are effectively making your car worse to drive for no particular reason than you liked the look. I suppose its not terribly bad if you like that sort of thing, but I think most people in various car communities (at least in North-America) have an idea of function over fashion...

Paint, wheel gap, window tint... etc... those are all functional mods. A hood scoop just for looks? Not so much... Its like putting an M badge on your Beamer or an SS badge on your Chevy, and not getting it tuned/swapped to be an actual M/SS...

 

[AutoXCivic]

I think the difference is that while hood scoops might look cool, they are actually a detriment to the aerodynamics of the car. So if you get one, and its not functional, you are effectively making your car worse to drive for no particular reason than you liked the look. I suppose its not terribly bad if you like that sort of thing, but I think most people in various car communities (at least in North-America) have an idea of function over fashion...

Paint, wheel gap, window tint... etc... those are all functional mods. A hood scoop just for looks? Not so much... Its like putting an M badge on your Beamer or an SS badge on your Chevy, and not getting it tuned/swapped to be an actual M/SS...

Well you could make the same argument for the ridiculously stanced cars that have to camber the hell out of the wheels to get them to fit. I can't imagine that a car with 35 degrees of camber would be a joy to drive. Each to their own. Unless you are racing at a super competitive level I doubt an aesthetic hood scoop is going to make a noticeable difference in how the car drives. Even at the super competitive level it probably wouldn't even be noticeable via butt dyno, but might be reflected in lap times ... and even that, I would think, would be a big maybe.

If you enjoy the way your car looks a little more, then I would argue that it would effectively make the car better (more enjoyable) to drive.

The badging I kind of agree with, but some people like the look of the M/SS cars more than the base models, and so might go down the road of doing a clone and maybe using those to complete the look ... or get it started. I say let enthusiasts choose what to be enthusiastic about.