Chevrolet's heavy-duty Silverado trucks now feature a ridiculous hood scoop
Comically large "RAM AIR" stickers not included.
Heavy-duty trucks aren't the subtlest vehicles on the road. These behemoths of utility can basically block out the sun as they drive down the road, and you'd have a hard time not seeing one if it rolled by. But now, it's going to be even more difficult to not see 'em, as Chevrolet's slapping a big ol' hood scoop on top.
Of course, it's not there because it grants the car an extra 50 horsepower, or because Chevrolet is attempting to reach to a younger demographic. It's there to provide better cooling, which is ultimately very necessary when you're laboring your powertrain with towing, hauling and occasional off-road antics.
If you aren't familiar with an engine's air needs, it's pretty straightforward. The colder the air, the better -- its higher density allows you to shove more fuel into the combustion chamber, increasing performance and efficiency. By pulling air from outside the engine bay, where it's not soaking up the engine's heat, you can work the car harder and for longer.
Sixty percent of the Silverado HD's air will come from this scoop. The other 40 percent comes from a space behind the front bumper, which will continue to supply air even if the hood scoop is blocked. The intake also features a 90-degree bend, which captures large moisture droplets, to keep the charge nice and dry (water is incompressible, and will ruin a motor if enough gets into the combustion chamber).
So while you probably won't see the Silverado HD starring in the why-do-they-keep-making-these "Fast and Furious" series, rest assured the truck's hood scoop is there for more than simple aesthetic purposes.
