sleeping policeman woke up!

[beancounter]

Drove my '99 Chimaera 500 a little too aggressively over a sleeping policeman this afternoon and a strip of steel about 3 feet long and 4 inches wide was ripped from the undercarriage (at the front I supect). The car looks and feels the same without it. I picked it up and it seems to have been secured only by a couple of small bolts. The steel strip is fairly bent now but what is/was it and do I need it?

[FunkyGibbon]

that'll be your splitter - it aids high speed stability (I think). quite a few people have lost theirs - you are not alone.

[dodgyviper]

yep lost mine - if it ever had it. Not something to be worried about. The majority of Chims I've seen have lost theirs

[russ_chim]

Some thing happened to me. I asked Dave Batty and he recommended that it is put back on (quite a simple task) otherwise pressure can build up under the bonnet at speed and if the bonnet is not firmly secured ................ The bonnet certainly seemed to wobble a lot more without, although could be my imagination ?!

[hughesieII]

russ_chim said:

Some thing happened to me. I asked Dave Batty and he recommended that it is put back on (quite a simple task) otherwise pressure can build up under the bonnet at speed and if the bonnet is not firmly secured ................ The bonnet certainly seemed to wobble a lot more without, although could be my imagination ?!

Nope you are spot on mate, without the splitter not enough air gets under the bonnet and the air rushing over the bonnet eventually rips the bonnet out of the bonnet catch,i believe its called a negative pessure spot, normally occurs about 155 mph chasing a bright orange Lambo on the way to le Mans