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Abottom breather is a front-engine automobile that takes in air from below the frontfascia (nose) rather than through a conventionalgrille at the front of the vehicle.[1] This styling can provide a more aerodynamic front end, or the appearance of better aerodynamics, or the look of arear-engined sports car such as thePorsche 911.
Unlike a rear-engined car, however, most of the vehicles that use this approach have the engines installed in the front, with a water cooledradiator installed. The airflow from below the bumper is then directed into the radiator to aid in engine cooling, which makes this approach unusual in that a traditional front grille was an evolution from installing the radiator externally for vehicles manufactured since the early days of automobile production. Some of the most well known bottom breathing cars are theCitroën DS,Chevrolet Corvette C4,Studebaker Avanti,Honda Logo,Infiniti Q45,Mazda MX-5,Mazda MX-6,Volkswagen Passat, and theVolvo 480.
Some vehicles disguise the lower air intake with a grille above the bumper which is not functional, like theDodge Avenger coupe andChrysler Sebring of the same generation.
In engineer jargon, the Taurus is a 'bottom-breather' (it takes in air from underneath the front fascia)
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