# 2018 Indy Car Minus Airbox

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-indy-car-minus-airbox/804470>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [December 14, 2017, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-indy-car-minus-airbox/804470 "2017-12-14T02:41:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![golffan1963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4af34b/32.png) [@golffan1963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/golffan1963)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-indy-car-minus-airbox/804470/1 "2017-12-14T02:41:32Z")

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Hope someone can answer this question. I’m a long time auto racing fan…however, I am just now learning the intricacies of the cars themselves. Hence my question:

The 2018 version of the IndyCar has a new look. Thankfully they have removed the rear bumpers, and also they have ditched the airbox, which was placed just above and behind the driver.

What was the airbox for? I think(?) it had something to do with the engine’s aspiration, but I can’t go any further than that. F1 still has them, but now IndyCar has removed them.

I also think the function of the old airbox has been moved to ducts on the sides of the cars, but am not certain.

If anyone can provide some detail, I would be grateful. I thank you in advance.

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**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2017, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2018-indy-car-minus-airbox/804470/2 "2017-12-14T07:32:58Z")

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I’d guess the airbox helped with some kind of ram-air intake, but aren’t Indy Cars turbocharged? They wouldn’t help much in that case…

From 10 minutes of google-fu, it seems they weren’t as effective as they would look to be, so they were removed to give the car a sleeker and lower profile.