Sports Vehicles Concept Cars Strange Vehicles Home > Vehicle terms, parts and abbreviations Lateral air intake A lateral air intake is an opening situated on the side of a vehicle. Often found behind the rear door or set into the front fender behind the front wheel, lateral air intakes can serve several different purposes depending on how the tubing behind it is set up. - They can force cooling air over a rear mounted radiator - They can supply air to a rear mounted engine's intake - They can provide a cooling airflow to rear brakes - They can provide an outlet for hot air from a front mounted engine - Properly angled into the bodywork they can also provide a degree of downforce Add more information on this topic