Has anyone replace their OEM front grill with something that is more vented?

 

How can you get more vent area?

The rad is practically unprotected already, most people are even looking to shield it a bit.

The top half of the 'radiator inlet' is actually a crash reinforcement beam, so if you open it up you just see foam and steel. Most of the air/birds/leaves go into that huge chin scoop.

S

 

Some people have put prettier grills on theirs. But, they also leave the stock grill behind it.

If you look at the Mazdaspeed kit, it should breathe a bit more with the wire mesh instead of the plastic mesh. But, really, I don't think it makes much of a difference. Like stealthtl said, the rebar is covered perfectly by the backing on the stock plastic mesh, and the flow through the bottom air dam and the bottom of the stock mesh is about as good as it gets.