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Indeed, reading SAE studies you will find that much drag-reducing research over the last five years has focused on the underbody. This can make a substantial reduction on drag.
If you are wondering if diffusers decrease drag (as well as increase downforce), take a look under a Toyota Prius, Honda Insight, or new Civic. They all have variations on the partial or full diffuser theme. My suspicion here, given that few people peer and the undercladding before making a buying decision, is that these do indeed make some contribution to reduced fuel consumption.
As mentioned, if you proceed with the idea, keep the angle of the diffuser at 10 degrees or below. The diffuser above looks much too steep to be effective, unless it is paired with a really radical wing above. The vanes help keep the air straight, improving velocity and discouraging turbulence. Look at the diffusers on the current ALMS GT1 C6R Corvette or DBR9 Aston Martin. LOTS of vanes on a shallow-angle diffuser.
Bman
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FormulaTwo 
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