Okay, I was looking at the car and admiring how it's shaped, ... my question is about the rear wing. Are they functional, or are they just there to look pretty or fast? Maybe there's some technical data or test results regarding downforce at various speeds? I was wondering if raising it or tilting it could effect any increase in the downforce.

 

My 0.02 is that it smooths the turbulent airflow in the rear to reduce aero drag. Please don't change it for downforce? Why? 1) It's a front wheel drive car. 2) If your cornering so fast as to require more rear downforce, you best be on the track.

 

Look at indy cars if you're looking for functional wings, which only begin to become effective at highly illegal speeds for the street. Yours, as you say, is pretty.

Now the air dam at front of the car does help a little...

 

Yes, but not for what you'd first think. The shape of it, on the front edge, appears to be intended to direct airflow down onto the rear glass. I assume it helps keep the rear glass clear, to some minor extent.

 

But from his picture I think he has a sedan, so much for the airflow onto the back glass

The rear spoiler for almost any street driven car is just for looks. If you angle it more, YES you get more down force but nothing that will actually make you able to corner faster. After all when you corner you slow down and there goes your down force. If you were able and crazy enough to tilt it up, up high you'd get more down force but still not that much. AND, you're "pulling" an air brake and your performance and gas mileage will be impacted.

The best thing a rear wing can do on a street driven car is smooth out the air flow over the rear of the vehicle so it doesn't "roll" and cause a drag from vacuum.
Similar to the front air dam and side skirts to keep air from under a vehicle to be more "slippery". If the rear spoiler helps smooth out that air flow on the rear of the vehicle it can make it "slipperier".

My form of crazy comes from wanting to mount one of the bigger aluminum wings that stand 9 to 12 inches off the deck and mount it at the end of the roof. My twist would be to have it articulated like a Porsche or Chrysler Crossfire and add electric servos that actually are tied into the brakes and the more brake you apply the closer the wing gets to 90 degrees. An actual air brake when it's not being a spoiler. And NO, I'm not on drugs, just prescription pharmaceuticals.

 

Lol nice visual!

 

Is the rear spoiler functional? Yes. Case in point: My 99 Camry sedan that was equipped with the OEM trunk spoiler.

I got rear ended by a young lady as I was stopped at a red light back in '04. Guess what she drove.. An S70! Her grille was pushed in but wasn't too bad. Lol

So my trunk wouldn't close as I drove to and from high school/ work with it unlatched. At first I thought it would fly open at city/highway speeds but it never opened.

Even cruising around neighborhoods, it would stay maybe an inch up, but as speeds increased to 50mph+, it stayed sewn shut.. I once hit the speed limiter just to see what would happen.. it obviously stayed shut Heehee

So yes, spoilers do add a touch of class but they also add a touch of down force.

 

 

Feeling nostalgic, last pic I swear

 

Hmm....
Somehow I skipped right over the pic.

 

If you remove the spoiler I think the force of the air expanding down from the roof will close the trunk too.

Plus what is your definition of down force ??
Not an exact definition literally but to me it's enough force to add additional traction to the tires. It's not the force to push a large piece of sheet metal closed that's mounted on a hinge.
But I do understand what your saying and that "force" is there. Is it useable

But if taken literally, yes any properly designed spoiler or wing will create down force. IMHO it's the same as holding your hand out the window with your palm 45 degrees to the pavement. YOU ARE creating down force, I just don't think it's going to help the traction of the vehicle.

The big thing is you need to have more surface area to create useable down force so it has to be big and it's really good at creating useable traction at speeds over 100 MPH. That's why I say on most street cars you aren't going to get a (useable) benefit. Is it measurable, yes but not really useable.

Don't get me wrong, I have one on the rear of my SuperCoupe and want one for the Wagon and if I could find one that didn't detract from the form of my RX-7 they're would be one back there too. I like the way in most cases, ricer mods not included that to me they improve the styling of a vehicle.
And yes, that's the air filter sticking through the hood.

 

Spoilers do add more drag over the panel it is bolted to, I dunno about roof spoilers though, don't really care for those, a bit redundant.
Do the trunk spoilers provide more traction for street use? Not so much, most likely none. But aesthetically pleasing most are.

My definition of downforce is the increase of pressure placed on the tires for more traction.

Nice eaton Thunderbird, i kinda have a soft spot for those. Dat rx7..lol. That Wankel would sing like a bee with that intake! look for a 1978-mid '80s Saab 900 turbo sedan trunk spoiler, that'll do.

But I do think trunk lip spoilers are more effective than wings.

Check out this 08 xkr-s, nicest spoiler I've seen on any car to date.

Scroll to :38

 

Here's the one I'm talking about. I'm still looking for one for my 850, is been 3 years but no luck. Only 2 and 3 door 3 piece spoilers avail.. none for the sedan yet

 

read Kiss's description, that RX7 has nothing close to a wankel...

 

ROFL a big block rx7!

 

Jeez, this thread is at least 15 posts too long!!

Any time you guys start talking about spoilers and such, this is what it makes me think of....

http://lp1.pinkbike.org/p4pb2682029/p4pb2682029.jpg

http://www.pakwheels.com/forums/atta...heels-com-.jpg

how.jpg Photo by S14Kouki240sx | Photobucket

ricer4.jpg Photo by ep3er | Photobucket

http://www.e90post.com/forums/attach...1&d=1332638358

etc...

 

Hater...