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areodynamics - spoilers BS?

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Old 07-26-04, 11:23 AM
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areodynamics - spoilers BS?

The stock rear spoiler on my GXL looks nice but I have the feeling that it is pretty much useless. I seem to recall pictures of a 200+mph rx7 that had no rear spoiler. Does anyone have any links to actual testing of rx7 areodynamics? Any proof that stock, or aftermarket, rear spoilers have any positive use (other than cosmetic)?
Old 07-26-04, 11:28 AM
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I used to have a picture of a FC in a wind tunnle *actual picture, no some BS advertising thing* and the smoke did roll off the spoiler. Dunno how much benifit came from it, but it's functional. I'm referring to the small spoiler, the one that comes on the SE, not the TII kind
Old 07-26-04, 11:29 AM
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Often they are just eye candy, but some spoilers do actually have positive aero effects (more downforce, less lift, or less drag). I think the FCs with the least drag had the black plastic things under the car in front of the rear wheels and a little black spoiler off the back. I am not sure if the body-colored FC spoiler has any positive effect or not, though. It might; I just don't know.

-Max
Old 07-26-04, 11:24 PM
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That "Sport" rear spoiler decreases turbulence of the airflow coming off the rear.
This decrease drag back there, but it really does not increase downforce.

Any spoiler that sits low in the rear doesn't do jack.
There's a lot of turbulence coming off the roof and the back hatch.

There was this Japan video (Option2?) that showed the higher the rear spoiler on the car, the better the downforce was by the faster lap times at Tsukuba.
Getting the spoiler into the indistrubed airflow away from the roof turbulence is the key, but this makes the car look really gaudy.


-Ted
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