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Old 07-31-2011, 05:09 PM   #31
Overdrive
Opposed to Subie Burble
 
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Central CT
Posts: 1,197
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Just commenting on some of the points being brought up earlier about aerodynamics when it comes to these spoilers...one thing I'm not sure of (and would love to see), is how the spoiler takes effect at speed. Normally when it sits flush, at least for the early 986 cars, the small lip on it likely does little. Now where it becomes a mystery for me is if the spoiler takes on a NASCAR-style function when raised and the entire surface that comes up is utilized for downforce. If that is the case, then you definitely would want as much surface as possble working for you.

Where I have my doubts is that I wonder if the airflow over the car changes at 75+ to where the air comes off of the car at a higher point at the rear, and raising the spoiler to that height allows that top (the color matched portion?) to provide downforce, the black portion underneath having little to no function since much less air is making it down that low on the car. It'd be great to see some wind tunnel action on the car at speeds like 40, 60, 75, and 100 or more, to see just what the spoiler does. Then to take it a step further, take those that remove that lower portion and see how they perform in a wind tunnel.

While I know there are plenty of manufacturers out there just making aesthetically pleasing parts, I have to imagine that any that were made for functionality that don't have that lower portion are designed that way because it is the actual top of the spoiler that's doing any work.
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