After-Market spoiler for 1999 boxster

[Porsche9]

It's there for a reason. The earlier Audi TTs, a car that has a similar shape, had an issue with the rear getting light at speed with a few fatal incidents. To fix that Audi added a spoiler and then some. An engine blowing due to a cost cutting IMS is something completely different then a car that's unstable at speed. For your own safety and the safety of others be smart about a cosmetic mod that will change how a car handles.

Audi Offers TT Fix After 5 Deaths - NYTimes.com

[Ben006]

Originally Posted by Porsche9

It's there for a reason. The earlier Audi TTs, a car that has a similar shape, had an issue with the rear getting light at speed with a few fatal incidents. To fix that Audi added a spoiler and then some. An engine blowing due to a cost cutting IMS is something completely different then a car that's unstable at speed. For your own safety and the safety of others be smart about a cosmetic mod that will change how a car handles.

Audi Offers TT Fix After 5 Deaths - NYTimes.com

My point was just that because something is designed a certain way, doesn't you can't improve on it...

[paulofto]

Originally Posted by Ben006

My point was just that because something is designed a certain way, doesn't you can't improve on it...

Maybe you can improve on it but how will you know you've improved anything unless you can do some aero testing like the designers did. Wind tunnels are the only way.

[911monty]

Originally Posted by paulofto

Maybe you can improve on it but how will you know you've improved anything unless you can do some aero testing like the designers did. Wind tunnels are the only way.

Well there's always empirical data like the kind that Audi had with the TT!

l

[jb92563]

It's the classic struggle between esthetics, functionality/safety, performance and wanting it to look even cooler without having to shell out an extra $100g.

There are ways to measure down force if you really want to be driving over 80 a lot and need the aerodynamics to work without resorting to a wind tunnel.

I love the way Boxster race cars look but off the track on the street your going to attract an awful lot of perhaps unwanted attention and most likely some young guy in a winged flat black Honda is going to do something stupid, loose control and ruin your day.

If you can deal with that, it makes you smile and its not ridiculously expensive i'd go right ahead and enjoy.

There will always be those that are purists and prefer stock everything and those that like to personalize and pimp their ride to varying degrees. Its all good.

Ray

[Luv2Box]

Originally Posted by Ben006

My point was just that because something is designed a certain way, doesn't you can't improve on it...

Yes, but are you really smarter than a Porsche Automotive Engineer? There are literally thousands of posts dedicated to "improvement" on the design and an equal number of failures the so called "improvements" have resulted in. It's a great design, just go enjoy it.

[morgal48]

Originally Posted by Luv2Box

Yes, but are you really smarter than a Porsche Automotive Engineer? There are literally thousands of posts dedicated to "improvement" on the design and an equal number of failures the so called "improvements" have resulted in. It's a great design, just go enjoy it.

Your statement may be incorrect. Every one has failed? Maybe many, or most, but not all. Do the folks at Gembella and Ruf know that their stuff doesn't work as well? Do all those folks that race their cars use completely stock setups? Many industries separate design functions between design engineers and designers who are not degreed engineers, and many use engineers who do not have a "stamp", i.e. they have an engineering degree but no state license. Which group designed this part? Why does SEMA exist? AMG? M? Shelby?

[Luv2Box]

Originally Posted by morgal48

Your statement may be incorrect. Every one has failed? Maybe many, or most, but not all. Do the folks at Gembella and Ruf know that their stuff doesn't work as well? Do all those folks that race their cars use completely stock setups? Many industries separate design functions between design engineers and designers who are not degreed engineers, and many use engineers who do not have a "stamp", i.e. they have an engineering degree but no state license. Which group designed this part? Why does SEMA exist? AMG? M? Shelby?

I didn't say "every one has failed." Racing cars are a different breed than our every day use Boxsters and the air dam that is designed specifically for our Boxsters works as it was designed to work. Unless the manufacturer of the after market spoiler has some form of testing documentation (which I have yet to see as I was once interested in this spoiler) one stands at risk to lose control at higher speeds. I wouldn't want to risk losing control of my Boxster on a highway, would you?

[The Radium King]

Originally Posted by Luv2Box

I didn't say "every one has failed." Racing cars are a different breed than our every day use Boxsters and the air dam that is designed specifically for our Boxsters works as it was designed to work. Unless the manufacturer of the after market spoiler has some form of testing documentation (which I have yet to see as I was once interested in this spoiler) one stands at risk to lose control at higher speeds. I wouldn't want to risk losing control of my Boxster on a highway, would you?

i wouldn't put too much faith in Porsche aero. look at the airflow through the front bumper cover - it takes the air hitting the three rads and directs it downwards. it actually creates front end lift that increases with speed. uncertain if it was lazy engineering or purposely designed understeer. they fixed it in the 9x7 series (and the 996 gt2/gt3).

it also introduces air under the car. once you have air under the car then you get bernoilli effect (the air traveling over the car and under the car have to get to the back at the same time - the air traveling over the car has to travel a curve vs the straight line under the car so has a longer distance to go - as a result it has to accelerate - this creates a pressure differential between the top and bottom of the car that lifts the car). this lift gets reduced by putting an air dam on the back that disrupts the airflow over the car. caymans have a more aggressive front spoiler and no third radiator so less air under the car, they don't need an air dam and get a wing to create down force instead.

so, really, aero should be done as a package, but given how jacked-up the front airflow is on our cars, I don't think a rear air dam vs wing is going to be a deciding factor in losing control at hwy speeds.

[Luv2Box]

Originally Posted by The Radium King

i wouldn't put too much faith in Porsche aero. look at the airflow through the front bumper cover - it takes the air hitting the three rads and directs it downwards. it actually creates front end lift that increases with speed. uncertain if it was lazy engineering or purposely designed understeer. they fixed it in the 9x7 series (and the 996 gt2/gt3).

it also introduces air under the car. once you have air under the car then you get bernoilli effect (the air traveling over the car and under the car have to get to the back at the same time - the air traveling over the car has to travel a curve vs the straight line under the car so has a longer distance to go - as a result it has to accelerate - this creates a pressure differential between the top and bottom of the car that lifts the car). this lift gets reduced by putting an air dam on the back that disrupts the airflow over the car. caymans have a more aggressive front spoiler and no third radiator so less air under the car, they don't need an air dam and get a wing to create down force instead.

so, really, aero should be done as a package, but given how jacked-up the front airflow is on our cars, I don't think a rear air dam vs wing is going to be a deciding factor in losing control at hwy speeds.

I put enough faith in it to not worry at high speeds. I don't know about your Boxster but the faster mine goes the more it squats down and hugs the road. I don't experience anything like what you are describing and I'll risk life and limb on the Porsche design before I fall for looks over performance in a product that has yet to disclose any performance tests whatsoever. When they do and it is shown that it works just as well as the dam then I'll buy one as I think the Porsche one, even though it works, looks terribly unfitting on the car.