How would you think a wing or spolier would look on the rx-8?

Check the pictures section for some examples...some look really nice actually.

I think the car should have one of those big-ass aluminum wings that APC makes....like the ones in Fast and The Furious..those are the s**t. ;)

And how about those awesome popup doors?

Hey, a guy can dream!

:rolleyes:
sure guys, whatever...
i'd prefer to have some real aero peices to the car, like a more aggresive rear diffuser, and a small (Miata style) spoiler (NOT a wing... nobody needs that kind of downforce, and a diffuser can make more anyway!!), with a nice looking diffuser lip for the front air dam (a la RX-7 R1, or R34 Skyline GT-R...)

*RICE!*


lets not turn this car into a civic.

I'm with Velociti. IMHO, there's nothing that ruins the look of a car than a spoiler or wing. Well, racing stripes, add-on bodywork, and 20" chrome wheels are nearly as bad, but to each their own. I have no problem with it as an option, and I imagine there will be an option for it.

i still think that a solid aero package is much more attractive than the stock setup, which is usually optimized for cost before drag and lift numbers...
i still think that a small ducktail (similar in shape to the designed into the Miata's trunk lid...) spoiler, and understated front and rear diffusers would kick serious ass...

and, well, i don't think cars that achieve that real race car look or performance are "rice" (i know it's the word to use, but i don't like the racial connotations.... i think someone on this board coined "racerboy", so i'll stick with that, and mean the same thing)... many are quite attractive (i especially like nice replica rally cars, easy to do, and pretty good lookin'). what i find "racerboy" are those piece of sh*t APC wings which just look ugly and produce NOTHING but drag, don't fit the car, set at +45 friggin degrees AOA, stickers covering each other up, putting "V-TEC" "TURBO II" and "COBRA" badges on cars which are base model, painting wheel covers with bright silver paint and getting spray over onto the tyres, having a glowing skull shift knob (or variant), a cast model of your car on your dash board, stupid collectors dolls in your back window, side windows colored to match the body colour of the car (FULL of screw-it-up-yourself-bubbles), etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc... that crap looks stupid.
a phat sound system, nice. good lights, or a really sweet custom paint job, nice. lame junk like that?? well... ya.
sorry for ranting, i'm done. my 2 bucks ;)

Save a bever bash a Ricer!

I agree you don't cover your car with stickers unless they are your sponsers and are paying you to do that. Why pay for the stickers your self just so you can drive by people so they will know how bad a ricer you are! Its like "look I didn't really put this on my car but I want you to think i did" :o

Is my club sticker on my quarter window ok? :D :p
I do race at auto-x and track... :cool:

c'mon 'Lude, i know you hate them too... they give you a bad rap only 'cause you drive a Honda... it's not that i hate Honda, it's just that the one which personifies the company in this country is the FRIGGIN CIVIC!! i mean COME ON!! <<sigh>> i mean, the sentra has just as good an engine... there's at least as much performance crap (stuff) for it too... jeez... i just don't understand that infatuation at all...

anyway, autocrossing is very cool, and i think would be exactly my speed if i had a car to race (dreaming of an '89 or later FC RX-7)...
btw, i really do like what you've "done" with your car... almost nothing at all. the prelude has really nice lines, and doesn't need to get f*cked up with a Shogun air dam or anything retarded like that... (ya, i've seen the mags...)
but, i'm sure that you could still go pretty wild on it, and it'd still look nice... i really have fallen in love with that aerodynamic touch that the Nissan R34 GT-R, and Peugot rally car, Porche cup cars, and many many others have (that front end diffuser which often runs under and around the brake duct, going through the corner of the bumper and exiting just in front of the wheels...).
a functional, and not too big, diffuser like that would kick some serious ass on nearly anything with a square jaw under the grill.

A wing just doesn't look right on the short decklid, maybe just a lip spoiler would be ok. Unless it improved the aerodynamics, or was necessary in high speed driving, I would not put something like that on my car. Waste of money, just another part to break, and unecessary weight.

Although, I'm heavily biased towards the sleeper look, so take my opinion as you will.

:D yes yes ladies and gentlemen, another vote for the functional aero package.

thanks fuz.

I definitely cannot stand the "ricers"... in any car.. I've seen so many stupid things out there.. Simple, classy, tasteful and functional. That's what a car should look like. No purple windshield nozzle led lights, no lights on wheel caps, no neons inside/outside.. and my personal favourite, fake disc brakes wheel covers! :rolleyes: Or unpainted body kits, VTEC stickers on a domestic, Turbo stickers on a n/a vehicle.. the list goes on and on.. :)

There's a guy in our apartment complex with the fake disc brakes on a friggin GEO STORM. I despise racer-boys, or whatever we are calling them. Quick_lude, I admit I usually find Preludes annoying, because they are one of the more common around here with the fake mods, but yours is VERY pretty- nothing extra to make it "look" faster- just nice and sleek, and all one color. Congrats on changing my mind about them!

And as for a wing on the RX-8- since I seriously doubt anyone on this board would EVER be able to get an RX-8 going fast enough for a wing to make any real difference (no, I'm NOT asking anyone to jump up and scream "I can too make a wing useful on that car!", because, in my limited understanding of aerodynamics, no, you really can't) my vote, if there does happen to be one on it, is for small and unassuming, if anything. I am NOT a fan of excess form without function.

Well, a lip spoiler reduces the turbulence at the back of the car, reducing drag, lift, and adding a very slight downforce, depending on how large and angled it is. Done correctly, (if it can a difference in the first place), it will increase gas mileage very slightly as well.

Those big racing wings add downforce in a brute force application, and create a large amount of drag; but it is highly effective when used correctly. (laffs at ricer poseurs) The more drag, the more gas you use. Improperly tuned, it can make a vehicle hazardous to drive at freeway speeds, if you're not flying already. Totally unnecessary for street driving.

The low profile wing acts more like a lip spoiler, but in most cases does nothing and is purely decorative. These I hate the most, as they do nothing, and in most cases, make a car look worse. Not to mention blocking the view from behind and presenting a major PITA to wash and wax.

I don't really care for an aero package, as where I live, the bumps in the roads would make it a bit hazardous. Expensive, easily scraped wheels are bad enough. Well, maybe just a very sublte areo kit, though the RX-8 already looks equiped with one.

Here is a vote for a subtle lip spoiler, and a thumbs down for a wing. I've seen the photoshop jobs, and no offence to anyone's photoshop skills, they just don't do a thing for me.

On a side note, when are automotive manufacturers going to start putting smooth undertrays on cars to reduce aero drag? I guess gas prices have to go up a whole lot more.

i think a little lip spoiler like is on my touring rx7 or even the one that came with the r1 models would be nice and trust me, it really helps with all those times your might have scraped the front bumper....i think a very very small wing on the back would look very nice..kind of like the ones that i've seen on some C5's

When I meant lip spoiler, I meant the edge of the trunk. Sorry for any confusion. I usually refer to the front end as part of the areo kit or ground effects.

As for smooth underbody panels, there are some cars the have been using it for quite awhile. I know the underbody of my BMW is quite flat, and the G35 is particularly flat. The only other car that I've actually seen underneath is the A4, which is also quite flat. Needless to say, any serious sports car has a flat underbody. The thing is, you don't want the underbody to be totally flat, or it increases lift by making the whole car like an airplane wing. To reduce that effect, most cars only have the front half of the car covered in underbody panels. An effective rear diffuser is necessary if you want to keep the underbody totally flat, and you probably need additional downforce by other means to stay stable at high speed.

Besides, the priority for airflow management is first, the rear, then the a pillar (for noise), the sides, the bottom, then the front. It's in that order that airflow drag on those parts have the most effect.

Originally posted by fuz

Those big racing wings add downforce in a brute force application, and create a large amount of drag; but it is highly effective when used correctly. (laffs at ricer poseurs) The more drag, the more gas you use. Improperly tuned, it can make a vehicle hazardous to drive at freeway speeds, if you're not flying already. Totally unnecessary for street driving.


yeah, i am still trying to figure out why anyone would want to have a large amount of downforce on the backend of a front wheel drive.:rolleyes:

Originally posted by zoom44

yeah, i am still trying to figure out why anyone would want to have a large amount of downforce on the backend of a front wheel drive.:rolleyes:
It's called rice.. or the Fast 'n Furious disease.. :rolleyes:

"I need Nawz.. The big two bottles.. by TONIGHT" Riiiight.. :rolleyes:

alright!! it seems everyone likes the small spoiler idea... that's terrific...

but, there's a couple of misconceptions that maybe some of you'd be interested in clearing up?? i don't want to sound like i really am a big-headed-know-it-all, but here goes...

Elara, ya, you really can make some very noticeable aerodynamic effect on a wing, even at a speed as low as 45 miles per hour... not huge, no, but it can make a difference (but you'd need a helluva lot of wing to do it...)... but at 60 or 70 miles per hour, ya, the wing is definitely working (i mean a REAL wing... even the small ones touring cars are allowed to have, not the APC p.o.s. things...)
uh, race cars want d/f on the rear wheels even when they're front wheel drive vehicles (assuming they have some smarts and negate as much lift as they can on the front so the effect is balanced...) just to increase overall cornering capability... fuz can enlighten further on the importance of rear wheel grip, even on FWD cars, can't ya?? :D

oh, and i know you didn't mean REAL ground effects when you said that fuz (just thinking of those trim peices that inhibit air flow to the bottom of the car...), but it's still a funny idea to consider a road car with an entire ground effects setup on their car... :D
low profile wing?? do you mean those retarded factory-"sporty"-option that so many people buy?? oh jesus... no they really are only decorative (ever look at the cord profile?? usually just a friggin TRAPEZIOD, so they can fit the LED lights in them!! :rolleyes: )
yep, reducing the velocity of the air beneath the car will increase its pressure (the WRONG way, you want LESS pressure beneath the car!! ie, more airspeed under the car than over, or at least equal) and make it "like" an airplane wing (generating aerodynamic lift...)

also, someone suggested making the bottom of the car totally flat, and by this i am guessing they're imagining a marble-smooth underbelly, to reduce drag. well my friend, this is exactly the intuitive thing to think, but fluids like air are really screwy... hmm... how to explain.
think of when you look at a river, notice how the water near the banks doesn't flow nearly as quickly (the banks are flat, and smooth)?? now think about water flowing around a little "eddy" in the water... see how quick that is?? it's because of the adhesiveness of the fluid, or something, that they flow much slower when rubbing next to something, even very very smooth, flowing laminarly (in "sheets"). this layer that sticks to the surface it's flowing on, and by then sticking to the air running next to it slows the entire flow of air, is called the "boundary layer". to combat this, when you look at a manifold or head job done RIGHT, you'll see that it's slightly rough, in a random pocked sort of way (metal bits from sand casting come this way already, and create the same effect). that slight bit of turbulence along the surface of the material breaks up the laminar flow of that boundary layer, and creates a small buffer of turbulent air next to it. this turbulence acts almost like ball bearings, allowing the laminar flow of air to move past unabeited (spelling??). so, sometimes less drag is created with the bumpy surface, rather than the mirror smooth one. oh!! this is the same effect that the spoiler on the back of the car that everyone here likes works on... it drags along behind it a (small) vortex of turbulent air which facilitates a gentler flow "downwards" of the air coming down the back of the car, reducing drag and lift (the lift coming from the downward movement of the air from the top of the car; "...equal and opposite reaction" and all that).

i don't think that a net effect of down force is required for high speeds, though. if the net effect is zero (EVERYWHERE on the car), then that means the grip the car has at 200 mph is the same as the grip it has at 0 mph.

Yep, the mc laren f1 would be a good car to study all of the above on. It generates all its downforce without the help of an oversize wing, which is particularly important considering its top speed.

To see just how effective a wing can generate downforce, all you need to do is stick a peice of cardboard out a window a 30mph or so. You'll find that even at that speed, a fair amount of downforce can be generated on something the size of an 8.5"x10" sheet tilted at a 10 degree angle.

This of course means that on a car, you have to be going constantly fast around corners to get the best use of a wing. On straightaways, it's detrimental. Hence it is pretty useless on real roads as you usually have to slow down quite a bit for safety reasons, and you cruise on the highway for long periods of time--the two things that a wing is useless for.

I suppose I should qualify my earlier statement. I didn't mean an entirely smooth underbody. At the leading edge of the object (the car) the air should be tripped to turbulence to reduce the friction between the airstream/underbody. I think most cars do this anyway with the front air dam.
Once the air is tripped to turbulence, it won't go back to laminar no matter how smooth the bottom of the car is.
Even though the air is turbulent, it still creates drag, so it makes sense to keep the underbody smooth. For example, keep exhaust pipes tucked up. Ever look under a 99-01 Camry? The rear pipe sticks a good 6 inches into the airstream. I'm not saying the gas saving will be huge, but a little more thoughtful engineering and very little extra $ could make the small difference.
Not to mention having a pipe stick down so far will catch every piece of roadkill you go over, cooking it on the pipe... :eek:

I'm with fuz and Elara. The only real effect that a wing or spoiler gives you in a street car is looks. If you're going fast enough around corners on public roads to need downforce, you're simply driving way past the legal, sensible, and ethical limits. You need to be pulling close to .9g at a high rate of speed (50,60,80 mph?) to both get and need that kind of aerodynamic help. As fuz pointed out, downforce won't help you in a straight line, and you'd have to be going way too fast around a corner to have the downforce help you. What if there's gravel on the onramp at 9/10ths? What if some car was dripping oil while sitting there during rush hour?
I also am "NOT a fan of excess form without function".

ya Grimace, that same effect (creating vortecies which run along the underside of the car) is the same effect that F1 cars use to generate downforse on their very nearly flat underbodies (by diffusing the vortecies as they "roll" along: take a look at the saw teeth on the bottom of the Ferrari bargeboards, they generate a LOT of df at the price of considerable drag)
but the air can quite readily return to flowing in a laminar fashion, as soon as it looses enough momentum, but ya given the length of any road car, that's just not going to happen (time the air spends under it isn't long enough for that to happen)... it'd have to be something the size of a small train (with a smooth bottom, obviously... ;))

yes, Rich, precisely why i thought the low-drag setup of the ducktail, front and rear diffusers would be far better than a performance wing (on top of being kinda ugly for this 4 door...)

I've been following these posts for a few days, and I'll admit that I'm not very up on my performance/aerodynamic physics … but I personally prefer the looks of a wing verse a spoiler. It’s also my opinion that wings or spoilers don’t belong on sedans (an exception to my own rule is the low profile wing on the new Altma - it just looks nice to me – yeah I know that it’s not very practical)!

OK, this is way out of my price range, but, I’ve fallen in love with the visual “look” and functionally integrated spoiler/wing of the future 2004 Porsche Carrera GT 2dr Coupe, which deploys at speeds above 74 mph. (www.edmunds.com/future/2004/porsche/carreragt/2drcoupe/preview.html)

But hey, I’ve always liked the “style” of the Camaro and the Acura NSX’s built in rear wing … and although I definitely appear to be in the minority, I’d vote for the RX-8 to have something similar and available as an optional package--- I think it would be a nice stylish touch as it wrapped around the rear window.

Than again, I also like the RSX and Celica’s low profile wing options and also their much higher rear wing specialty package options in the Acura RSX Type-S Factory Performance and Celica Action Package models.

don't like wings on sedans, eh?? never seen WRC or any kind of high $$ touring?? they're all sedans (Lancer, Impreza, [Skoda] Octavia for the WRC cars... ANY touring series has sedans...), i think they look marvelous...

that wing (the difference is a wing is profiled like a bird's wing, upside down to force the car downwards, and a spoiler is like a panel which sticks up into the airflow, the biggest examples i've ever seen are on current spec NASCARs) on the Porsche is pretty nice, but they're just being a bit silly and flashy dashy with it deploying like that... the drag penalty on such a small and highly powered car is very little, 'cause that's not much wing in the first place... meaning, it's not going to give you anything in the way of acceleration (up to 74 mph, the difference would be in the hundreth's of a second, if that) and it's not saving you any gas, not that you'd care in the first place if you could buy that sucker.

well, the NSX design is nice, but i've never studied it to see how it would perform... as for the Camaro... if you can't say ANYTHING nice, don't say anything at all... ;)

the factory stuff on those cars is borderline rice (have you SEEN the endplates on the Celica wing?? <<shudder>>), well, no that's a little strong...
but it's not what i'm talking about when i say "performance wing"... think of the wing on the R34 Nissan GT-R Skyline...
dig this page to see what i'm talking about:

http://www.exvitermini.com

Personally, I like the look of a wing on the back of a car. I tmakes it look a bit more sporty. And if Mazda puts a wing on a Protege, I can't see them leaving it off the rx8.

i still have yet to hear a valid arguement as to why anybody (i am not talking about the rx8 here i am talking about other cars) needs to add downforce to the rear of a front wheel drive car, i just dont get it,beyond the "well you never go fast enough to use it anyway arguemnet.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by wakeech

the factory stuff on those cars is borderline rice (have you SEEN the endplates on the Celica wing??

Yeah, my wife agrees with you! Guess I'm going through my middle-life-crisis. Someday I think I want to keep the back clean and other days I want a black RX-8 with BIG rear bat-tail fins ... so I could be driving around in my version of the BATMOBILE (boy, talk about how unstable that would be ... either having BAT rear fins or my state of mind)

Sorry, I'm sometimes fall on the "design over function" side of things ... I just like how the spoiler/wing can be integrated smoothly into the rear panels...

A tasteful wing with skirt kit, imho.
http://www.rx8forum.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=7553

A tasteful wing with skirt kit, imho.
Were you showing the pic as an example of tasteful or not? That's way overboard for me, but I realize that I'm far to one side of the spectrum. Take away the wing and plastic tack-on stuff (why add weight?) and that's one of the most beautiful FDs I've seen. Normally I don't like blue on cars, but that looks really nice. Well, the wheels are a bit much also, but I'd certainly take one if offered!

That is a 99 Japan-spec FACTORY rear wing, not an aftermarket. To each his own I suppose. I wouldn't turn it down and it's certainly not rice.

I find that very borderline. Personally I would have a hard time accepting that on my car, but I don't really mind it if anyone else has it, as the overall appearance isn’t very flamboyant. However I still think that wing is a bit absurd, not to mention the side mirrors.

hold on now boys, that's an FD we're talking about here... i doubt anyone would be saying that a Lotus Esprit 350 is rice 'cause it had a wing... wings aren't inherently rice, that's not what i meant to say... i don't think i said that, i hope... :)

ya, that's the RZ spec... ohhhh baby, nice... that is functional, and it's a 7. i like.

er, now that i'm back to my more articulate self, T-Man, whatcha got on the front and back?? looks like a vented hood, some kinda trick air dam (that wouldn't be the A-Spec one would it??? :eek:) and a diffuser?? but those mirrors are definitely aftermarket.... got any other nice pics of your FD??

**edit:
oh, and btw Zoom44: i said this earlier, but ANY race car, no matter their system of locomotion (FWD, RWD, AWD) needs grip to go quick... with a BALANCED aerodynamic package (which may or may not include a wing somewhere on the car... often determined by series regs.) optimized for a particular car, there is no reason why a FWD car wouldn't want d/f on the rear wheels as much at a RWD car wouldn't want d/f on the front wheels...

I never said it was "rice", and even if it's stock it's still way overboard to me.

Wakeech, I'd agree that any race car needs balanced aerodynamics, but for a road car, even if it's a high performance road car, I think wings are functionally useless. They simply add weight and style (good or bad depending on opinion), and do nothing positive for road or autocross performance. High speed track performance is a different thing...

Add lightness! (To quote Colin Chapman)

true true, no one said "rice"... i do not intend on putting words in anyone's mouth. apologies. :)

but for a road car, even if it's a high performance road car, I think wings are functionally useless. Agreed for street use, but you can't say it is aesthetically THAT ugly. can you? ;) :D

Guys, don't tell me that everything you own or buy is looked at only from the functionality angle? If so that would be one boring existence. :( Of course the big F&F style aluminum wings on fwd cars are useless and look like ass imo, unless the whole car is done up with a body kit, wheels, etc. But I also do think that certain cars like mine for example :) look good with a tasteful body kit/wing combo.. So who cares if it's not functional or makes my car unstable at 230 km/hr. Which it doesn't by the way. :D To each his own I say.. I've seen a lot of ugly looking kits/wings on many different cars.. So what? To that person it looks good I guess.. wachha gonna do? Shrug.
I think the RX-8 looks very good as is.. but who knows, it might look better with a spoiler or a body kit.. time will tell.

Originally posted by Toadman
Agreed for street use, but you can't say it is aesthetically THAT ugly. can you? ;) :D

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. I can't think of a single wing or spoiler on any road car that I thought improved the looks of the car. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I do realize that that statement places me solidly in a small minority. There are some I don't mind, but most I really dislike. The RX-7 above is an example of on that I really dislike, because without it I think the FD is one of the most beautiful cars ever made. Why mess with near perfection? The Miata is right up there as well, as those decklid spoilers completely ruin the lines of the car. The tacked on body kit stuff is far worse, IMHO. They just look like cheap plastic glued on to me. I like simple, clean, curvaceous lines. There are some more extreme cars that I like, the Lotus Elise and Ferrari F360 Modena come to mind.

Originally posted by Quick_lude
Guys, don't tell me that everything you own or buy is looked at only from the functionality angle?
Saying that I don't believe that a wing is functionally useful isn't the same thing as saying that only functionally useful things belong on the car.
There certainly are places for aesthetic considerations. That is actually one of the reasons I decided not to get an RX-8; I just really don't like the looks. I'm hoping they do better with the new RX-7. The reason I've brought up the functionality points are that there have been many posts on this thread that imply that wings/spoilers help the aerodynamics of a road car. That, I believe, is false. I could be wrong. They do not help the aerodynamics of the car, and they hurt performance (minimally, to be sure) by adding weight. They also add to the cost of the car. Why would I want to pay more for something that hurts performance and looks ugly (to me)? If you want a wing or spoiler because you like how it looks, that's fine. Go ahead and get one. Just don't try to justify it by claiming that it is functional.

As an aside, I have no problems with other people putting wings, spoilers, or body kits on their cars. Even though I don't like them, I wouldn't be happy if noone modified their cars. Variety is the spice of life, even if most of that variety is not what I would choose for myself. I actually enjoy seeing cars that racerboys have heavily modified; some are quite well done even if I wouldn't be caught dead driving them. I would certainly turn my head in appreciation if I say your Prelude on the street, but I wouldn't do the same thing to my Prelude if I owned one.

Just because it is from the factory does not mean it is not over-designed, or rice.

Variety I don't mind, but excessive use of go-fast looking parts I just shake my head at.

it's interesting how you define "rice" yourself, fuz. i'm not trying to flame or anything!!!! :) but my definition differs...
i see "rice" as any aestetic alteration to a car which is indended to make it "look fast", which in many cases is done shabbily, or would infact make the car slower... oh, not to mention the fraudulent badging.

anyhoo, i can't see that RZ spec wing as something "over designed" as you put it, and given its obvious thought to function (noting the profile of the wing, dipped at the ends to increase efficiency as an easily observable example) and nod toward the TRENDS in automobile street fashion, for us younger folk, without going overboard (especially in its hieght; it's about at the functional maximum) in any direction, for me, and maintaining the styling used throughout the rest of the car (specifically in reference to the curves in the wing uprights)... no "flame" shaped endplates, double-decked (non-functional) aerofoils, or anything else retarded and regarded by all concerned as "rice".

also, an FD is really really quick, so i don't think that it's too much for THAT car, but on a Precidia, Civic, Corolla (:p), Accord, etc. etc. etc., it would be very very ricey...

ya, so just what i think, and my rational for liking that wing...

Of course any person with a fwd car that tells anyone he's got a wing for better performance does not have all his facts straight.. I would never argue that my spoiler improves the handling of my car.. It's on for pure looks, end of story. But for some rwd cars like the Corrado or Porsche it does help. Either way, like I said we'll see how the RX-8 looks once it's out.. And maybe there will be nice looking aero packages for it.
Don't even get me started on the Rice boys out there.. Especially with the Civics.. They give other Honda owners a bad name :mad: not to mention the ammuniniton for the general public/cops/politicians stereotyping mature Honda owners like myself. :mad:

For the record, wings can help on a FWD car. Thats why sometimes they are used in racing, like touring cars, for example. Its not to generation more traction, as everyone seems to think ("Why would you put a wing on a FWD car?") but rather to increase stability at high speeds.
That said, 99.9% of the wings found on road going FWD cars do nothing. The remaining .1% may increase stability at very high speeds (illegal speeds) and some even help to keep the rear window clean by creating vortices that sweep dust/grime away.

Less is more.

Wing, no. Small rear spoiler, yes if it's not too wild. The functioning of the spoiler is perhaps necessary. I, however, prefer the subtle spoiler as in the latest BMW M3.

Originally posted by Donny Boy
Wing, no. Small rear spoiler, yes if it's not too wild. The functioning of the spoiler is perhaps necessary. I, however, prefer the subtle spoiler as in the latest BMW M3.
Don't know how it would look but yea, I would agree with the idea there :)

I think toadman's picture of the wing is very nice actually and i am of the opinion that the RX8 looks much better with some form of spoiler\wing on the back. it helps bring the whole car together and i mean come on, what kind of sports car DOESNT have one? You know when you drive around and you see those eclipses without the spoiler\wing? well, that looks stupid. im of the opinion that, as long as its not one of those massive civic wings (dont hate me i have a civic but its all stock i swear :P) that it looks quite better with one. if it doesnt come with one then ill buy one to put on it when i get mine.

Yep, the M3 spoiler is there to add just a bit more of extra stability at autobahn speeds. No more, no less. :cool:

Only if it helps the performance, otherwise just extra weight.

the M3 "spoiler" is subtle?? it's barely even there... i'm thinking something similar to the ducktail built into the boot lid on the Miata...

but again, if we're talking about high speed stability and net downforce (maybe just a "little", to be sure), diffusers at the front and back with careful underbody flow management is the only way to fly... or, no, NOT fly. :D

This is still my favorite bodykit for the 8.

Originally posted by Maurice
This is still my favorite bodykit for the 8.
Gahhhhh.... why can't people realize that the way the car is stock, is faster than with a body kit? :\

<<sigh>> it's the SoCal scene, right??
it's all about style, and i'm all kinds of good with that, but not for me thanks...

again, PLEEEEEEEEEASE look toward actually fast cars to see what i mean by front and rear diffusers... and a duck tail spoiler would be rippin' too...

i'll try and find some links.

Originally posted by Maurice
This is still my favorite bodykit for the 8.

It looks like its wearing braces.

here's a good link to see what i'm talkin' about for that front diffuser (a la the R34 GT-R)

www.nissan.co.jp (http://www.nissan.co.jp/GT-R/R34/0105/DATA/EXTERIOR/index.html)
click on the FRONT VEIW pic, and you'll get a pretty good look... sorry about the size, but i've got no ideas of where to look...

www.wrc.com (http://www.wrc.com/en_GB/Gallery/Photo/2002/005/2002_R_I_BurnsDay1.htm)
here's a pic of the Peugeot setup...

www.wrc.com (http://www.wrc.com/en_GB/Gallery/Photo/2002/005/2002_R_I_PanizziDay1.htm)
and another one... different angle/side...

and as for the rear diffuser, no, i'm not talking of the F1-style-huge-ass-drive-on-the-top-of-a-tunnel-kinda-downforce sort, something small, and subtle... i haven't found a good link for that yet...

as for that ducktail spoiler, go to www.mazdausa.com and click on the Miata MX-5 at the top on the menu bar... it's then staring you right in the eyes...

Prefer a spoiler that a wing. But would like to have at least one.

I'm gonna get flamed...

Looking at the pics of the rear of the car, especially the yellow one right at the top of the page, I place my vote firmly with the idea of a small, stock-type wing along the lines of the one offered as an option on the Protege.

Yes, I know it might not be much functionally, but to me it will strongly improve the appearance. To me, the rear deck looks rather awkward, it's too short to be a real notchback w/ trunk but too long to be a fastback either. It's just... odd. I think the addition of a small sedan-style wing would offset that clumsiness and give a better profile.

Then again, I would also love if they'd make a full-on fastback model, giving it a rear-end look more like the late MX-3 (which I loved, BTW). I love the wedge-like, aggressive lines of a car like that. That's just my taste, and I certainly don't expect everyone to agree with me, but I have the feeling that a fastback model would sell.

For me, the looks of a car are important not to show off, but for the fact that -I- want to like the looks of a car I'm driving. Sure, I'll be content with an ugly-but-functional pure machine, but I'll be happier if I like the way it looks, as well.

BTW, off-topic I know but am I the only one who thinks the stock Protege with foglamps and wing looks better than the MP-3 or Mazdaspeed versions with the larger wing and front bodywork? I still say put a Renesis in one of those with the alloy wheels and the moonroof, and that's my car... *drool*

Yep, I'm way off on a tangent here. We now return you to your regularly scheduled RX-8 forum thread...

I'd prefer a small lip spoiler like offered on BMWs and Audis, instead of any type of WING.

That actually does make a difference anyway, those wings are very inefficient.

Originally posted by Toadman
A tasteful wing with skirt kit, imho.
http://www.rx8forum.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=7553


I'm back to the example Toadman found earlier in this thread.

I'd also wouldn't mind if Mazda offered an option for a lower profile wing too!

If this forum is an example of the majority of our tastes... it would certainly pay for Mazda or one of the many developers to give us a few choices:

Spoiler or tall wing or low wing and for Mazda Speed a more Rally styled wing ...

Originally posted by wakeech


www.wrc.com (http://www.wrc.com/en_GB/Gallery/Photo/2002/005/2002_R_I_BurnsDay1.htm)
here's a pic of the Peugeot setup...

www.wrc.com (http://www.wrc.com/en_GB/Gallery/Photo/2002/005/2002_R_I_PanizziDay1.htm)
and another one... different angle/side...


It looks great on the rear of the Peugeot (Nice handing of a hatchback/wing treatment) ... but ... I'm not sure how it would de designed to blend in with the back of an RX-8 ...?

Originally posted by bwayout


It looks great on the rear of the Peugeot (Nice handing of a hatchback/wing treatment) ... but ... I'm not sure how it would de designed to blend in with the back of an RX-8 ...? That's horrific looking.

Why not get a flower vase too like that pretty one in the VW bug? Then you can put your pansies in there as well. Big plastic-crappo wings make cars look too cheese-ball like all those lame Japanese racing stickers I keep seeing stuck on the side of POS Integras here in Northern Cali. The wing-kit should come with a self-deploying barf bag too!

I don't know about others on this thread, but I'm NOT referring to some big, "racerboy" wannabe large wing. I'm not even talking about something near as large as the one shown in the pic of the blue RX-7. What I'm talking about is a small, low-profile wing of the type that Mazda offers as an accessory on the Protege.

Given that Mazda already offers the option on cars like the Protege, it's very likely that they'll make one available for the RX-8, as well. As they -are- dealer-installed accessories you order when you buy the car, you don't have to buy one if you don't like it. No one is forcing you to and it won't ruin -your- RX-8 if others do order them for their own cars.

BTW, I personally find a flat, unadorned rear deck lid, especially on a sporty car, to be boring, uninspired, and flat-out ugly. I think a spoiler or small wing completes the look of the rear end and adds to the profile and lines of the car. That's just me. Doesn't make me right and you wrong, it just means we have different tastes.

Personally, I'm a bit more concerned about the huge wheels...

huge wheels? i think they are too small! they should be bigger!:D ;)
hah!noone else was going to say that!;)

Ya, speedbuggy, i'm with ya...

i like the RZ wing T-Man's got on his FD, but the 8 would look retarded with something like that on the back...

and btw, i was pointing toward the airdam on the Peugeot, not the wing: i think it's ugly too, but it sure works well...

wings on road cars are retarded, as they don't REALLY need them... underbody aero is more efficient, and produces more downforce anyways, and i think that a sick aero package like on my previous example would kick ass... maybe i'll put something together in photoshop, but then again, i'm kinda lazy... i'll see... ;)

and mjgc0, not everything with a wing is "rice"...
:rolleyes:

and ya, T-Man, those wheels are HUGE!! the girlies like 'em that way, or just you?? ;) heh, i'm just joshin' ya; your ride still turns my blood green...

I agree that a factory spoiler may look OK. A wing would ruin the clean lines of the RX-8. There is beauty in simple form = function so no tack-on plastic bits needed on this, already beautiful car.
I can't wait to see one on the road!

One example is the Boxster, no wing needed.

i have to agree with mjgc0 i don't believe that mazda designed the 8 without a wing for a reason. The car is hot enough as it is anything too muh more would be rather guady.

Originally posted by Toadman
That is a 99 Japan-spec FACTORY rear wing, not an aftermarket. To each his own I suppose. I wouldn't turn it down and it's certainly not rice.
That's not actually a Mazda 99-spec wing, it is a somewhat similar aftermarket one. The 99-spec is a good bit smaller and if you look closely, the shape is different too:

http://www.efini.net/images/car2.jpg
http://www.rx8forum.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=7553

I wouldn't call the aftermarket one rice, but the real 99-spec one is certainly much more tasteful.

you're sure that's the RZ package?? not that i think you'd make that mistake, but just checkin'...

regardless that it's just a small bit higher, and the shape's a bit different, i still like T-Mans get up: even though it's not the best solution, it's still a good one (downforce wise), and in my eyes, the design of the wing is quite beautiful (notice the slight curvature to maximize the higher pressure in the centre, on the top side of the wing, and those sexy endplates), so i don't care... :)

Originally posted by wakeech
you're sure that's the RZ package?? not that i think you'd make that mistake, but just checkin'...
You're correct, that's not the RZ package. (I never said it was...) The 2000 RZ only came in white and had mesh wheels.

It wasn't only the RZ which had the wing, the RS, R, and RB-S models also came with wings. The blue 1999 which I posted is an RS model.

I know my Series 8 FDs very well :) (I hope to own one someday).

i dont know, i thought the T-man said his was stock?! he should know as i believe that is his car!

no, he didn't say it was stock, he said that the wing was factory...

i still love it...

Thought about getting the spoiler that looks semi stock (custom fit) but is raised a little? Not to ricey but I think adds to the car a great deal. Thoughts?

Thought about getting the spoiler that looks semi stock (custom fit) but is raised a little? Not to ricey but I think adds to the car a great deal. Thoughts?

Holy thread necro. Zoom44, you even remember this thread?

10 year thread bump. you sir. need a medal.

http://www.chocolatetradingco.com/pictures/products/8/7/0/.870/~iDbcQmcp/chocolate-medal.jpg