Goldenhue22

If anyone has been to the Auto Show and picked up the pamphlet for the RX-8, there is a picture of a blue one with a racing spoiler that is off the hook! Was wondering if that was an aftermarket add-on or could you get Mazda to do that. But that spoiler looks fantastic. Comments?

Hercules

Are you talking about the X-car? That spoiler is in poor taste in my opinion. I'd never put it on my car.

A simple lip spoiler like on the M3 is what I'd like on my car personally. Less is more.

Goldenhue22

I not sure what it was called. It isn't the spoiler on the RX-8 car on this webpage. It kind of comes up on the sides kind of like a long, wide 'U'. I think it looks solid however I can see why some may feel it is too much.

Cylo

look here: http://www2.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/rx8....jsp?campid=11

This is the RX-8 X-Men version. It has the spoiler you were talking about like Herc said.

Hercules

Whatever floats your boat on looks. I just feel that in a lightweight car like the RX-8 it's silly to add things like a monstrous spoiler that only add weight to the car.

Much like the ineffecient aerodynamic front, side, rear spoilers that are added to cars to give the impression of 'looking' fast but serving no purpose other than to create drag.

That's why I dislike what the Mazdaspeed version looks like. It's not wind-tunnel tested as it's a concept, and if it was you can bet most of that stuff would come right off as it's more limiting than good (from what it seems). M3 is a good example... it's only got a slightly different front and rear spoiler, and a lip spoiler on the deck as a nice complement. It's all function and still looks damn mean!

cagefreak

I'm partial towards the MSP wing. . . it's quite stylish

Donny Boy

This is essentially a personal choice, and personally I prefer a subtle show of performance in the design of the car and an abundant show of performance in the actual driving of the car.

Kinda like speaking softly and carrying a big stick.

CraziFuzzy

Kinda like a Supercharged 1998 Escort zx2... :D :D :D

sKy^WiNGzErO

Most of you have probably seen this picture, but I just love it too much. Just the subtle line of the spoiler makes me drool everytime... *drooooool*

Midnight Flyer

No all spoilers reduce performance. I remember a discussion on Miata.Net were Bwob mentioned that they did do aerodynamic tests on the Miata with and without the spoiler and that with the spoiler the dynamics of the car were improved and on the track it was more stable.

I hope Mazda did the same with the 8.

Mazda man

Im kinda with Herc here about th MSP Rx-8. When I first saw it I thought COOL!! , but the more I look at it the more I thought those bodykits kinda do ruin the aerodynamics.
Ill just be keeping mine stock with probably a small lip spoiler.

fd3s800

I just think that spoiler on the x-men car is so f*cking ugly:o

wakeech

well, real spoilers improve performance: what Herc means is that those retardo ones on most passenger cars do nothing but make drag, and add weight... don't even get me started about wings (i like the look, but the look comes from being legitamitely functional)

anyhoo, spoilers counter act the lift force generated on the smooth tails of cars like the Audi TT, where the smooth, downward curved surface nicely sucks air down over the car, and quickly too; this creates lift with the downward movement of air creating an upward net force, and also by increasing velocity which reduces pressure (net pressure difference * the area it acts on = force it makes)...

the spoiler esentially spoils that downward airflow with an ugly fence, which "holds" behind it a turbulent pocket of air (at a high enough velocity) which supports the air coming down from the top of the vehicle, forcing the air to stay up... in this way air from the sides and bottom of the car then have a relatively easier time filling the space left behind the car (as it moves through the air), negating the lift which would occur without the spoiler.
basically, what it costs you in drag (for streamlined cars), it makes up for in reduction of lift. now, yada yada yada, yes, in some cases you can improve the drag coefficient of a car with blah blah blah... i know. i know i know i know, and it's such a complicated thing, let's keep it simple, alright? these things are of a case-sensitive nature...

sKy^WiNGzErO

Hence without the spoiler (when the TT was first introduced) the tail end would get very light at speeds of 140mph.

rotory_it_up

What do you think the RX-8 spoiler is going to cost?


I could definitely do without it but if the price is right...why not?? At least it isn't a big *** wing...a la Subie WRX STi.


Damn this thing is waaaaaaaaaay tooooooo big.

Toadman

Oh yeah, I'll hit that velocity daily in my commute, LOL!

P00Man

BLAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
ONLY?!?!?

LOL that is a HEFTY ticket
________
DAIHATSU MOVE

sKy^WiNGzErO

Well if you lived in germany, you could quite possibly hit that speed in your daily commute on the unrestricted autobahn sections. So a few accidents and reports from customers later, audi fits spoilers on the TT

But that scubie spoiler, can anyone say, fast and furious? lol. reminds me of a spoiler/wing i saw for an mr2.
http://www.mr2-spyder.com/images/gal...x/gt300_lg.jpg
be prepared to be shocked, then laugh manically at how silly it looks :D

But guessing at prices, I would guess that the rx8 spoiler could go for £400 or so? (USD$600) This is a guess out of the blue

wakeech

as rotary_it_up said, it's a wing as is that wonderful aero device on the back of that JGTC MR-S Race Car inspired kit...

in all sincerity, i think i really like both of those, stylistically. my standards for beauty aren't just "is it in proportion" or "does it look fast", it has to BE fast.
the aerofoil on that wing for the MR-S Race Car is the low-drag/high-speed version, and i can tell you that it has seen many a day in the windtunnel to get it to look that way. i think it's rather beautiful, although yes, it does dominate the back of the car. the Scubie wing too looks pretty good, just like the WRX one.

wings i hate are mucho retardo ones like the Stealth design, with lame "pointed" modular aerofoils that are shaped like Duplo Blocks... or the Ultra-Rice Special, with Mega-Adust arms, allowing Mr.Knownothing-Rice-For-Brains to put a 30 degree AOA on that sucker just to slow his MaD wHeElZ down at high velocity... :p
that would be ugly... but not these. no, their beauty comes from their functionality, and design.
i like 'em.

PsYcHo_Pilot

Nicley Said Wakeech, functionality is the name of the game.

I reckon the X car looks alright, the "wing" is a bit outrageous in design, although i'm not an aerodynamics engineer, i reckon the plane-jane low AOA, mid height type (just high enough to catch the airflow off the roof and keep it off the tail) is a stylish, and peformance enhancing add on

xeos

At least the Impreza wing is functional. You don't see any rally cars without it for a very good reason!







Pictures taken from Subaru World Rally Team website!

Go Norway! :D :D :D

KKMmaniac

It looks like the RX-8 already has a pretty good trailing edge on its trunk for airflow management. With such a short rear deck, it may help to have a subtle but longish lip spoiler to minimize the vortex of air at the back of the car, helping the airflow over the roof and tail blend smoothly back into the air at the rear. (and for giving benefits wakeech was explaining)

I didn't see any aerodynamic testing photos, and I don't remember specific data in this forum, or from any other source; does anybody else?

Just as a sidenote: the "S" version of the early FC (1986-1988) had semi-rigid urethane bits on the front lower edge, on the rocker panels in front of the rear tires, and a rear lip spoiler. (I think there might have been an additional pan under the front of the car also) I don't remember the exact figures, but it took cd from .31 to .29.

I can't help but like the looks of the Sti wing on the Sti, whether it is helpful to aerodynamics or not. Last night, I saw what looked like a small airplane wing, bolted about two feet off the trunk of a '98 or so, otherwise stock appearing Legacy. Ohhh, that just won't do.

sKy^WiNGzErO

I stand corrected wakeech, xeos. And from an engineers point of view, I agree with you on their beauty, but from a personal view, Im just not into the whole in-your-face aspect of those lairy wings/spoilers. Gimme something subtle anyday. But I totally agree on what you say about the ricer type wings/spoilers. I see enough whale-tails on rather pointless vehicles.

KAuss

I thought most people were buying this thing as a daily driver... How often do you get so fast that you'll lose the tail end on a car going straight?

Usually the most vital part of any areo is used to steady a car going straight, or help it stay on the floor while it turns... But we won't even hit the point of usage to most functional wings anyway, unless you're buying a track car...

Rice opinions sometime stur me up because you got these ricers who throw gobs of money into parts that don't work, then you got these other guys buying up parts that work but never put to use... Are they both just as bad? Then there is this other crowd that like drools over anything that is JDM...

I say, if you got parts that work and never use it, it's just as rice, and if you got parts that don't work, and use it, you're on a suicide mission...

I really like the MPS wing, looks good, don't know how it'll react under extreme speeds I'll never reach, but I wouldn't mind having it on my ride...

BTW, I'm a huge fan of body kits too, I like the MPS even though some of you might not agree, but it's not over done, and clean, nothing hanging out, just flows, and it'll be an added bonus if it were to lower drag too...

Finally :D, if everyone was worried about funtionality, car makers would make such stream lined cars that everyone would HAVE to goto aftermarket parts to make their cars look somewhat appealing... We'd all be driving solar cars built by all those IT schools if styling wasn't a part of the game :D And yet another reason why I like the 8 so much is because it looks sexy as hell!!