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Ground Clearance With Chin Scoop

ABC123

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At what speed do the benefits of a front air dam/spoiler and rear wing/spoiler start to kick in? From my limited reading, what's listed on the configurator as a rear spoiler is really a wing, since air can run under it. A spoiler is an extension of the rear trunk lid, designed to alter air flow and reduce its turbulence at flow exit. Most of these make sense in race cars where speed limits don't matter. Aerodynamics are multifactorial, so at 65-75 MPH, does these really improve the situation, or do they just make the vehicle look cool at road speeds? Or something else?
 

booboo

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Since the Elio is supposed to be a very aerodynamic design, my opinion is the spoiler add-ons would be mostly for looks, with little effect under 100MPH. The only way to know would be air tunnel testing.
The front spoiler may add to aerodynamics.
Real Airfoils for racing, in the rear, add drag and at high speeds push down to enable better rear traction. We now have the battery near the rear wheel giving more traction.
http://oppositelock.kinja.com/wings-spoilers-youre-probably-doing-it-wrong-1665312667
 

Coss

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I bet they are for looks only. They have both grown on me and I am now including them whenever I play dress up with my Elio :)
More or less, yes, that's all they're good for.
They will also warn you that you don't have enough ground clearance going up a driveway, or the snow is too tall to be out driving in it; or that you don't have enough clearance going over something on the road, and you'll replace it at least once, before you say "to hell with it" and take it off, never to run it again (I know I'm right on this one, I had a front spoiler on my van). The rear spoiler ..... eeehhhhhh ...... you either like it or you don't, it doesn't add anything to the vehicle other than it just looks cool, and you either got the color right, or it's off by a bunch, but you'll live with it.
 
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