Aiden's Car Blogs

It is common to see a wing on a high-performance car. But are wings solely for aesthetics, or are they integral to a car’s speed?  As a vehicle moves faster, the car experiences lift, a phenomenon in which air gets underneath the car. At the same time, aerodynamic drag, a force opposing the motion of the vehicle, increases as a vehicle speeds up.  To counter this, aerodynamic components need to be considered to reduce lift and increase downforce, a downward aerodynamic force that pushes the vehicle towards the ground, which increases a car’s ability to accelerate. Spoilers and wings address these challenges. There are two types of spoilers; rear spoilers and front spoilers. 

In the 1960s, the search for improved aerodynamics in high-performance vehicles resulted in spoilers to gaining the attention of engineers. It was through the federal fuel economy regulations, standards regulating how far vehicles must travel per gallon of fuel, when the engineers changed focus from only high-performance cars to all types of cars. 

Front spoilers disrupt lift and manage the air under the car by creating an area of low pressure underneath. Through this low pressure, downforce is increased in the car (downforce is a quality desired in cars moving at high speeds). As a car moves fast, a zone of low-pressure air can form behind the trunk. The low pressure behind the trunk pulls the rear of the car upward (also known as rear lift). The rear spoilers reduce the low pressure and rear lift, and by redirecting airflow upward, rear spoilers create downward pressure. 

There are different materials used for spoilers. The most popular type, laminate, is often chosen for its affordable price. Laminate uses fiberglass and resin, which allows the manufacturing process to be simple and inexpensive. The disadvantage of laminate is its low impact resistance. Polyurethane, a synthetic polymer, is another popular material used for spoilers. Polyurethane is characterized by its durability and higher impact resistance than laminate, which leads to a heavier price. Lastly, there are composite materials such as carbon fiber that can be found in luxury car spoilers and come with an expensive price. Carbon fiber is light weight and its resistance to mechanical damage provides the features that are highly sought after among car aficionados

A car’s rear wing has a great impact on the visuals of a car. The rear wing functions in a way that is the opposite of an airplane wing. Instead of lifting the vehicle up, the rear wing pushes your vehicle downward. In a rear wing, air will be forced to flow faster along the bottom of the surface. A faster current in the bottom causes a higher-pressure zone above the wing and a lower-pressure zone below the wing. The pressure difference is what creates the downforce that assists with acceleration. 

Car wings are often produced with materials that are similar to car spoilers: ABS plastic, fiberglass, carbon fiber, and aluminum. Unlike car spoilers, however, car wings can be made of aluminum, a material offering good performance at a reasonable cost. However, while aluminum can be lightweight and have corrosion resistance, aluminum lacks impact resistance.

Despite the terms “spoiler” and “wing” often used interchangeably, the two systems are mechanically and functionally different. An easy way to distinguish between the two is by looking at where the spoilers or wings are. Wings elevate above the trunks whereas the spoilers are directly mounted on trunks. Either way, both allow car enthusiasts to enjoy their need for speed.