What is the professional name for the rear wing on a sports car?
1 Answers
The rear wing on a sports car is called a spoiler. It is part of the car's aerodynamic kit. The main function of a car spoiler is to reduce the lift at the rear of the vehicle. If the lift at the rear is greater than the lift at the front, it can lead to excessive steering, reduced rear-wheel grip, and poor high-speed stability. The design principle of a car spoiler is inspired by the design of an aircraft's tail wing. For a long time, this design was widely used in racing cars before being adopted for ordinary vehicles. The proper design of a spoiler also directly affects racing performance. There is an angled relationship between the nose wing and the rear wing of a racing car, which helps the car navigate turns safely and quickly on the track. This allows the car to achieve good downforce in corners while controlling wind resistance on straightaways. Functions of a spoiler: The primary function is to effectively reduce air resistance and save fuel when the car is driving at high speeds. During driving, resistance can be divided into three types: longitudinal, lateral, and vertical lift forces. Tests show that when a car moves forward at 80 km/h, 60% of fuel consumption is used to overcome longitudinal wind resistance. To effectively reduce and counteract the impact of air resistance at high speeds, car spoilers were designed. Their role is to generate a fourth type of force from the air—ground adhesion—which can partially offset lift, control the car's tendency to rise, reduce wind resistance effects, and keep the car firmly pressed against the road, thereby improving driving stability. The shape and size of a car spoiler are precisely calculated by designers—it should not be too large or too small, as this could either increase driving resistance or fail to serve its intended purpose.
