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AeroMotions downforce splitting rear spoiler debuts
The faster a car goes, the more downforce its various wings, spoilers and splitters can produce. There's always a trade-off though, as the byproduct of downforce is more drag, which reduces a car's top speed. Supercars like the Bugatti Veyron use active aerodynamics to produce the right amount of downforce for a specific situation like twisty road courses or high-speed runs, but cars like the Veyron are out of reach for most. Enter AeroMotions, a company that promises its rear wing assembly will provide the perfect amount of downforce at all times. The carbon fiber wing is split into two sections, each one moving independently of one another to offer just the right amount of traction. An on-board computer constantly monitors acceleration, braking and lateral acceleration so it can actively change the pitch of the wing's sections in real-time as the car is being driven, effectively giving more or less downforce to whichever side of the car needs it most. AeroMotions' wing is currently undergoing testing, and one of our readers happened to witness it in action in California and was impressed. If anyone's got video of the wing in action, we've got popcorn and are waiting. Thanks for the tip, Vince!
[Source: AeroMotions]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Pacman 1:05PM (8/11/2008)
Dude I am so putting that on my Civic!
Chica Chica massive wing Chica Chica.
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The Luigiian 1:12PM (8/11/2008)
Better hope you've got a couple grand at least. I'll bet this spoiler's going to cost a pretty penny.
Pacman 1:37PM (8/11/2008)
It was a joke.
The Luigiian 2:19PM (8/11/2008)
I know. Just sayin'.
Xcountryflyer 3:21PM (8/11/2008)
The rice rocket crowd cheers. Cough...
azzo45 4:44PM (8/11/2008)
That split rear wing "rice rocket"... NOPE!!!
Google a Ferrari 126C F1 car... the cursed '82 model that Gilles Villenueve died in & Didier Pironi DNF'd his 1st place in the WDC after a huge crash.
Early in the season this car used a similar "split wing" concept ... until it was banned by the FIA.
BlackCanary 4:48PM (8/11/2008)
Azzo - it is a joke. Think small car with a little engine combined with a massive rear wing.
The wing itself is not the butt of the joke. Lighten up.
azzo45 8:16PM (8/11/2008)
Black Canary.... You lighten up! Another generic "rice" joke, eh? God they're just so funny every other post.
I hardly think a wing concept, used by one of the most famous Italian F1 teams should be assigned an asian tag. The solo competitor also seems to be driving a German BMW. SCCA Solo cars have all kinds of odd low speed aero
I was responding to that... not attempts at humor 2-3 post up! Cheers!! :) :) :)
Alex 1:07PM (8/11/2008)
Whatever happened to that rear wing Mercedes Benz tried out on its F1 car? The wing had some flexibility so as speeds increased (on the straights) it would flatten out and create less drag. Once you hit the twisteis and speeds were lower, the wing would curve to create greater downforce.
No mechanical gizmos, no computers, no added weight or complexity. It was simple and so effective that the other constructors bitched enough to have the FIA ban its use after one race.
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AC 1:24PM (8/11/2008)
Aerodynamic elements aren't allowed to flex in F1 so it would hardly take manufacturer bitching to get it banned. McLaren have already had to add strutural support to the bridge elemenet on their front wing this season because it was deflecting illegaly; they built it too thin to support it's own downforce generating loads.
Yaroukh 1:30PM (8/11/2008)
u dont know much about f1, do u?
Yaroukh 1:31PM (8/11/2008)
u dont know much about f1, do u?
Todd 1:14PM (8/11/2008)
Didn't the Jim Hall and his Chaparral from the 60's have movable wings?
Anyway, I will be putting one of those AeroMotions on my Honda Fit!
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996700 1:16PM (8/11/2008)
i can see this on the street now when it gets windy the cars rear wing starts flapping...should be good for the track though!
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John Johnson 1:16PM (8/11/2008)
It surprises me that F1 cars don't use this type of technology. Why not make hydraulic flaps come up when you're hard on the brakes? That'd be a simple way to massively increase braking force. Just don't interfere with the spoilers giving the downforce to the wheels or braking pressure will be lost and you'll probably lock up.
They have (had?) active suspension, now it's time for active aerodynamics.
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tritonofg 1:44PM (8/11/2008)
F1 had active aero bits a while back...they are now banned in the rules.
Franz 1:53PM (8/11/2008)
Active aero & active suspension isn't allowed in F1. Even the bridge wings run by teams like McLaren had to be revised this year by adding supports because they used to flex a bit at speed.
bduddy 2:00PM (8/11/2008)
It's against the rules (for now, there have been proposals to allow it on a limited basis).
John Johnson 2:03PM (8/11/2008)
Ahh, wasn't aware - only started watching at the beginning of last season (and some older late-90s stuff) - thanks!
davido 1:18PM (8/11/2008)
The FIA has always had a safety related problem with non-rigid wings and with wings not fixed to the bodywork.
In the late sixties Lotus pioneered wings, using some that were mounted directly to the suspension on long struts that put them up high in the airflow. They worked directly on the suspension but they were prone to breaking. When they did their parts became airborne, creating a hazard for other drivers and the car they came off of instantly lost it's grip. Given the tendency of these things to break under maximum load, that meant cars in high speed corners going from grip to no grip instantly. A number of drivers had some some very bad moments. Wings with moving parts were banned for the same reasons.
I suspect that's why Mercedes wing was banned. Everyone team could no doubt duplicate it, but who could ever guarantee that a flexible wing wouldn't snap under load?
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