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Reply to "To Wing or Not to Wing ... that is the question🧐"

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I'm not writing this as a veiled way of voicing my opinion; just pointing out that in regard to spoilers there are other aspects to consider besides appearance.

Ideally front/rear traction should never diminish and should remain balanced at all speeds. Compared to cars with engines in the front, mid-engine cars require less aerodynamic lift to lighten the front end to the point of creating vague steering. Pointy nosed cars, like the Pantera, make this even worse. Consider the three following scenarios:

(1) Without any spoilers: front traction decreases as speed increases. The car understeers more and more with speed, directional control diminishes. This continues until the car takes flight. Dangerous.

(2) A large front spoiler (air dam) that creates down force, like the GT5 front spoiler, used alone: Front traction would increase as speed increases. The car would pivot around the front tires in turns. There's no force gluing the rear end down. Oversteer is exaggerated.  

(3) A large rear spoiler (delta wing) that creates down force, used alone: As speed increases front traction decreases and rear traction increases. The front end is light, it understeers. The rear end being "glued-down" doesn't help the understeer, it may make the front end lighter, worsening understeer.

My advice is to "zero-out" frontal lift, all Panteras can benefit from this. The Pantera "needs" a small front spoiler that lessens the amount of air flowing beneath the car to "zero-out" lift. The further forward it is mounted the better; it makes the nose more blunt, less pointy; it prevents air from getting under the nose.

When it comes to big "down force generating" spoilers, balance front & rear down forces. A large rear spoiler, like the delta wing, should have a companion front spoiler ... and vice versa.

PS - Bill (LPB) it's great to hear from you. You've been silent for a long time. I hope all is well.

-G

Last edited by George P
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