Quote:
Originally Posted by JulianEdgar
It is still raining, so no testing for the moment - the tape won't stick.
But I was thinking about the above situation, where wing angle seems to increase drag to a greater extent than would be expected. I think perhaps it's because the nose of the car is being lifted.
The wing is positioned behind the rear axle line, and we know it develops measurable downforce. The air suspension control system is not set to rapidly correct at speeds over 80 km/h (50 mph) and so it is likely that when the wing angle is set to provide lots of downforce, the rear suspension is being compressed and the front slightly lifted.
Of course, the beauty of on-road testing is that all factors are taken into account - the outcome is what it is.
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This was found to be the case when the 1st-gen Chevy Camaro was tested at 115-mph.
Adding an airdam helped the matter.
Removing the spoiler, while maintaining the airdam was deemed the most satisfactory configuration.
The Camaro had quite a bit of rear overhang, so the downforce, acting over that moment arm was responsible for lifting the nose, exactly as you describe.