Heres another car that has a similar front bar to what I'm describing:
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:R34_Xanavi_Skyline_001.JPG
Can you elaborate on your quess? This was my thinking:
The flatter edge of the bumper pushes air further away from the car. Which means less air dragging along the side of the car, less air hits the front tyres and less air is being sucked under the car. And as I said earlier, if regulations limits how far the splitter protudes beyong the furthest forward point of the car this would increase the area above the splitter all without breaking the rules. And because its a flat notch and not a sweeping curve like the stock miata front bar it wouldn't produce as much drag or lift.

My logic and aero dont always mix so can someone who knows what they're talking about weigh in?

 

In that setup, using it to create more area on top of the splitter shouldn't change the amount of downforce produced. Downforce and/or lift is just pressure acting on a surface. The cutback creates more surface area on top of the splitter, but it also creates an equal sized surface area on the bottom of the bumper (front bar), so the two forces should roughly cancel each other.

I'd bet that it has some other function, but I'm not sure what. Your idea about is creating a canard effect is interesting.

 

I'm guessing that the channels on the car in the speedhunters link have something to do with optimizing air around the front wheels. My guess is that they (the channels) act as a vortex generator since vortices can be used to contain or "hold in place" pockets of air. Not sure how to describe it better without making a drawing.

 

If it was curved back like the factory miata front bar the air would be pushing up against the front bar and creating lift, like you are saying. But to my eyes it seems like a far sharper drop back to a flatter surface. The GTR I posted is even more exagerated. So wouldnt the air hitting be pushing inwards, more than upwards?

 

Front Wing on Ayrton Senna's car

 

A curious car on SH recently, many have probably seen it by now but didn't see it in this thread yet...

Gobstopper 2: The Ultimate Impreza | Speedhunters

 

A curious car on SH recently, many have probably seen it by now but didn't see it in this thread yet...

Gobstopper 2: The Ultimate Impreza | Speedhunters









Canards in front of the vents in the front endplates to create low pressure on the outside of the vents so that air is encouraged to exit there. Cool.

 

vents/slots also act as vortex generators.

 

What's going on with the rear wing end plates? They appear to have some sort of lip or crease in them along the trailing edge that flares out. Theories?

 

Huge vortex generators. Follow the wind and you'll see that those kick-outs are also tapered...the wind will swirl inward from both plates, filling the void where the car just blew through. IMO...

edit--it seems like an awful lot of trouble to disconnect that rear wing if you need to put groceries in the back.

 

Yes that, and they also make the end plates stiffer.

 

I was thinking they were more like a gurney flap than a vortex generator. They should create a low pressure region behind them and on the wing side of the endplate, which would speed up the air under the wing and create more downforce. The low pressure would probably help with flow separation on the underside of the wing around the endplate too.

That and stiffening, like leafy said.

 

It's actually so geeks like us can look at it and ponder endlessly in an online blog about a 23 year old car....

 

Well, if it is anything like the original Gobstopper, ME GUSTA!

 

I see they don't anticipate being in anyone's way, so there's no side-view mirrors. lol

 

I know its not exactly aero related, but its cool and it has some slow motion racing-aero flexing goodness.

 

This is old aero, but it is still glorious. Built for the 1997 FIA International Touring Cars series, but the series only lasted one year (1996), so this car never got livery and has sat on the shelf:

 

OMG that is so sexy under the hood

side note: Talk says DTM might come to the States

 

Kinda. From what I understand, they are going to homologate the rules between the American, Japanese, and DTM series so they all have the same specs and can run the same car in any of the series.

Either way, it should be awesome news since they continue to neuter F1.

 

OK, new topic for discussion: serrated edges.

I've seen this mostly along the bottom of diffuser fences, but have also seen it on the outer edge of dive planes and the bottom edge of wing endplates.

I'm having some trouble digging up information about this design element. What I am finding hints that it can improve (reduce) drag, possibly by affecting how vortexes form off the back of the plane that has the serrated edges.

OK, so if it can reduce drag, great, but answering how it does so gives a better picture of how and where the element can be successfully applied. Thoughts?

Pic:



-Ryan