Wing (automotive)

Chaparral 2F

(for the panels around the wheels of a car see Fender (vehicle)

A wing in this context is an aerodynamic device intended to generate downforce on an automobile. The first production car to feature a rear wing was the 1969 mercury cyclone spoiler, soon followed by the drastically larger Superbird and Daytona wings. The angle of attack of the wing on some cars can be adjusted to increase downward force over the rear wheels, but drag is also increased. The simulation and testing of wings can be very expensive.

Spoilers are often confused with wings, and the terms are frequently (yet incorrectly) used interchangeably. Spoilers increase grip by reducing the lift created by a car's shape, and also reduce drag by eliminating the induced drag associated with that lift. Wings increase grip by producing downforce, at the expense of additional induced drag. Although identical in form to the wing of an aircraft, wings used in automotive applications are usually inverted (oriented upside-down) and sometimes reversed (oriented backwards) by comparison.

Effects of Wings on Different Drive Trains

Wings have an application in any drive train type, depending on the goal. Any car that can be made to oversteer, including front wheel drive cars, can benefit from the addition of wings.

Wings in Automotive trends

It has become fashionable to add wings to cars as an aftermarket fashion accessory. Such wings are typically useless and often compromise performance measurably.

See also

• Sprint car racing#Winged sprint cars