I fully understand that in the case of say F1 a spoiler has a large effect
> on down force and thus assists with cornering speed by adding grip... >
> However - consider the case of two ficticious chums from, for arguments
> sake, Essex England - home of the RS turbo.
>
> Barry and Garry both own rather aged Ford Escort Mk3's (say for arguments
> sake 1.6l engined ones and they are identical in power and handling)
> Being from Essex they both aspire to owning an RS turbo however only Barry
> can afford the trip to "Badly fitted body kits R us" to buy a rear boot
> spoiler that makes his bog standard 1.6 Escort look a bit more like an RS
> turbo (if you squint)
>
> Garry however just settles for fitting one of those chunky pads that go over
> the seat belt.
>
> The question is.......
>
> Does Barrys car now handle significantly and noticably better than Garrys
> now it has the spoiler on the back???
No. Garry got the better deal. Even if Barry had found an intact discarded RS body out back of the shop and installed it on his 1.6, there would be no significant change in handling or stability at normally attainable highway speeds. He might notice a small increase in petrol consumption.
Race car aerodynamics need race car speeds.
HTH, Fred Klingener