Quote:
Originally posted by silent_jay
So if the STI was RWD then the wing would be justified? Give your head a shake, I suppose that the FIA WRC cars have no need for the wings they use, or are they in a separate catageory? You seemed so sure of yourself, yet you were so wrong [/B]
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I am sure of myself.
FIA WRC cars have wings because they have:
A) No traction to begin with (snow, mud, gravel, and sand come to mind....
B) Have to drive on said surfaces at speeds that are much greater than legal road speeds in a majority of companies
C) Need traction to drive at the aforementioned speeds.
So, how do you get traction when you already have the best tires and the best 4wd system in place? Glue the car to the ground with aerodynamics, hence front & rear wings.
How does this translate to your on-road experience? It doesn't.
This is comparing apples and oranges.
The race prepared rally cars have a few elements in common with the street cars, but are radically different in purpose and construction.
Purpose :
Rally car : Go on low-traction surfaces at retardedly fast speeds.
Street car : Drive to Dairy queen. Look good for the ladies.
Construction :
Rally car: Bulletproof transmission, shop-fabricated chassis with complete roll protection & lexan windows, modified engine, top of the line suspension and driveline components. Racing seats. No stereo. Looks like a rally car. Tires that cost thousands of dollars apiece.
Street car: Built in a factory. Has a stereo. Used for carrying people. Racing-styled seats. Looks like a rally car. Subject to numerous DOT and other governing body regulations. Has airbags. Weighs hundreds of pounds more than the rally car.
If you think the Subaru WRX you drive is the same as a WRC, you are wrong. Here's yet another hint : WRCs cost probably cost $75k+ to build . You won't get one for cheap because the factory is being nice.
Lets take the Subaru WRX.
For the street, you have 4wd drive and decent sport tires. You shouldn't ever have a traction problem with 99% of legal driving. You aren't going to be cornering at 10/10ths of the cars ability, where the spoiler really makes the difference ( because it only makes a difference at higher speeds >50 mph ). I'm talking about flying through a small radius, 80+ degree corner, you know, one marked 15 or 25, tires screeching and passengers shitting themselves.
Therefore, the factory spoiler is factory rice. It is there more for aesthetics than performance.
Now, if you were doing ralleys and SCCA autocrosses on a regular basis, the spoiler would be a worthwhile feature of the car. But for crusing to the strip mall, it is useless.
But, I suppose you knew all this, as you are an expert in WRC and all things automobiles, and I have wasted my time typing this.