Celica Forums General Discussion General Does this make sense?

So the whole point of having a spoiler/bodykit/front air diffuser, technically, is to put downforce on the car so you have traction. But isn't that just like weighing down the car? Like we lighten our cars so they go faster, but then we put front lips and wings on which creates downforce, which is like having extra weight in the car. Unless my logic is flawed somehow. Comments?

that's correct, but if you had no downforce...tires come up...no traction
you want as much power as you can on the ground
and spoilers help from the rear from flyin around.

but arent spoilers useless on our cars, since it is a fwd, not a rwd

No, they serve a purpose. I've gone around a turn, uphill, and had my back end slide out. That wouldn't have happened if I had had a spoiler (I've got the stock one, but it's good for nothin').

No, its not the same. More real weight (like say, cargo in the trunk) has to be accelerated by the engine power output. Downforce from a spoiler only increases traction. Of course, you have to be going pretty fast to get any useful downforce.

Aren't some kits/spoilers are lighter than stock though?

So you'd actually be making the car lighter with those.

^^ thats what i thought, my kit seemed like it was lighter then the stock bumpers.

what i think you have to realize is that when you have a wing down force doesn't apply immediately. since your car is light weight then your acceleration will be better, then when you reach a certain speed (eg. 80 mph) your wing takes effect and creates downforce from the air displacement

arent certain paint color like super black heavier than liquid silver? im just wondering, if paint has different weight to it.

LOL, paint does not have different weight

Actually it does, but it's not a significant ammount that having another color would make you any faster than another car with a different color.

yellow

not only do different paints weight different, but some are stronger then others. Red paint being the most brittle and with being the strongest

This is fucking ridiculous.

whats scary is i was thinking this same exhact thought the other day, i just figured that the downforce keeps the car down and weight affects accel and decel