Does anyone have any insight about aftermarket rear wings? Do they work? Who makes the best? Thanks.

If you find one claiming otherwise, with the wind tunnel data to back it up, let us all know!!

... but the TOCA wings are the only airfoils I've seen actually produce downforce. Downforce is, of course, not produced without drag. So how important is downforce over the rear wheels? Very, on the racetrack.<p>Question: What happens when you don't reinforce the trunklid when adding a rear wing?<p>Answer: If the trunklid is sheetmetal, the fixed rear wing produces a couple hundred pounds of downforce at 120mph, crushing your decklid in the process.<p>Hint: Crushed decklids don't have positive effects on the overall aerodynamic characteristics of your car.<p>Hint #2: If you're able to assume that you won't crush your decklid, your spoiler isn't doing much.<p>Cameron

Not just the BTCC cars have active airfoils, of course, and many cars on the road today have plenty of active airfoils (underneath the TT, of instance). However, the racing 911 Turbos supposedly produce more downforce at top speed than is needed to exceed the curb weight plus the rolling weight compensation. What does this mean in real life?<p>In theory, if you could get the car up to speed, you could drive the car upside down on the ceiling of your favorite tunnel.<p>Cameron<br>

How else will us pedestrians with "normal" cars keep up with all the hot dogs with coffee-can exhausts and huge "spoilers", if not by enjoying our lower weight and drag due to less tacky add-ons? ;-) I'm hoping to market newly styled sacks of cement for $800 a piece to enhace your "downforce" for better handling, you know!<p>This relates to the trailer-trash-drag-racing-rusty-camaros crowd I grew up with. Will they ever realize that jacking up the rear end shifts weight to the wrong end of the car . . . ? Nah, lets leave 'em in their phantasy world where detached traction bars and overcarbureted tunnel-rams help your E.T.s. Oh, yeah, and bigger pipes *always* make bigger horsepower; just ask the neon-pantsed crotch-rocket crowd!<p>Sorry, I was having a moment of bitterness. I shall recover . . . . aaahhhh!

I actually *like* the look of a rear wing on the A4, and on the M3, for that matter.<p>But I won't fool myself into thinking I'm getting any faster with it . . . .

<br>most don't do anything but cosmetics, i know though the Hohenester wing and front spoiler do work, and AZK has the BTCC spoiler available in pure carbon fiber

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nt<br>

C&D had an article a month or two ago about aerodynamic aids.<p>Based on testing they concluded the wings (spoilers) don't perform below 130ish. Even the big tail an a 911 was ineffective at low speeds (as in 100 mph)

<br>Wings don't have to have down force to work. By disrupting the air drag (vacuum) in back of the car...bingo... faster car with less lift.

I added it just for the style and I know they don't do much at normal speed. The reason for my regret is the workmanship of the installation. The Oettinger wing is a 3 point attachment by screws and glue. The glue was put on badly so I asked them to do it again. I ended up having 3 very scratched areas on the boot now. All in all my advice is, DON'T.

But would there be enough extra force to have enough grip to be able to put down the power that it would take to maintain those speeds? (whuf, out of breath!) Or is that what you mean by the rolling weight? I enjoy the idea for it's visualization, but is it truly possible?

Check out LLTeks Type M and Type S wings. They are really nice! I have the type M. They are $429 painted.

Thanks everybody for the input. I think since I like the look of my A4 already, and don't plan on driving upside down in tunnels at over 130mph, that I will bypass the wing.

<br>nt