Rear spoiler question

[andy97]

I notice that the regs allow the rear spoiler to be either fixed up or fixed down, but I don't see any examples of the spoiler being in the up position in any of the photos.

Does anyone run with the spoiler up, and if not, why not please?

Thanks

Andy

[Chris Valentine]

From comments I've heard in previous seasons, we're not going fast enough for long enough for it to be effective. Unless they just meant me.

Chris.

[andy97]

Interesting, Chris. You wonder why Porsche bothered with at all then, because if you are not going fast enough to be effective on track you surely aren't on the road.

I'd have thought it was some use in the Craner Curves, and some of the corners at Silverstone or Thruxton etc

[Chris Valentine]

Interesting, Chris. You wonder why Porsche bothered with at all then, because if you are not going fast enough to be effective on track you surely aren't on the road.

I don't know about that - you know what these nutty Germans are like on their Autobahns.

[andy97]

Guess I was thinking of uk only.

I wonder if anyone has done a back to back comparison of lap times on a number of tracks?

[John Broadley]

I've often wodered why Porsche went to the trouble of fitting a spoiler to 924S and 944 when it wasn't on the 924. Porsche don't usually add bits and pieces unless there's a good reason. A bit of Googling found this: "Externally, the 924S didn’t look much different from the car that had been phased out (924), although it did carry a rear spoiler from the discontinued 924 Turbo that lowered drag from 0.36 to 0.33". In theory then a bit less drag so better on long straights. I'd imagine it adds a bit of rear downforce too which should add stability in fast corners.
John B

[andy97]

And interestingly, the "Spec Boxster" racers in the USA seem to all have the spoiler up in the photos I have seen.