What Is A Spoiler On A Car? The Purposes And Advantages

Spoiler is a component to be seen in different types of cars—from drag racers to sports cars and heavy-duty trucks. Some high-performance cars like the Ferrari F1 also have spoilers on the front and back. But, what is a spoiler on a car? Well, many people interchange the term with “wing,” which generates downforce at the time of air passing around it, not just disrupting the patterns of existing airflow. Also, its function is quite opposite to that of a spoiler.

What Is A Spoiler On A Car?

A spoiler is an aerodynamic component used in automobiles to decrease drag. The spoiler on a car spoils unfavorable air movement across the body of a car that is in motion. The adverse motion of the air is known as turbulence or drag. The spoiler is known as an air dam when it is attached to the front of an automobile.

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Once, only high-performance sports vehicles and racing cars were used to install spoilers for aerodynamic benefits. But, they are pretty common in passenger cars these days. Some people use it for only aesthetic purposes and those spoilers can even increase the drag.

The spoiler is mounted in many different positions such as the body, front, and rear of the car, with many different shapes. Car spoilers are often produced mainly from lightweight polymer-based materials such as:

• ABS plastic: A type of flexible plastic produced by molding ABS plastic combined with other additives, typically granular fillers to increase hardness.
• Fiberglass: Lightweight, high durability, and ability to withstand great pressure.
• Silicone: Has mechanical strength and high-temperature resistance, increasing product life.
• Carbon fiber has the characteristics of lightness, super durability, outstanding force, and heat resistance.

Previously, spoilers were often only equipped on racing and sports cars, but now this accessory has been widely used in many car models to increase aesthetics and improve the performance of your vehicle.

What Does A Spoiler Do For A Car?

What are spoilers for? Well, a car spoiler purpose is to increase the vehicle’s grip on the road by decreasing the aerodynamic drag.

What keeps the tires of a car grounded to the surface? The weight of the car. The heavier a vehicle is, the better grip it has on the pavement. There are only two ways to increase the traction of lightweight vehicles—inventing new types of tires made of different compounds or increasing the weight.

The first option is quite unrealistic, so increasing the weight seems to be the only solution. But, extra weight is a problem for high-performance and racing cars because it takes a toll on speed and overall performance. A heavy-duty car won’t perform well around the turns where you need excellent traction to avoid losing control. In addition, more weight means added inertia that you have to overcome at the time of turning. This means that adding weight to a vehicle does not help with improving the grip.

What does a spoiler do for a car? It does what extra weight would do. You can compare its mechanism and function to that of an airplane wing, but upside down. It creates downforce on the car’s body so that it performs better against aerodynamic drag.

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The Advantages Of Spoilers

You’ve already got a clear idea regarding what is a spoiler on a car and what do spoilers do. But, how you are going to benefit from this component? Well, a spoiler will:

1. Improve traction

When the vehicle moves at a speed above 112km/h, the impact of pressure can cause the vehicle to lift. This will be very dangerous if the driver cannot control his steering wheel. Therefore, one of the practical benefits of the rear spoiler is to reduce airlift and increase traction, maintain traction, and help the vehicle operate stably.

2. Improve fuel efficiency

Wind resistance is one of the factors that affect a vehicle’s fuel economy. The reason is that when moving at a certain speed, the engine always has to withstand wind resistance. Then, the greater the resistance, the more fuel the vehicle must consume to operate and accelerate. Therefore, equipping a car spoiler is necessary to block the wind and limit fuel consumption for the vehicle.

3. Reduce drag

The spoiler can improve downforce, reducing drag and vehicle weight. Therefore, equipping a car spoiler is necessary to ensure stable and safe vehicle traffic, avoiding dangerous collisions, especially when traveling on highways.

4. Enhance the aesthetic of a vehicle

The spoiler is also considered an accessory that makes your car look more stylish and classy. Vehicle owners can choose spoilers with designs that suit the vehicle as well as express their personality. 

Car spoilers are considered a useful design in helping the vehicle operate stably and ensure driver safety during travel. In addition, this part also greatly affects the aesthetics of the car, so users should consider choosing the appropriate spoiler.

5. Enhanced aerodynamic performance

The wind deflector design has the effect of enhancing the aerodynamics of the car. The reason is that when the vehicle moves, the air currents will become chaotic and create a low-pressure area, increasing resistance, and making the vehicle operate unstable. Equipping a rear spoiler will limit the airflow separation and make the pressure at the front higher, thereby helping the car move more stably.