Is The Spoiler Dead?

"Nerd-Vol" (Nerd-Vol)
04/15/2015 at 14:39 • Filed to: Spoilers

It feels like it's been a decade since you could get cars from the factory with a spoiler like this:

What new car is available with a spoiler like this? Not the big box wings you get on STi's and Evo's, I'm talking about a regular tacked on trunk spoiler for your family car. Now a days you seem to only get tasteful lip spoilers. What brand is hanging on to the 90s spoiler?

DISCUSSION (38)

Takuro Spirit > Nerd-Vol
04/15/2015 at 14:41

Mercedes, of all people

Kinja'd!!!

Textured Soy Protein > Nerd-Vol
04/15/2015 at 14:43

Kinja'd!!!

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Takuro Spirit
04/15/2015 at 14:45

Kinja'd!!!

KirkyV > Nerd-Vol
04/15/2015 at 14:45

Kinja'd!!!

Honda and Subaru, at the very least, have no intention of letting the nineties wing die.

Nerd-Vol > Textured Soy Protein
04/15/2015 at 14:46

So pretty much exclusive to sports cars.

KirkyV > Takuro Spirit
04/15/2015 at 14:46

Kinja'd!!!

Jaguar, too.

TheHondaBro > Nerd-Vol
04/15/2015 at 14:47

Kinja'd!!!

Hermann > Nerd-Vol
04/15/2015 at 14:47

You mean spoilers that are more integrated into the body lines?

Nerd-Vol > TheHondaBro
04/15/2015 at 14:49

That's what I'm talking about!

Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis > Nerd-Vol
04/15/2015 at 14:49

Pontiac tried their hardest.

Kinja'd!!!

Nerd-Vol > Dwhite - Powered by Caffeine, Daft Punk, and Corgis
04/15/2015 at 14:50

I bet it looks terrible without that spoiler.

Milky > Nerd-Vol
04/15/2015 at 14:50

I'd argue there are more wings then ever. Most are just hidden now though.

Kinja'd!!!

Nerd-Vol > Milky
04/15/2015 at 14:52

Those are rare birds(Chrysler excluded). I am after the spoilers you would get as a dealer installed option on your 2000 Honda accord. Seems to be lip spoilers these days.

HammerheadFistpunch > Nerd-Vol
04/15/2015 at 14:52

You mean body colored drag adders? Yeah, I think people have figured out that they are stupid.

Milky > Nerd-Vol
04/15/2015 at 14:55

Ahh I see … to answer your question: Yes.

The world has slightly more taste now.

Nerd-Vol > Milky
04/15/2015 at 14:56

So evolution is still doing its thing!

jariten1781 > Nerd-Vol
04/15/2015 at 14:57

Kinja'd!!!

Sentra still has it. Actually a lot of the family cars do, but they're in the dealer options catalog as opposed to factory so you don't see them as often since the dealers would have to prep and paint.

DrScientist > Nerd-Vol
04/15/2015 at 15:01

are we going to have to have a wing vs spoiler conversation? i know the UK-definitions may be a bit different, but here in the states, the two have different aerodynamic effects.

a spoiler is intended to "spoil" the airflow off of the back of a car that causes lift.

a wing, is intended to create downforce.

its a subtle difference as the net effect of both should be the same: get the rear end more grounded to the ground. the way to identify the differences is fairly obvious. a wing allows air to flow underneath it, whereas a spoiler does not. think porsche 928 S (spoiler) vs porsche 928 S4 (wing).

now... to your original question... why don't we see any of these as much anymore?

i think the answer is true for both: mpgs. both of these will add some level of drag to the car. and in today's world, where efficiency is king, the slight benefit gained from increased grip at super high speeds is not nearly enough to offset the benefit seen by an increase of a mile or two per gallon.

increased mpgs will sell cars, a bit more grip, probably not.

Kanaric > HammerheadFistpunch
04/15/2015 at 15:05

What's stupid about something that gives downforce to a sports car? Is Porsche dumb for having the active spoiler on a Cayman?

HammerheadFistpunch > Kanaric
04/15/2015 at 15:09

um, didn't you just hear me refer to them as body colored drag adders? I'm not talking about an engineered aero piece, I'm talking about a "look how sporty my Pontiac sunfire is" piece. Of course real aero is awesome.

MarquetteLa > Nerd-Vol
04/15/2015 at 15:15

http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/spoiler-alert-…

Coty > Kanaric
04/15/2015 at 15:24

Di....did you read?

PushToStart > Nerd-Vol
04/15/2015 at 15:26

It looks terrible regardless of spoiler presence if you ask me...

Sneaky Pete > Nerd-Vol
04/15/2015 at 15:34

Kinja'd!!!

Honda Fit.

BeaterGT > Nerd-Vol
04/15/2015 at 15:41

Legacy GTs had them until 2008. I didn't buy mine until I found one without a spoiler.

BeaterGT > Hermann
04/15/2015 at 15:41

Fourth gen Camaro nails this.

jjhats > Nerd-Vol
04/15/2015 at 15:50

ford focus sedans have them on the titanium models

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Nerd-Vol
04/15/2015 at 15:51

Ford still rocks one on the Fusion as an option. Looks worse without it IMO.

Kinja'd!!!

asenna > Nerd-Vol
04/15/2015 at 15:55

Kinja'd!!!

Please see wings vs spoilers http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/wings-spoilers…

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > DrScientist
04/15/2015 at 16:11

Some spoilers allow air underneath them and some wings don't.

HMushman > Nerd-Vol
04/15/2015 at 17:26

God, I hope so.

Kanaric > Coty
04/15/2015 at 17:29

Ca....can you type without memeing?

Coty > Kanaric
04/15/2015 at 17:38

I didn't realize that was a meme, but if your ability to recognize memes is better than your reading comprehension, I think you have bigger problems than me "memeing".

DrScientist > BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest.
04/15/2015 at 23:53

explain?

BmanUltima's car still hasn't been fixed yet, he'll get on it tomorrow, honest. > DrScientist
04/16/2015 at 00:40

This is a spoiler:

Kinja'd!!!