Laterally split active aero - this is a gimmick, right?

The Pagani Huayra and Lamborghini Aventador SVJ both have laterally split active aero systems that, in a turn, decrease downforce on the side of the car that is on the outside of the corner to help keep the car level and improve rotation slightly. I think this is unlikely to make the car faster. They're essentially sacrificing downforce for an improvement in suspension geometry, a trade that I don't think will net a profit in any car with good suspension geometry (as you should expect from a 6+ digit supercar or purpose-built race car).

The way I see it, in terms of active aero downforce levels, the best strategy is to run maximum downforce in the corners and braking zones and minimum downforce on the straights, it's that simple, and kind of disappointingly boring. These supercar manufacturers seem to be leaving a bit of cornering performance on the table to add some whiz-bang features to the cars.

For a supercar that doesn't have to fit any ruleset, I think adding rudders and dedicated air brakes would be more helpful active aero technologies.

I think its more likely to work than that ridiculous tilty wing thing on the new Zenvo. 

Just checked out the Zenvo TSR-S's tilty wing. It's essentially having the wing also act as a rudder by turning some downforce into a left/right ruddering force. Looking at it in action, it works to keep the rear of the car in line...it might make the car faster on corner exit but probably doesn't help anywhere else...assuming that the ruddering force is more helpful than downforce in keeping the rear in line (maybe not?).

Edit: Watching a bit more, it also seems to steer the rear of the car outward on corner entry sometimes, which seems like a pretty scary idea to me.

The way I see it, in terms of active aero downforce levels, the best strategy is to run maximum downforce in the corners and braking zones and minimum DRAG on the straights, it's that simple

Fixed that line for you...

Laterally differential aero could be a benfit if you are approaching the breakover limits of the tires in combined loading (cornering/downforce/power or more correctly: lateral/vertical/longitudinal loading). It woud be a small benefit in rotational advantage, but still an advantage, aerodynamically. It all depends, as you said on the suspension design and tires it was designed for.

GameboyRMH said:

Just checked out the Zenvo TSR-S's tilty wing. It's essentially having the wing also act as a rudder by turning some downforce into a left/right ruddering force. Looking at it in action, it works to keep the rear of the car in line...it might make the car faster on corner exit but probably doesn't help anywhere else...assuming that the ruddering force is more helpful than downforce in keeping the rear in line (maybe not?).

Edit: Watching a bit more, it also seems to steer the rear of the car outward on corner entry sometimes, which seems like a pretty scary idea to me.

There was an article where an engineer/aerodynamicist explained that it did not help at all, and why it did not help. And if you watch any footage of it on the track, it seems pretty slow through the corner

Edit: Found it

GameboyRMH said:

The Pagani Huayra and Lamborghini Aventador SVJ both have laterally split active aero systems that, in a turn, decrease downforce on the side of the car that is on the outside of the corner to help keep the car level and improve rotation slightly. I think this is unlikely to make the car faster. They're essentially sacrificing downforce for an improvement in suspension geometry, a trade that I don't think will net a profit in any car with good suspension geometry (as you should expect from a 6+ digit supercar or purpose-built race car).

The way I see it, in terms of active aero downforce levels, the best strategy is to run maximum downforce in the corners and braking zones and minimum downforce on the straights, it's that simple, and kind of disappointingly boring. These supercar manufacturers seem to be leaving a bit of cornering performance on the table to add some whiz-bang features to the cars.

For a supercar that doesn't have to fit any ruleset, I think adding rudders and dedicated air brakes would be more helpful active aero technologies.

I guess the question is, would race car designers start adding active aero like this to their cars if series rules allowed it? I don't know the answer, except that the first thing they would probably do is add a ton of ground effects!

stafford1500 said:

The way I see it, in terms of active aero downforce levels, the best strategy is to run maximum downforce in the corners and braking zones and minimum DRAG on the straights, it's that simple

Fixed that line for you...

Laterally differential aero could be a benfit if you are approaching the breakover limits of the tires in combined loading (cornering/downforce/power or more correctly: lateral/vertical/longitudinal loading). It woud be a small benefit in rotational advantage, but still an advantage, aerodynamically. It all depends, as you said on the suspension design and tires it was designed for.

that is exactly what i was gonna say, but i knew you'd say it better.

In reply to Dave M :

They absolutely would.  The Porsche 919 Evo adds active aero over the 919 WEC car, and is quite a bit faster (in addition to significant weight savings, more power, etc)

Matthew Kennedy said:

In reply to Dave M :

They absolutely would.  The Porsche 919 Evo adds active aero over the 919 WEC car, and is quite a bit faster (in addition to significant weight savings, more power, etc)

So maybe the asymmetric active aero would be useful in situations like a fast negative camber turn? I think it is an intriguing idea.