Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
2/7/13 6:06 p.m.

Let's start with a history lesson. When NASCAR introduced the Car of Tomorrow (COT) in 2007, the cars were equipped a really nice carbon fiber wing optimized for low drag and good downforce. Unfortunately, it proved to be a liability when the cars were traveling backwards at high speed, so in 2010 they were replaced with a spoiler. The end result was a large number of excellent surplus wings hitting the market. The wings have a span of 54"-56" with several different end plate designs as well as a slot for a Guerney flap. They`re well sized for a high power Miata.

This is a great grassroots thing. On our local track, I cut nearly 2 seconds off my best time with one of these wings installed. And that`s on a tight kart track with a 50 mph average speed over a lap. On the fastest sweeper, the maximum speed of the car went up by 4 mph. You will need a front air dam at minimum and preferably a splitter to balance out the car at speed. I used a 3" splitter on the test car. The wing's set to be right at the edge of the car envelope - level with the roof and rear bumper.

By request, we're making copies of my mounts available. They attach to the very strong vertical lip around the trunk opening. If you use your car on the street, you can unbolt the mounts and there will be no visible holes in your car. It`s a great option for a dual-purpose car. The mounts are made from 1/8" aluminum. 10 holes need to be drilled in the car for installation.

The wing angle is set with a series of bolt holes. This allows for rapid adjustment and consistent settings - there`s no need to use an angle finder. The wing can be set in 1.0 degree increments.

Includes a pair of mounts only. Fasteners and the wing itself are not included. Wings are available from eBay or various circle track parts stores starting at around $300. Look for one of the carbon ones, not the "show only" ones made from ABS plastic - although it's quite possible that the latter are a good affordable option. I haven`t tried them.

This is a group buy product only. We do not anticipate keeping these in stock on a regular basis.

The pictures on the white Targa Miata show the prototype set of mounts. The production versions have a different angle to the bends, as shown on the silver car. The mounts will restrict the amount you can open the trunk when they are installed, although the trunk is still accessible.

We're probably not going to stock these as a regular item, so if you want a set then go in on the group buy. Flyin' Miata : Body : Body parts : COT wing mounts




Adrian_Thompson
Adrian_Thompson UltraDork
2/7/13 7:13 p.m.

Cool, but my google fu and e-bay search isn't finding any wings

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
2/7/13 9:45 p.m.

Then your fu needs work. Type "COT wing" into eBay and you get three immediately. Type "NASCAR wing" into eBay and you get six. Google's more of a challenge, but how many of them do you need? I have used the googles to find sources for them, I've found that 2ndchanceraceparts.com (aka Circle Track Warehouse) apparently have some.

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
2/8/13 1:17 p.m.

BTW, I had a request for a shot of how they mount to the car.

Adrian_Thompson
Adrian_Thompson UltraDork
2/8/13 6:36 p.m.

Ahhh thx. I made the mistake of searching for Car Of Tomorrow not COT.

mistanfo
mistanfo SuperDork
2/15/13 7:25 p.m.

I wonder about the CF wings with plastic end plates. I could likely make metal end plates fairly inexpensively. Or am I missing something?

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
2/15/13 7:34 p.m.

The only thing I'd watch for is the mounting points. The "show only" wings have the mounts attached with just a few rivets. The race wings have them attached with epoxy plus more rivets. I have read reports of people improving the show wings with more rivets successfully.

Making your own end plates would not be a challenge at all. Flat plate with three holes and you're done. I would also not shy away from the wings with the oddball end plates for the same reason.

BTW, we've hit our minimum for the group buy. So these are going to get made.

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