Designing and building a wing for an ND Miata with Nine Lives Racing

Looking for both speed and consistency? Rear end feeling a little unstable when you’d rather it not? A rear wing might be the answer you seek. 

While we still use our Triple Threat Miata project as a time trials weapon and take it out for weekend country drives, it’s primarily become our tire testing mule, a role for which consistency …

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Nice to see the balance is good front-to-rear with this application.  Meaning, you didn't then have to start chasing an unintended consequence at the front.

Great data! How much drag does this add to the car? Would it reduce your top speeds on a fast track like Watkins Glen? 

Nine Lives does nice work and it always seems to be functional. I'd still prefer the look of something less "park bench" like for a streetable car though but I know the large wing is the key to getting the useable downforce. 

In reply to CrashDummy :

Pretty much any wing is going to add drag, and that means it'll affect top speeds at fast tracks. The trick is not to lose more speed on the straights than you gain on the corners - keep adding more wing until the lap times stop dropping and start going up :)

Note that the "effective yet inexpensive coil-over kit from RedShift" is no longer available.

CrashDummy said:

Great data! How much drag does this add to the car? Would it reduce your top speeds on a fast track like Watkins Glen?

I haven't done an A/B at COTA, nor will I likely do so since the ND is an exercise in frustration there due to low power and low top speed.

But there is zero divergence of the speed trace at Harris Hill.

You can't tell me that's not Pikachu coded.

But does it have to be so ugly?

ARrotard said:

But does it have to be so ugly?

No, but the swoopy CF version would probably be a $3k wing.

In reply to theruleslawyer :

More importantly, if it were further forward you wouldn't be able to open the trunk. Material isn't that much of a factor. This is not a pure race car part because this is not a pure race car. 

In reply to ARrotard :

Yeah, apparently my "Function over Form" has a limit

In reply to Coniglio Rampante :

I would be interested in determining how much does drag by inducing a moment lift the front end vs pure DF doing the same by being behind rear axle. Thinking being, the down force moved forward by moving wing forward would reduce that front in lift but retain much of the DF, and by raising wing DF might increase ( or be more efficient) by being in much cleaner air, but with the downside of creating a larger moment by simply having a longer higher wing strut mounting.

350z247 said:

In reply to ARrotard :

Yeah, apparently my "Function over Form" has a limit

Same. And I have to add that I'm disappointed to see both GRM and 9 Lives Racing deleting and hiding critical comments questioning the appearance and practicality of this wing kit on FB and Insta.

6 bolts and remove for street use.