This will lead to a high pressure within the wheel arch along with a build-up of heat as the friction between the tyre and the road converts somewhat to sound and heat energy. For starters, manufacturers of modern cars might have to run narrower tyres at the rear of the vehicle to allow for a larger clearance so as not to scrape the spats, possibly decreasing handling prowess at the same time, which intrinsically affected the handling and overall dynamics of the car.Īlso, any air that does inevitably make its way under the spat and into the wheel arch is essentially trapped. However, the costs and drawbacks associated with applying rear wheel spats could now be are too steep and complex for mass-production. It was tested – and proven by General Motors for its pioneering aerodynamic electric GM EV1, for example – that applying spats help improve fuel economy, but sadly at a higher production cost and with some inherent drawbacks along the way. So, as it turns out, covering the rear wheels with spats (or fender flares, or fender skirts for any North American readers tuned-in) can indeed go a long way towards making vehicles more aerodynamic, quieter and fuel efficient, as well as potentially more stylish and distinctive in many cases.Īerodynamic drag harms fuel economy, so multiple manufacturers decided to enclose the rear wheels to eke as much efficiency from their vehicles as physically possible. Without spats, incoming air is able to force its way inside the wheel arch where it swiftly becomes turbulent as it bounces between the rotating wheel and the bodywork. They were introduced initially as aerodynamic aids, blocking air from entering the wheel arch and instead forcing it to flow smoothly over the bodywork, reducing the overall drag coefficient of the vehicle. Wheel spats are effectively just wheel arch covers that are either integral to the car’s bodywork (as on the Citroen 2CV or the part-covered wheel 1991 Chevrolet Caprice) or are bolt-on metal sheets that enclose the rear wheels (as found on the early Jaguar XK120 and new Pagani Zonda Barchetta). Wheel spats were a component that managed to trickle down through aeronautics, an aerodynamic guard for aircraft wheels that was drafted into car design and stayed put until the late 20 th Century. Much more of a surprise though was the brand new Pagani Zonda Barchetta – currently the world’s most expensive new car at c.£12.5million+ – making its global dynamic debut at Goodwood on the FOS Hill and in the Supercar Paddock, and proudly brandishing a pair of spats over its rear wheels, a feature not seen on modern cars for some time. This was not unusual given the late 1940s timings when each of these cars were launched, with rear wheel spats being at their height immediately post-war. The 1949 Cadillac Series 62 Sedanette on the Cartier Lawn, along with the early Jaguar XK120 Roadster and a bunch of Citroen 2CVs, could be found proudly sporting spats and part-covered rear wheels.
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