Roof spoilers: Eye sore and they suck

[Arith2]

I've been silent about them for a while but man do they look stupid. This is my opinion, of course. However, impractical mods look stupid to me. They create vortices in the wrong place, separate the air from the body, and cause low pressure where it shouldn't be. All our cars have a spoiler or duck bill at a minimum. If you have a roof spoiler, you're losing the benefit almost completely and still causing more drag. They look dumb and cost more money in gas.

Here's a PHD that proves this in Torronto. I found this video and am so thankful I did. I prefer scientific evidence to back my arguments...

[Advorsor]

Reviving this thread as I am contemplating putting the ACS piece on. I am a fan of the look and don’t really care about the negligible $ price difference for gas on a weekend car. Honestly, I think the CSL trunk is one of the worst looking mods for this car and is way too common… to each their own.

[powerbait]

Blasphemy! I can’t look at an e46 without a CSL trunk, they look funny, I only prefer the OEM style though.

[SUPREM3///]

Reviving this thread as I am contemplating putting the ACS piece on. I am a fan of the look and don’t really care about the negligible $ price difference for gas on a weekend car. Honestly, I think the CSL trunk is one of the worst looking mods for this car and is way too common… to each their own.

Boo this man

[Albino09]

Reviving this thread as I am contemplating putting the ACS piece on. I am a fan of the look and don’t really care about the negligible $ price difference for gas on a weekend car. Honestly, I think the CSL trunk is one of the worst looking mods for this car and is way too common… to each their own.

I'd like to see the same aero analysis of the standard lip spoiler vs. the CSL duckbill. I wouldn't be surprised if the duckbill is purely an aesthetic appearance thing to help justify the MSRP of the CSL over the base M3.

[jpiazzam3]

I have both the roof spoiler and CSL trunk. I love the look. But to each their own.

[Obioban]

My understanding is that they started on the 190E Evo 3 homologation car. There was a rule that the rear wing couldn't obstruct rearward visibility. Mercedes wanted a bigger rear wing, so they obstructed the back window at the window, so that the wing wasn't obstructing any visibility. Fixed.

People liked the look, and here here we are.

[Arith2]

I have both the roof spoiler and CSL trunk. I love the look. But to each their own.

That spoiler negates any benefits a CSL trunk will give you.

[Gearhead55]

My understanding is that they started on the 190E Evo 3 homologation car. There was a rule that the rear wing couldn't obstruct rearward visibility. Mercedes wanted a bigger rear wing, so they obstructed the back window at the window, so that the wing wasn't obstructing any visibility. Fixed.

People liked the look, and here here we are.

I love that solution for the 190E, classic racing outside-of-the-box response to regulations. I laughed out loud the first time I heard it. The window obstruction isn't really a roof spoiler though, I think there must be another genesis of the roof wing concept.

[01SG]

Shameful that you guys are forgetting your grand daddy.

[Gearhead55]

Shameful that you guys are forgetting your grand daddy.

You are correct and I am ashamed

[Obioban]

This is embarrassing

[jpiazzam3]

That spoiler negates any benefits a CSL trunk will give you.

I wasn’t expecting much downforce from either one of them.

[Estoril]

I wasn’t expecting much downforce from either one of them.

That is a very realistic expectation.

[usdmej]

roof spoilers and vortex generators work when designed to complement a large trunk mounted wing (see EVO 7 and the hawkeye STIs)

its probably safe to say that something like the ACS roof spoiler is a 100% cosmetic mod for our cars