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

Andy
Update by Andy Hollis to the Mazda ND MX-5 project car
Sep 13, 2024 | Aerodynamics, Nine Lives Racing, Triple Threat Miata

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Photography by Andy Hollis

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 is …

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Comments
Coniglio Rampante
Coniglio Rampante Reader
9/13/24 10:17 a.m.

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.

CrashDummy
CrashDummy Reader
9/13/24 11:38 a.m.

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. 

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
9/13/24 12:13 p.m.

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.

Andy Hollis
Andy Hollis
9/13/24 12:30 p.m.
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.

fatallightning
fatallightning HalfDork
9/13/24 12:53 p.m.

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

ARrotard
ARrotard New Reader
9/13/24 3:09 p.m.

But does it have to be so ugly?

theruleslawyer
theruleslawyer Reader
9/13/24 3:49 p.m.
ARrotard said:

But does it have to be so ugly?

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

Keith Tanner
Keith Tanner GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
9/16/24 10:10 a.m.

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. 

350z247
350z247 Reader
9/16/24 2:02 p.m.

In reply to ARrotard :

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

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