Saturn Tuning Basics: Spoilers
Car customization has been around ever since the hotrod days of the 1950's. Tuners,
which refers to the collective that are into the customization of automobiles,
have found several ways in tweaking a specific cars performance and appearance
to suit their driving preference. A far cry from the original tuning practice,
which was more or less the tweaking
of the engine to set different levels of air-fuel mixture ratios that gave performance
boosts to cars. Spring Hill-based automaker Saturn has had its share of models
tuned and customized
despite being a newcomer to the industry, being established by General Motors
Corporation (GMC) as a subsidiary in 1985.
Aside from the usual tuning and add ons that are applied to various cars (i.e.
engine tuning, air filters, air intakes, etc.), there are other areas wherein
performance can be optimized. Most customizations or tuning deals with looks
or upgrading performance, but
there are those that can serve both functions. The most notable is perhaps the
spoiler, which also doubles as a decorative
accessory for various Saturn models. Saturn Spoilers are either mounted on the front (air dam) or rear (otherwise known as the wing)
and enhance the aerodynamics of the car as well as add a bit of flair.
The front spoiler is usually situated under the front bumper while the
rear is located on top of the car's trunklid. Aerodynamically, front
spoilers are there to reduce drag by redirecting air flow away from the
tires and into the underbody, while rear spoilers provide extra
downforce when the car reaches top speeds, thereby stabilizing the
vehicle. Of course, the performance enhancement may not prove to be
much use for non-tuners or non-racers, but commercial spoilers which
are mostly for decorative purposes have been known to come in stock for
some vehicles, easily replaceable by different designs and more
aerodynamic-friendly.
