Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Normal
On this web page, Honda stated that the 2002 redesign of the NSX's side sills reduced turbulence along the side of the car. That had to reduce drag and if you have a properly shaped underbody, lower sills should increase downforce as well.Since Honda already made such significant changes to the front end of the 2002+ NSX-R to create enough downforce to balance out the big rear wing, maybe they didn’t add rear underbody panels because they couldn’t practically add even more downforce to the front to balance them out. Maybe. But only someone in the development team would really know.In this series of tests, the undertrays at the rear of the car reduced drag more than those at the front:However, that doesn’t hold for all cars. When Audi released the B6 generation of the A4 in 2000, they published some data regarding the aerodynamic improvements to the underbody. The front underbody panels look like they were at least as important as the rear panels. But the panels just in front of the rear wheels, where an NSX has its gas tank, were particularly important on that car. Note: the predecessor B5 generation already had a partial front undertray and wheel spoilers, so those aren't listed in the "improvements" to the B6 below.
On this web page, Honda stated that the 2002 redesign of the NSX's side sills reduced turbulence along the side of the car. That had to reduce drag and if you have a properly shaped underbody, lower sills should increase downforce as well.
Since Honda already made such significant changes to the front end of the 2002+ NSX-R to create enough downforce to balance out the big rear wing, maybe they didn’t add rear underbody panels because they couldn’t practically add even more downforce to the front to balance them out. Maybe. But only someone in the development team would really know.
In this series of tests, the undertrays at the rear of the car reduced drag more than those at the front:
However, that doesn’t hold for all cars. When Audi released the B6 generation of the A4 in 2000, they published some data regarding the aerodynamic improvements to the underbody. The front underbody panels look like they were at least as important as the rear panels. But the panels just in front of the rear wheels, where an NSX has its gas tank, were particularly important on that car. Note: the predecessor B5 generation already had a partial front undertray and wheel spoilers, so those aren't listed in the "improvements" to the B6 below.
