Fender top "Wind splits"?

[avendlerdp]

Has anyone tried using those vertical fins along the tops of the front fenders like the BMW CSL's had in the '70's on a 911? I guess they reduced lift by forcing the air over the windshield thus creating a high pressure area there. Seems like they could work on our cars too.

Here's a picture.

[Dantilla]

That was part of the original design- Headlight buckets raised, leaving a low, sloped hood.

[Flieger]

I agree that the "humpy" fenders do contain air on the front hood slope to a certain extent.

However, the raised fender/headlights were actually thought of as an aid for racing drivers. Ferry Porsche did not like the look of cars with motorcylce fenders like the Lotus 7. Fenders were needed for aerodynamics and road-car usability. He still wanted to know right where the front wheels were to clip the apex of a turn. Therefore, raised fenders. The importance of seeing the wheel in the apex can be seen by the old Mercedes Silver Arrows from the 1950s. They had an SLR based F1 car at Reims one year with closed fenders. They had a speed advantage and won. After that, they started to loose because they were slower through the twisties. They quickly removed the fenders.

935s used the fender fences to prevent air from spilling off of the slope nose. This can be seen as a "sharpening" of the creases between the standard fenders and hood. Same effect, just more pronounced.

[AngM018]

The old slant nose 935's used them, b/c of the flat nose. really no need for them with our nose design

[Flieger]

They are only needed on slope-noses