None...that's my point. Functional spoilers are much larger and always aft of the wheels for clearer air and leverage. The 308's spoiler size and location is its nonfunctional giveaway; forward of the wheels and hidden in stream shadow of the targa arch and rear windscreen. Its also too narrow to provide any useful down force. The deck louver angle indicates that the spoiler has no function relative to air flow through the engine space. The 308's main sales competition, Porsche, made the spoiler de riguier on exotics in the mid-70s. Standard on 911 Turbos, an option on 911s. Late-70s Lambos had spoilers. But these cars had functional spoilers, not a foppish faux leather barrette!
It was well described to me by BigTex a while back.... "It is a true inverted airfoil, an attempt to break the dead air vortex caused by the sail panels and vertical rear glass. The underscoop under the engine is far the greater part to insure that happens though." I never thought that it was there for downforce....the shape of the car itself provides that. Makes sense to me.
As a matter of fact (as far as any fact about Ferrari is concerned) the car tended to be nose light at speed and hence the development of the lower front spoiler later on which we call the "euro" spoiler.
Got ya, sorry mis-understood and thought I had a brain lesion and forgot all the other cars with the mid spoiler.
The 2nd generation Suby Impreza WRX STIs had the mid-wing. Either it's a popular decoration or there has to be some function to it... Image Unavailable, Please Login
The BB. The Lancia Stratos had one as well although it was placed higher and more forward. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
BMW "Batmobiles" : http://images.pistonheads.com/nimg/22796/6153-L.jpg Designed to literally drag air down from the roof to feed onto the rear spoiler for downforce. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Having a 77 it did not come with the roof spoiler. I don't care for it but if I had a choice I like the looks of the 288GTO spoiler on the rear deck lip. Just my 2 cents
the spoiler on the BB and the stratos are functional as they make a good lift handle for the rear clamshell
According to the book "Ferrari 308 & Mondial" by Geoff Willoughby (copyright 1982, 1984) "At the 1977 Geneva Show, Pininfarina displayed a 308GTB which had been modified..." The exercise included body features later found on the 208 & 308 (rear air foil, deep front spoiler) and the 288 GTO (wide fenders/quarter panels/increased turned up tail). The rear air foil was OPTIONAL on later (~1982+) 208's & 308's. Since it was optional, I'm confident it was strictly cosmetic: If it were there for cooling the engine, all of some country-specific versions would have it, but this is not the case (e.g. perhaps coupled with the extra US rear bonnet louvers). Same with "down-force" (i.e. high speed safety & stability), again, all would have the "feature". Understanding that wind tunnel test results are not necessary visually-intuitive, I believe the increased turned-up tail that found its way onto the 288 GTO is likely to increase high-speed down-force. I believe the "benefit" is strictly for aesthetics (personally, I like it ). When ordered from the factory, GTS versions had the textured finish to match the targa top, the GTB's had a smooth semi-flat finish like the Boxers. Heres a good visual on the car, it looks identical the black and white picture in the book from the 1977 Geneva car show: http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/other-italian-cars/188659-1977-geneva-motor-show-pininfarina-ferrari-308-millechiodi.html
Did no one tell them that the net effect is lift because of the loss between the scoop and the spoiler.
How often, in the states, is one ever going fast enough to make use of "downforce"? it only really matters on the track.
I disagree on the airfoil section (if you cut it in half. From what I can feel the foil is flat or slightly concave on the bottom and positively (convex) on the top. It's not an inverted airfoil. It's position on the car indicates to me that it has nothing to do with downforce either at the front via the spoiler or in the rear via a large inverted wing. The theory that it thwarts a dead spot by creating suction via the negative pressure seems to make some sense. But why is it there?. The premise that it's just a decorative add on is not out of the question. Stylists do this kind of thing to create a "newer" looking car hoping to visually attract new buyers for a car that had essentially not changed since 1977. Like it or not is a matter of personal taste. On the other hand, Ferrari, for the most part, puts considerable thought into many of it's designs. The much maligned window winding system is a good example: Why use the complex cable and pulley system when a simple scissors and gear system would do the job and is found on most production cars? I think the answer is that it's lighter in weight and thus more "race car" in it's design and that is, or was, the way Ferrari thought of such things. As for the "wing", I'm pretty sure that wind tunnel design was not very sophisticated back in the eighties. Those were the "tuffs of yarn taped to the body" days and if the wing really serves a function is't a pretty subtle adjustment to the aerodynamics. Probably the only way to find out what the thinking was would be to talk to those who were there during the 308 design and evolution and with Ferrari the odds of getting the true story might not be all that great. Just my $0.2
You have to remember, this was the early 70's, back then if the theory sounded good then they would go with it! As Donald "Duck" Dunn said : [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRLAg6NKv0Y[/ame]
in the 308 showroom thread are these two pics i found. i do not know who the copyright holder is, but my understanding is this was the prototype 308, and that had the rear roof spoiler added. i have always heard it was to remove hot air in the engine compartment. I thought the roof spoiler was optional late in 1977? Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I think those pics are of the GT"S" prototype developed after the GTB was out and selling well. The 308 GTB prototype was a different car ?
308 GTS prototype, previously discussed (briefly), here: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=258596 The original 308 GTB prototype and the following vetroresina cars had solid orange rear indicator lenses and the reversing lights were seperate units mounted in the rear bumper. The car in these pictures has the reversing lights inset into the rear indicator lenses, making it a later GTS prototype.
Take a look at the other cars around the 308, in 1977 this car must have looked like it was from outer space. Timeless design, good decision not to go with the fixed spoiler like in the photo.
A decade on, the Lancia Delta Integrale Evo had a spoiler in much the same position. This one is definitely not cosmetic, it was used in competition. It apparently improves the cd by 0.5. It was put in to balance resistance due to the larger frontal section (look at the wheel arches). The spoiler is reversible to offer two positions, one with more downforce. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
That's amazing. I've never seen this, thanks for posting. You'd almost think it was a roll bar but it doesn't look structurally solid at all. I'd have to say that the spoiler they ended up with on the GTS is prettier, but this shows that a lot of thought and effort went into the whole process.
