Front Splitter and Winglet: Basic Components for Optimal Performance

It’s easy for auto enthusiasts to lose their perspective when it comes to aftermarket aerodynamic parts. That’s partly because there are literally thousands of parts and panels on the market that do absolutely nothing for performance. And given the multiplicative nature of aerodynamics in particular, even the best of these parts you can also find online can’t always achieve substantial results before exceeding the national speed limit.

There are solid aerodynamic benefits to be gained at any speed by sticking with the basics though, and the area of low pressure under a car is a spot that’s primed with potential. Here is where the benefits of high performance frontend splitters are designed to make a difference.

Frontend Splitters Let Drivers Benefit From Maximum Downforce

When it comes to automotive aerodynamics, downforce is the name of the game. But while most aftermarket parts are oriented toward increasing topside downforce, knowledgeable auto tuners know that a properly engineered front splitter and winglet combination is capable of delivering underside aerodynamic advantages that dwarf their topside equivalents at almost any speed.

Unlike front-mounted spoilers that are designed to move air around the sides of a car’s nose, splitters are engineered to create over and under airflow zones across the top and bottom. Slow moving high pressure air that’s directed over the nose is responsible for producing downforce, while fast moving low pressure air ducted under the nose creates a suction-inducing pressure differential. 

It’s the combination of both downward forces together, however, that’s twice as favourable for frontend downforce, allowing front splitters to be instantly credited with:

• A significant improvement in handling and stability. The downforce-producing pressure differential created by front splitters is the ideal remedy for frontend lift, making them an immediate source of improved handling and stability.
• An increase in traction, especially in front wheel drive (FWD) cars. The compounded downforce generated by front splitters is excellent for increasing grip and traction on FWD cars, especially at high speeds.
• A noticeable improvement in overall performance. Not only is the pressurised underside airflow generated by a properly crafted splitter great for cooling engine fluids, it’s also good at cooling brakes and brake lines.

In spite of their standalone efficiency, front lip splitters are designed to work best as part of a complete ground effects tuning package. Even when used as individual components though, their ability to ensure a solid increase in downforce still gives them an indisputable advantage over virtually every other aftermarket aero part or panel, especially spoilers. Under optimal conditions, a splitter can produce as much as 90kgs of added downforce, all without creating a headache over ADR compliance or drawing unwanted attention during a roadside inspection.

Understanding What Gives Front Splitters the Aero Advantage 

While aeroparts manufacturers like ADRO, Zero Offset, and Flow Designs are globally recognised for their commitment to innovation and craftsmanship, they understand that material selection is the key to successful front lip splitter design. A well engineered splitter is expected to keep frontend weight to an absolute minimum, while retaining the rigidity needed to keep its shape at high speed. 

Only the strongest and most durable materials are engineered to satisfy all these requirements:

• High rigidity acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). Lightweight, affordable ABS is best known for its high strength and rigidity. It also blends easily with polycarbonate (PC) alloys to create extra strong PC/ABS composites that offer optimal low-cost impact and heat resistance.
• High tensile strength carbon fibre. Pre-impregnated carbon fibre boasts a tensile strength that’s five times stronger by weight than steel. The result is extraordinary strength and stiffness that’s especially resistant to deformation under extreme loads and fatigue.
• Super-light high density polyethylene (HDPE). HDPE enjoys a weight and impact resistance advantage over both ABS and carbon fibre. And together with its superior resistance to sunlight and UV exposure, the smoothness of HDPE car front splitter kits gives them a natural wind-cheating advantage that’s as good for fuel economy as it is for performance.

The wide array of splitter materials also allows them to be used for an equally wide range of splitter configurations, including:

• Flat-type splitters. Model-specific, flat-type splitters are typically one-piece assemblies consisting of top and bottom airflow zones, and are pre-drilled to mount directly to the car.
• Multi-piece splitters. Multi-piece splitters are comprised of left and right splitter sections, and are commonly attached to the frame or chassis for added stability.
• Adjustable-type splitters. Adjustable-type splitters are manufactured in both flat-type and multi-piece configurations, and are easily distinguished by support rods that allow drivers to manually adjust the splitter’s angle of attack.

Between their incredible use of premium-grade materials and wide range of types and variations, front splitters are available for virtually every high performance automobile in Australia. And it’s no coincidence that the same also applies to splitter-integrated front winglets which, under the proper conditions, are capable of increasing post-splitter frontend downforce by up to an additional 20%.

Winglets Let Splitters Deliver Their Best Performance At All Times

Winglets (sometimes called canards) are optional aerodynamic attachments for front splitters that are designed specifically to take frontend airflow to the next level. Whereas splitters are responsible for dividing the high and low pressure zones moving above and below a car’s nose, it’s the winglets’ job to prevent high pressure air from finding an alternate route into the low pressure zone from the side. This simple blocking effect creates vortices that allow an even stronger low pressure zone to develop under the car, reinforcing their own array of benefits that include:

• A significant increase in downforce. The physical barrier between high and low pressure that’s created by winglets along the side of a car’s nose effectively strengthens the low pressure zone under the car, thereby increasing both its grip and downforce.
• A significant reduction in drag. Although increasing downforce and grip inherently causes an increase in drag, the winglet’s incidental reduction in actual tyre drag and high pressure turbulence ultimately results in a net reduction in drag.
• A significant improvement in handling. As winglets allow for maximum control of airflow around the sides of the splitter, cornering and handling are both noticeably more stable and predictable.

Ideally, with their integration, winglets allow frontend splitters to perform their absolute best at all times. And as is the case with any underbody part or accessory that improves aerodynamic performance, winglets can also be counted on to deliver a noticeable savings in fuel consumption at any speed.

The Final Word

A properly engineered front splitter and winglet combination is an affordable downforce creator that’s guaranteed to work. It’s smart aerodynamic tuning that’s going to make a difference every time.

At the end of the day, with so many aftermarket parts unable to deliver the performance that’s desired, enthusiasts are often surprised to discover that it only takes one set of basic components to get a true performance dividend. And the fact that it doesn’t add a hundred kilos of unwanted curb weight or risk negatively affecting a car’s factory drag coefficient are benefits that are too good to ignore.