Body kits are big business in the aftermarket automotive industry. And the same way that some cars are all around better performers than others, some kits are better at delivering real aerodynamic benefits than others.
Premium aero kits aren’t just random collections of off-the-shelf parts. They’re optimised combinations of individual components that are designed to work within the aerodynamic profile of a specific car model. There’s a core of basic aerodynamic expectations that have to be met to get the maximum performance advantage from any kit, though. That’s why if you’re currently shopping for an aero package, you want to be sure that the manufacturer you’re looking into understands those expectations.
Bodykits Help Keep the Power Firmly on the Ground
If you were to ask what a fleet-footed Toyota GR86 and a stump-pulling Gen 6 GT Mustang could possibly have in common, the answer’s simple: they can both benefit from the aerodynamic advantages that a premium quality bodykit has to offer. The problem that many of today’s hottest factory cars face is being able to consistently put power to the ground, and keep it there. Body aero kits, however, help bridge that performance pitfall, while also helping conserve fuel that would otherwise be spent battling wind resistance.
Modern, wind tested aero packages and bodykits are designed to go beyond aesthetics and get straight to the basics of high performance, which are:
- Better handling. High performance body kits are capable of producing generous amounts of downforce for increased traction and stability when traveling at speed, while simultaneously preventing high pressure airflow from being drawn under a car and creating undesirable body lift.
- Maximum efficiency. By improving the airflow under and around cars, body aero kits are instrumental in helping reduce engine wear and tear, along with the excessive fuel consumption that would otherwise be needed to defeat high speed wind resistance.
- Improved ride quality. By increasing a car’s high speed stability, and reducing the unwanted turbulence that’s created by moving air, premium aftermarket bodykits work together with stiffer sports car suspensions to improve overall ride quality.
By concentrating on enhancing a sports car’s core high performance handing, efficiency, and ride quality characteristics, aero body kits make it possible for their powertrains and drivetrains to punch out the power that they’re designed to do. And if any major upgrades have been made to the OE suspension, or wheel and tyre combinations, the performance results are going to be even more impressive.
High Performance Packages for the Widest Range of Sports Cars
Unlike standalone body aero components, full aero packages are designed to integrate with, and to ultimately improve each car’s own unique aerodynamic profile. Aftermarket manufacturers like ADRO, Flow Designs, Zaero Designs, and Zero Offset don’t leave anything to chance when it comes to fitment, which is why they’re so successful with high performance bodykits for cars like:
- BMW Series 1s and 2s, and E30s;
- Hyundai i30s, Elantras, and Konas;
- Subaru WRXs, BRZs, and Levorgs;
- Toyota GR86s, Yaris GRs, and Corolla GRs; and,
- VW MK 5 – MK 8 Golfs, Polos, and Sciroccos.
Australian Design Rule (ADR) and Vehicle Standards Bulletin 14 (VSB14) compliance are also crucial aspects of bodykit development. Any kit that’s intended for road usage has to satisfy national, as well as state guidelines for vehicle modifications. The best aftermarket manufacturers shine, however, when it comes to comprehensive aero packages and bodykit options that fulfil all the requirements for safety and performance, and they include:
- Complete aero sets. Complete car bodykit sets offer a broad range of standard aerodynamic parts such as a front lip, side splitters, a flow lock rear diffuser and spoiler extension, and rear spats and window vents.
- Full body aero kits. Full kits offer a more fundamental selection of the bodykits Australia wants, and they ordinarily consist of a front lip, side skirts, rear pods, and a rear diffuser.
- Widebody aero kits. Widebody kits push the limits of both the aerodynamic envelope and allowable road-legal modifications, and can include front and rear overfenders and bumper extensions, a front lip, side skirts, and a rear diffuser.
With the top aftermarket bodykit manufacturers boasting some of the most advanced aerodynamic design teams and production processes in the industry, it’s easy to see how these all-inclusive kits are so aerodynamically efficient. It wouldn’t be possible though, if there they didn’t have such an exceptional range of materials to work with. After the initial design, light weight and incredible strength are the key components for overcoming aerodynamic drag, and there are three main polymer composites that embody both of these attributes.
Flexible Composite Combinations For Premium Performance
Make no mistake: while it takes top-notch engineering to defeat aerodynamic drag, premium quality car bodykits rightly owe their performance prowess to materials. Whether it’s in the strengthened flexibility of side skirts, or the strict rigidness of rear diffusers, it takes flexible combinations of lightweight composites to get the most from an aero package, and the three most heavily relied upon materials are:
- Resin-reinforced carbon fibre. Vacuum-formed carbon fibre that’s been per-impregnated with resin offers the best combination of strength and stiffness, is 20% – 30% lighter than any other extrusion-formed composite, and is perfect for rigid components like overfenders, front lips, and rear diffusers.
- Impact resistant Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). While lightweight ABS is already one of the most widely used composites in automobile construction, its strength and low production cost make it ideal for side skirts, spoilers, spats, and vents.
- Durable, low density polyethylene (PE). While polyethylene enjoys many of the same qualities as ABS, its added flexibility and chemical resistance are ideal for bumper extensions, as well as front and side splitters.
These high tech composites are also hugely receptive to shaping and forming, making them just as easy to work for improved styling as they are for increased airflow.
The Final Word
At the end of the day, sports cars owners who are looking to boost performance which simultaneously reducing wear, tear, and fuel consumption, know that the only solution is to reduce drag and the resulting turbulence. Invariably, that means buying equipment from manufacturers that they trust to know the basics behind aerodynamic tuning.
A premium quality aftermarket upgrade is going to have everything that’s needed to make that airflow improvement. It’s an investment that can be counted on to pay high performance dividends.
