A wing and a prayer
Back in the 1960s, it’s fair to say that the science of automotive aerodynamics was in its infancy.
Yes, there were ‘streamliner’ vehicles designed to cleave the air as smoothly as possible, but the use of aerodynamics to keep a car on the ground had yet to be fully explored.
Then some Lotus Formula One engineers decided to turn an aircraft wing upside down and use it to push their car on to the track at race pace, generating higher cornering speeds.
As the saying goes, ‘racing improves the breed’, so it was only a matter of time before the same technology was used to make road cars perform better and (as a happy by-product) look cooler. Well, in most cases, anyway.
Over the course of subsequent decades, wings became ever more elaborate and much bigger, creating some of the most iconic profiles the motoring world has seen.
There are many to pick from, but here’s our rundown of 15 cool classic cars that made the most of huge rear wings.
1. Porsche 911 Carrera RS (1973-’74)
In the world of Porsche, is there any more evocative word than ‘Rennsport’?
It stands for ‘race sport’ and denotes high-performance variants of lesser models. Well, one word might trump it – that being ‘ducktail’.
The ducktail spoiler first appeared on the then-new 911 Carrera RS of 1973, which was, in effect, a Porsche 911 GTI.
Porsche 911 Carrera RS (cont.)
Its fuel-injected 2.7-litre flat-six engine developed 210bhp, which it put down through wider rear tyres that were accommodated by wider wheelarches.
In addition, the suspension was lower and stiffer, and there were larger brakes.
Despite initial reservations from Porsche dealers, the Carrera RS was a huge hit, and laid the foundations for Porsche RS exploits ever since.
2. Lamborghini Countach (1974-’90)
There’s no denying that the Lamborghini Miura was a bit of a stunner, but by 1974 it had been around long enough to be feeling a bit outclassed by newer machinery from arch-rival Ferrari.
Something radical was needed.
Designer Marcello Gandini came up with a shape for the ages, which instantly put the Countach in prime position on many teenagers’ bedroom walls. To lots of enthusiasts, that original shape is the purest and most beautiful of all the Countach variants.
Lamborghini Countach (cont.)
However, in 1975, the boss of F1 team Walter Wolf Racing, who unsurprisingly was Walter Wolf, bought a Countach and had it enhanced with more power, wider wheels and wheelarches, and a rear wing.
All of these features subsequently made it on to Countachs from the factory, merely enhancing the car’s reputation as the most outrageous supercar you could buy.
The model’s evolution continued, culminating in the special edition you see here, which was made to mark the company’s 25th anniversary.
3. Ford Sierra RS Cosworth (1986-’92)
Talk about a blue-collar hero. The Ford Sierra RS Cosworth was undoubtedly the coolest thing to have a Blue Oval badge on it in the middle of the 1980s.
In fact, it was so cool it was even given a nickname. So, when anyone mentioned they’d seen a ‘Cossie’ that day, you knew exactly what they were talking about.
The car was developed after Ford realised it was no longer competitive on the track. After all, the Capri was soon destined for that museum in the sky, and the Fiesta was too small.
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth (cont.)
However, the standard Sierra body generated significant lift at speed, which had to be countered – hence the vast rear wing.
Ford high-ups were initially reluctant to have such a statement piece adoring the rear end, but ultimately it became one of the car’s defining features, without which it wouldn’t have had nearly as much success on the world’s race tracks.
4. BMW 3.0 CSL (1972-’74)
Automotive enthusiasts have so much to thank Touring Car racing for. Not least the BMW 3.0 CSL, which was introduced in 1972 to make the model eligible for the European Touring Car Championship.
The ‘L’ in the name stands for ‘Light’, so the car was made from thinner steel, fitted with Perspex side windows and had no soundproofing.
BMW 3.0 CSL (cont.)
In a period of relentless development, the final version of the car was homologated in 1973 and featured a front air dam, fins along the tops of the front wings, a small spoiler above the rear window and, of course, a large rear wing, which earned the car the nickname ‘Batmobile’.
In fact, regulations in Germany at the time meant that the rear wing was actually illegal for use on the country’s roads, so the car was supplied with the requisite parts in the boot, for owners to fit once they got home.
5. Subaru Impreza RB5 (1999)
Back in 1999, World Rally Championship star Colin McRae had defected from Subaru to Ford, but the Japanese brand had a new British hero in the shape of Richard Burns.
Perhaps not as flamboyant as the Scot, Englishman Burns was nevertheless devastatingly quick, so Subaru produced a special-edition model to celebrate the marque’s new driver.
The Impreza RB5 produces 237bhp, which it puts down through a four-wheel-drive system that gives the car huge traction.
Subaru Impreza RB5 (cont.)
And as is befitting for a rally-inspired model of the era, it has a huge rear wing, as well as a short-shift gearbox and PIAA driving lamps shrouded in RB5 covers.
Subaru’s faith in Burns was well founded, because he pipped McRae to the World Rally Championship for Drivers on 25 November 2001. Tragically, Burns died from a brain tumour four years later to the day.
6. Ferrari F40 (1987-’92)
The Ferrari F40 is, for many people (of a certain vintage), the archetypal supercar. After all, it could crack 200mph. In 1987. Porsche? Lamborghini? Who are ya?
It was built to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Ferrari brand and was the final car overseen by Il Commendatore Enzo Ferrari himself.
Its stats were quite staggering, because it had a twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V8 that generated 471bhp, and it weighed less than 1300kg. That’s significantly less than a Volkswagen Golf. And it had no traction control. Oof.
Ferrari F40 (cont.)
Still, it has one of the most iconic rear ends ever seen on a supercar, with a huge Perspex engine cover, three tailpipes and a massive rear wing.
Indeed, that wing was part of a comprehensive aero package that not only kept the car stable at high speed, but also kept everything in the engine bay cool.
7. Toyota Supra (1993-’96)
The fourth-generation Toyota Supra was quite the underground hero in the UK.
Road tests of the time were full of praise for its twin-turbocharged (which worked sequentially) 3.0-litre engine.
Indeed, when tested by Autocar against luminaries such as the BMW M3, Lotus Esprit and Porsche 911 Carrera, the Supra was voted the quickest point-to-point car of them all. Impressive.
Toyota Supra (cont.)
But despite the performance, the praise and the huge rear wing, the Supra sold like cold cakes.
Then, in 2001 (20 years ago!) a certain film franchise came along, and had a bright orange Supra as one of its star cars – we’re talking The Fast and the Furious, in case you were wondering.
The Supra gained a whole new legion of fans and its legacy was complete.
8. Plymouth SuperBird (1970)
There are two well-known phrases that apply to the world of motorsport.
The first is ‘racing improves the breed’, which basically means that tech developed on the track can be used to make road cars better.
The second is ‘win on Sunday, sell on Monday’, which means people will be happy to shell out their hard-earned cash for cars that are successful in races and rallies.
Plymouth SuperBird (cont.)
These two phrases have been responsible for some very unusual-looking vehicles on the roads, one of which is the Plymouth SuperBird.
It was developed from its sister car, the Dodge Charger Daytona, when NASCAR aerodynamic thinking was somewhat rudimentary, but the faired-in nose with pop-up lights and the colossal rear wing turned the SuperBird into a cult classic.
Indeed, the aerodynamic addenda made the car a full 19 inches longer than the Plymouth Road Runner on which it was based.
9. Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II (1990-’93)
Mercedes-Benz vs Audi vs BMW vs Opel vs Alfa Romeo. So went the DTM (German Touring Car Championship) in the early 1990s.
The cars were high-tech monsters – and the rate of development was extremely rapid. So when Mercedes found itself lagging behind BMW’s M3, it came up with the Evolution version of its hot 190E.
Just one year later, along came the radical-looking Evolution II, which had adjustable suspension, a bigger bore, a shorter stroke and more revs.
Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II (cont.)
It was differentiated by its wider bodykit and huge rear wing. Indeed, that rear wing had the double benefit of reducing drag while increasing downforce.
Rumour has it that BMW was so astounded by the wing that it redesigned its wind tunnel to accommodate the development.
On the road, the Evo II dispersed any thoughts of Mercs being dull, and was a genuine four-door rival to the BMW M3 and Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth.
10. Ford Escort Cosworth (1992-’96)
The name Ford Escort is synonymous with the world of rallying, but between 1981 and 1992 the name was hideously uncompetitive at the top level, and was more readily associated with grassroots club rallying and historic rallying.
Yes, a Sierra was being campaigned, but Ford wanted the Escort name back at the front.
And so the Escort Cosworth came into being, based upon the mechanicals of the Sierra Cosworth.
Ford Escort Cosworth (cont.)
And of course it had an enormous rear wing, which was complemented by a small lip spoiler at the base of the tailgate.
Indeed, the Escort Cosworth was the world’s first production car to actually produce downforce.
The Escort ‘Cossie’ made an immediate impact on the WRC, leading its first event, before finishing second and third.
However, it was a bit more of a temperamental machine on the road, with enormous turbo lag making it difficult to drive smoothly.
11. Porsche 911 (993) GT2 (1993-’98)
Another example of a company’s track-focused aspirations resulting in an exceptional roadgoing machine is the 993-generation Porsche 911 GT2.
This was born out of Porsche wanting to be competitive in then-new GT2-class racing, including at Le Mans.
It was rear-wheel drive (the 911 turbo of the era was four-wheel drive) and its 3.6-litre, turbocharged flat-six developed 424bhp, which was considerable for the day.
Porsche 911 GT2 (cont.)
However, what was even more eye-opening was the way in which it developed its power, because turbo lag was considerable. Foot down, wait, wait a bit longer, wai… WHAM.
It was tricky to handle, to the extent that it earned the unhappy nickname ‘The Widow-maker’.
It also had plastic front wings for lightness, as well as a big rear wing complete with air scoops in both vertical struts to cool the engine.
12. Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI (1999-2001)
Mercedes vs Red Bull, McLaren vs Ferrari, Ford vs Ferrari – and Mitsubishi vs Subaru.
Back in the 1990s the World Rally Championship was big box office news. What with Colin McRae winning his world title in 1995, then Tommi Mäkinen coming along in his Marlboro-backed Mitsubishi Lancer and being less on the edge but still devastatingly quick, the sport was huge.
And the best news was that you could buy one. Mitsubishi and Subaru dealers were rubbing their hands with glee.
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI (cont.)
The Mitsubishi was the more visually aggressive of the two, with angular bodywork additions from front to back, topped off by a huge two-tier rear wing.
Up front was a 2.0-litre turbocharged motor that developed 276bhp, putting it all down through a four-wheel-drive system that made the car nigh-on unbeatable across country.
Just a shame it needed a service every 4500 miles.
13. De Tomaso Pantera (1971-’92)
Twenty one years. That’s a huge amount of time for a car to be on sale, let alone a supercar.
Put it this way, the Pantera went on sale only a year after the crew of Apollo 13 suffered a near disaster in space, and went off sale just as the Prince and Princess of Wales decided to go their separate ways.
It was always a bit of a looker, but in much the same vein as the Lamborghini Countach, it began to sprout wider wheelarches and, of course, an optional and sizeable rear wing.
De Tomaso Pantera (cont.)
Again, and as with the Lamborghini, that wing didn’t actually provide any downforce, it just added drag. But it certainly looked sensational.
Throughout its life, the Pantera was powered by Ford V8 engines, which gave it a forceful but lazy character.
It was the sort of car you could do a long journey in – if the driving position hadn’t been so uncomfortable.
14. Ford Sierra XR4i (1983-’85)
The 1980s was undoubtedly a decade in which ‘more’ was a good thing.
So, in that spirit, Ford decided to fit its hot Sierra with not one, but two rear wings. More has to be better, right?
The model was being marketed on the strength of its aerodynamics, so it made sense at the time.
Oddly, it also had an extra rear pillar that was absent on other three-door Sierras.
Ford Sierra XR4i (cont.)
In reality, the XR4i was more of a grand touring machine than an out-and-out hot hatch; after all, Ford had the XR2 and XR3i for that.
So, up front was a 2.8-litre V6 engine, which was the same Cologne V6 that featured in the Capri 2.8 Injection of the time. Performance was pretty brisk.
People loved it, so Ford decided to introduce a four-wheel-drive five-door version in 1985, but sadly, it also chose to ditch the biplane rear wing at the same time.
15. Dodge Viper ACR (2008)
They don’t do things by half in the United States.
The fourth-generation Viper was an undeniably potent beast, with a 600bhp 8.4-litre V10 engine up front, driving the rear wheels. Hairy.
But apparently not hairy enough. Dodge wanted to build a car that would be good on track, too, so came up with the ACR (American Club Racing) package.
Dodge Viper ACR (cont.)
This added more power, new wheels and upgraded suspension. And then it topped it off with a massive carbonfibre rear wing and an adjustable front splitter.
The aerodynamic add-ons weren’t just for show, either. Together, they actually developed 455kg of downforce at 155mph.
What’s more, the Dodge Viper ACR truly did fulfil its brief, because you could buy it as a road car then go racing in it.
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