The Need For Reinforcement!

Im often asked if the CupR Track splitter with its 8cm overhang (4cm more than the standard sport splitter) creates any actual downforce.

It’s a decent question and to be fair one in which can only really be answered in a wind tunnel such as the one at Mira. However a bit of internet stalking and research did highlight claims of upto 40-60Kg of additional downforce with the addition of the CupR Track Splitter.

Putting aside the numbers and ‘science’ the fact is it does create downforce, as I found out for myself on my first run out with the track splitter at Silverstone GP.

Flying down Hangar Straight circa 145mph I heard a terrible noise coming from the front of the car. On returning to the pits I found the internal fixings inside the front clam to which the track splitter is fixed into had pulled through the fiberglass as a result of the extra downforce.

So, I can for sure attest to the fact that the track splitter does create downforce!

Back to the workshop and a repair was needed to the fiberglass clam and some form of re-enforcement was needed to spread the extra downforce across the width of the front clam and to add additional strength to cope with the extra load.

Some tuners use thinly cut aluminum ‘squares’ glued into the front clam, but over time I found these would come loose, and I still felt the spread of the additional load across such a small thin square of aluminum wasn’t the best solution.

In an effort to make it better in terms of fitment, quality, and functional strength I reached out to 24-7 Motorsport and asked if we could collaborate on a solution.

With their own CupR car in development we agreed to work with each other to find a solution which could work for both race teams and the average track day enthusiast.

The design had to be full width, I was adamant that the additional reinforcement had to extend across the whole front width of the clam to get even spread and strength, no snipper cut pieces of aluminium. In the end we created a full width plate split into two parts (left and right).

Phil was also keen to ensure the thickness of the aluminum was strong enough to seriously strengthen the internal clam not only to handle the standard CupR track splitter protrusion/overhang (8cm), but also to handle more extreme variations (10cm) being tested by race teams.

With a design sketched out and template tested, we were then able to get the design water cut ensuring an accurate and clean cut from 2mm aluminum sheet.

“The proof of the pudding is in the eating” so over to Chris in his Lotus Exige CupR at SPA Francorchamps for initial testing.

Pay close attention at 0:24 where Chris approaches Eau Rouge at 140mph and runs directly over the curbs at over 130mph as he makes his ascent up the hill!

Race Test Successfully Completed!

I’ve ran the plate now for the last month with a number of test days at Donington and Castle Combe to give my own final seal of approval before making the reinforcement plates generally available.

The reinforcement plates are available on our site:
Lotus Exige V6 Reinforcement Plates

Alongside our Track CupR Splitters which can be found here:
Lotus Exige V6 TRACK FRONT SPLITTER

Thanks again to 24-7 Motorsport for collaborating!