Take two Honda S2000s, administer a similar aftermarket treatment, omit the wings with one, and introduce a fast track. With this formula, the nimble Hondas exhibit very different behavior in the faster sections of the course, and illustrate exactly why and how wings play into the equation.

It’s not news to anyone that the S2000, with its short wheelbase and centralized center of mass, is pointy and accurate in slower corners, and for the same reasons, can be a bit snappy when the speeds increase. Those who can manage the rear moving around at speed are given a rewarding, demanding, and complex car to master—if it doesn’t master them in the process.

These two are similarly modified. They both wear 255-section tires, have very minimal engine modifications, weigh roughly the same, and use the exact same Winmax W5 brake pads on Centric rotors. Where they differ are in the suspension and downforce departments. The yellow, wingless car uses Ohlins DFV coilovers (14k/12k), while the pursuing black car is fitted with stiffer Ballade coilovers (16k/16k), which provides more rear control at speed, as well as a stiffer platform to capitalize upon the aero package.

With a Spoon V2 front bumper and J’s Racing carbon hood Voltex 1600mm wing, the black car can eke a small edge out over the leading car through faster corners like Riverside. While the yellow car can carry roughly ninety miles an hour into this dauntingly fast right, its driver is made timid by the rear beginning to shimmy unnervingly; listen to the uncertain dabs of throttle and watch the flicks of opposite lock. As the driver continues to shift weight somewhat abruptly with his staccato throttle technique, this eventually prompts a pretty hairy spin:

In contrast, the chase car’s driver can keep their foot planted and blend out slightly to reduce the understeer. This allows the black car to carry an additional ten miles an hour without any hysterics.

However, the wing-wearing S2000 isn’t completely sorted out yet. Finding a usable high-speed aero balance is something that takes lots of tweaking and preferably a wind tunnel. Simply bolting on parts can change the balance considerably. Presumably, this is what he’s done, and since the Voltex wing is generating the lion’s share of the downforce, the black S2000 exhibits lots of high-speed understeer. While safe, predictable, and reassuring, this much understeer limits the car’s adjustability at speed, and is likely sapping a few miles an hour a better balance would provide.

Coming to Grips with Downforce

Though it takes a certain degree of faith in one’s machine, ignoring the obvious performance advantage an affordable wing and splitter package provide would be foolish. After fitting a J’s Racing 1600mm wing, the difference is obvious. Though he’s not quite leaning on the aero grip yet—that takes a bit of practice and some plum-sized cojones—he’s making considerably fewer steering corrections through Riverside (1:22 in the footage below). The formerly edgy S2000 now appears composed and comforting. Funny such a small tweak could make someone feel at home and net an additional ten miles an hour.

Sounds like a bargain.