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Front splitter S2 worth it?
Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 8:18 pm
by Kugaman1
Ive seen several front splitters for the S2 on ebay for around the £100 delivered mark.
Are they worth having? I find my S2 gets a bit light at the front end when accelerating hard upto the legal limit
Would a splitter help weigh down the front a bit as the ebay sellers claim?
Anyone who has fitted one and noticed a difference please give us your thoughts!
Cheers
Re: Front splitter S2 worth it?
Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2013 11:05 am
by Dominic
I have not experienced one, so may be completely wrong, but doubt it would make much difference below 50-60 mph. I would think money spent on a good geo setup would be money well spent instead (assuming the car has not had a geo recently).
Await posts proving me wrong

Re: Front splitter S2 worth it?
Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2013 12:29 pm
by j2 lot
I dont see it making any difference at road speeds - maybe on the track it might start to have effect. I seem to remember reading/ watching something about the (original S2) Exige aerodynamics only making a difference when you are into 3 figure speeds.
Get one for aesthetics ( as they do look better) but probably not going to make any noticeable real world difference.
Re: Front splitter S2 worth it?
Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2013 1:01 pm
by ClarkyBoy
I found having driven mine and a mates (who had the splitter) back to back, it seems to fairly help the front going 'light' as the speed increases.
Re: Front splitter S2 worth it?
Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2013 6:32 pm
by Kugaman1
Ok thanks all, im not too sure which way to go now!
Will have a think.
Re: Front splitter S2 worth it?
Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 8:47 am
by Shug
I'd suggest Clark's experience would be more due to other factors than aero. To be giving you a lot of downforce, it'd be pulling quite hard on the front clam and IIRC, it's only bolted through the fibreglass. Not to say there's not some effect at higher speed - might not need to be a lot of load to give you a bit more confidence through the wheel.
If you like the look of it, go for it. If it's more to do with the front feeling sketchy under hard acceleration, I'd look to get the geo checked first, then if it checks out, try it. Won't be night and day though. At the end of the day, the weight in an Elise is pretty rearwards and high up, so weight transfer on and off throttle and brake does have an effect on how the front feels - it's part of the car.
Re: Front splitter S2 worth it?
Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 12:01 pm
by ClarkyBoy
in fairness the one my made had he fibreglass moulded to the clam as he bought it to cover/replace damaged bits from hitting a rabbit!
so it wasn't bolted on (which wouldn't take any force) but it was made into a part of the clam, if you get what I mean?
Re: Front splitter S2 worth it?
Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 1:07 pm
by B12ANR
From my own experience the splitter has little or no effect at high speed (3 figures). The front of the car is very light and doesn't give any confidence going into corners. As mentioned the geo is essential as is the downforce balance front to rear. Too much at one end upsets the other. Canards are supposed to solve this, and will be fitted to mine shortly.
Re: Front splitter S2 worth it?
Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 1:30 pm
by hendeg
Ali might be able to add to this at some point if he has any time. He had canards fitted to his Exige at one point but ended up removing them. I thought there was something on here about it but couldn't find it.
Re: Front splitter S2 worth it?
Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 1:33 pm
by Scotty C
B12ANR wrote:From my own experience the splitter has little or no effect at high speed (3 figures). The front of the car is very light and doesn't give any confidence going into corners. As mentioned the geo is essential as is the downforce balance front to rear. Too much at one end upsets the other. Canards are supposed to solve this, and will be fitted to mine shortly.
Ali might still have his carbon ones as he removed them. TAT
Re: Front splitter S2 worth it?
Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 1:38 pm
by gambler
For a splitter to make any difference, it needs to be very rigid and bolted on to the chassis. Think your splitter gives you 60kg of downforce, get a 60Kg person to stand on it and see what happens.
Re: Front splitter S2 worth it?
Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:38 pm
by C7Steve
gambler wrote:For a splitter to make any difference, it needs to be very rigid and bolted on to the chassis. Think your splitter gives you 60kg of downforce, get a 60Kg person to stand on it and see what happens.
60kg of downforce at what speed though?
Would you notice a difference driving on the roads within the speed limits?
If the car is to be used on track and the splitter is installed correctly then I think it would be worthwhile, but do you need a rear spoiler to supplement the splitter for best aerodynamics?
Anyone got Adrian Neweys number?
Steve
Re: Front splitter S2 worth it?
Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 4:09 pm
by Kugaman1
Ok,
I think Shugs response pretty much tells me what I needed to know.
Guess if I get one, it would be purely for asthetics.
Thanks to all for their thoughts.
Oh, by the way, what are canards?
Andy
Re: Front splitter S2 worth it?
Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 4:56 pm
by Rag_It
Had one on my 135r, i'd guess purely cosmetic, but it was so cracked and chipped that i doubt it made any difference apart from it was protecting the clam. Cheaper to smash a £100 splitter than the clam itself.
Re: Front splitter S2 worth it?
Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2013 5:26 pm
by Shug
Kugaman1 wrote:
Oh, by the way, what are canards?
Andy
Black add-on kick-ups next to the headlights on the front clam.