The
2KQ was distinctive with its very blunt front fenders. This generated
high front downforce but very inefficient overall downforce levels. |
At
Sebring 2000, the Reynard 2KQ showed up with these interesting nose add-on
pieces. The initial thought was that they might serve a practical function
such as additional protection against rocks and debris for the very blunt
nose surface. But ultimately it was clear they served an aerodynamics
function aimed as a stop-gap fix to the car's excessive drag. |
The
original 2KQ, with its blunt nose, spent a lot of energy moving the air
aside. This in turn created a lot of drag and reduced the overall
efficiency of the car. Indeed, the baseline, as delivered ALMS car's L/D was around 2.42:1. |
The
turning vane (officially called a 'truck vane') was added to clean up the
air flow, to reduce the bow wake and therefore drag. Two
versions of the truck vanes were developed, a standard version and one
with shorter standoff spacers. Both reduced drag (36
lbs for the standard version, 31 lbs for the shortened spacer version),
they also had a negative impact on rear downforce. |