Are there any performance benefits from an aero kit?

I plan on buying an Evo X in September, and I am planning what options to get. I will use the car as my daily driver (mostly highway), autocross once or twice a month and an occasional road course weekend. I definitely want the SSS option.

Does the aero kit provide enough downforce to improve high speed cornering? Does the aero kit provide significant brake cooling during a road course (worth $2k or is there a cheaper way for brake cooling)? Or is the aero kit just for looks?

Thanks in advance

 

The sales manager that I know at my local dealership will only order them with the Aero kits because he likes the way they look. Then I mentioned that I saw a thread about those without the kit getting many more rock chips in their paint job just in front of the rear wheels. From the factory they put a small piece of clear protective tape there but it's not large enough to stop the damage.

See sticky above:
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=330128

I would also be interested if anyone has info on the performance aspects of the kit when tracking the car as well. Are the road racers chosing this option by default? How much weight does it add to the car?

 

The areo kit does look good.

 

I've got it, and I do love the way it looks. Even if it doesn't have any real aero dynamic advantage it will save your sides from rock chips, and it'll look good doing it.

 

Thanks for the posts. There are already lots of posts about whether it looks good or not. Personally, I don't care either way about the looks, so is there any reason for me to pay $2k for the aero kit? The protection from rock chips seems like it might be worth $2k (Thanks Hiboost).

Still curious about performance benefits either from aerodynamics or from brake cooling.

 

Uh...there was a Japanese Accessories catalogue that listed all the % changes in aerodynamics and had other such miscellaneous details. Let me try to dig up the link. Oh, and if you want to prevent dings, get mudlflaps. You can get those for 5 bux from auto stores, heck of a lot less than 2K for the aero package.

verkion

 

I have the mud flaps but think the aero kit looks better. I will put the flaps back on when winter hits for extra insurance.

 

I would doubt that there's any major impact in the aerodynamics from the aero kit because they sell the pieces separately. Typically if they have an impact they are matched kits and must be used together to balance each other.

 

Thats very logical

 

mad downforce

 

I'd only really be interested in the brake air guides, but you can get those separately. And even then I wonder if they're worth their $150 cost.

 

On one hand the aero kit clearly prevents paint chipping as documented on this forum by evo X owners with and without the kit.

On the other hand the front lip is low enough that if I had an X with it I'd be very careful over speed bumps, steep sudden inclines (underground garages, slopped driveways, etc.) I love the looks of the kit, but I am not sure I'd want the constant worry especially considering this is an all weather take-me-anywhere type of car.

That said, I'd take the lower front lip over damaged paint.

 

I have the aero kit and the only paint chips i get are the hood and front lip

the garages are tough until you get used the fact that the front end sticks out a bit further than your old car.... lowering the car and the aero kit are going to make garages and speed bumps a nightmare.. at least for me in vegas

 

I agree. I used to have an 02 Corvette Z06 which was lowered. It was my daily driver like my X will be, and I had to get rid of it when I moved to snow country (Indianapolis). Bumps in the road and inclines on driveways definitely took some skill, so I am somewhat used to that. I completely agree that I would rather deal with the speed bumps and inclines over chipped paint.

But the question remains - is there any evidence that the aero kit improves performance or brake cooling? When it comes to paint chips, I can either get the aero kit or mud flaps.