Interested in an aftermarket body kit for the Air?

[terrycs]

I’ve been investigating fender flare kits for the Air to reduce the gap between the tire and the fender without having to lower the car. This is similar to what was done by the factory for the Sapphire. As we all know, lowering the car an inch will not do much in terms of performance (lowering the CG or reducing drag) so I didn’t really want to go that route. Another bonus is this would possibly enable the use of wider wheels/tire for those so inclined.

While reaching out to aftermarket vendors I found a very reputable one willing to create the kit. As a matter of fact, they would also consider doing a subtle aero kit that includes side skirts and a front lip.

To start, they need a vehicle located in the Houston area so they can laser scan it. The owner of the donor vehicle would receive a discount for their time. Please me a DM if you are interested in helping with this project and I'll provide contact info and details. Thanks!

 

[scal_air]

Wish I was in Houston! Will you keep us updated on the progress? Thanks

 

[hmp10]

The Air was painstakingly designed to produce the best aerodynamic numbers in the industry, and they succeeded -- Cd 0.197. I'm not really sure "aero" is the right thing to call a kit that tacks a bunch of protuberances onto the car.

Some of the body modifications made to the Sapphire (front lip and rear spoiler) were to increase its downforce, not to reduce its drag. I suspect the Sapphire's drag is a bit higher than other Airs, as downforce usually comes with the penalty of more drag.

The wheels were located precisely on the Air relative to the airflow down the side of the car to disrupt that flow as little as possible. Adding fender flares would both change that airflow and alter the relation of the wheels to it. The Sapphire needed wider tires to handle the power, thus necessitating the fender flares, but certainly at the price of more drag that comes with the wider tires.

If you want to do this for cosmetic reasons, that's one thing. But I seriously doubt you'll be improving the car's aerodynamics.

 

[scal_air]

For me it would be cosmetic...
I think I miss the "sportier" look

 

[terrycs]

The Air was painstakingly designed to produce the best aerodynamic numbers in the industry, and they succeeded -- Cd 0.197. I'm not really sure "aero" is the right thing to call a kit that tacks a bunch of protuberances onto the car.

Some of the body modifications made to the Sapphire (front lip and rear spoiler) were to increase its downforce, not to reduce its drag. I suspect the Sapphire's drag is a bit higher than other Airs, as downforce usually comes with the penalty of more drag.

The wheels were located precisely on the Air relative to the airflow down the side of the car to disrupt that flow as little as possible. Adding fender flares would both change that airflow and alter the relation of the wheels to it. The Sapphire needed wider tires to handle the power, thus necessitating the fender flares, but certainly at the price of more drag that comes with the wider tires.

If you want to do this for cosmetic reasons, that's one thing. But I seriously doubt you'll be improving the car's aerodynamics.

Of course I agree the design was optimized from the factory, however I'm most interested in reducing the tire to fender gap which is purely cosmetic and subjective of course. They are just typically known as aero kits or body kits in the automotive world.

 

[Pragmatic]

Some of the body modifications made to the Sapphire (front lip and rear spoiler) were to increase its downforce, not to reduce its drag. I suspect the Sapphire's drag is a bit higher than other Airs, as downforce usually comes with the penalty of more drag.

Still aero, aerodynamics is more than just drag.

 

[hmp10]

Still aero, aerodynamics is more than just drag.

I know that the literal meaning of an "aero kit" is anything that affects aerodynamics. However, most people associate the term "aero kit" with something meant to improve aerodynamics to accomplish a specific purpose, not just affect them randomly. Such specific purposes could be to reduce drag, to improve downforce, to manage wind noise, to increase crosswind resistance, etc. The modifications suggested in the original post would likely not improve the aerodynamics in any controlled way for any purpose. They are just cosmetic and are really more a body panel kit.

The only reason I posted was that many newcomers might take this thread as an indicator that there is something Lucid left on the table in terms of airflow management of the Air, and I wanted to dispel that notion. They hired an aerodynamicist from the Red Bull racing team to work on the car's aerodynamics, and it is probably one of the most thoroughly engineered efforts in the industry.

 

[terrycs]

For me it would be cosmetic...
I think I miss the "sportier" look

I'm also a fan. I'm still researching for wider wheels and tires knowing my range will decrease a bit. I did the same thing with my past ICE cars.

 

[hmp10]

Another bonus is this would possibly enable the use of wider wheels/tire for those so inclined.

This has me wondering whether the Sapphire actually cuts some metal out of the wheel well before attaching the flares. If not, it means any Air could take the wider 265 and 295 mm tire/wheel combo without needing the flares.

 

[terrycs]

This has me wondering whether the Sapphire actually cuts some metal out of the wheel well before attaching the flares. If not, it means any Air could take the wider 265 and 295 mm tire/wheel combo without needing the flares.

The body panels appear to be the same between the Air and the Sapphire except for modifications needed to attach the Sapphire flares. It also depends on wheel offsets and widths. After crunching the wheel specs, I believe Sapphire spec wheels and tires will work on the the standard Air, BUT they will just protrude from the fender without the fender flares. It is very difficult getting straight answers from the Lucid folks, but at the end of the day, they will say nothing should be altered for possible liability reasons. In case anybody is wondering, they said no when I inquired about buying the Sapphire fender flares which is why I went down the aftermarket path. There is already a Southern CA owner that is running 265 front and 305 rear tires on his AGT which supports this theory.

Here is a Sapphire without the fender flare installed:

 

[terrycs]

For me it would be cosmetic...
I think I miss the "sportier" look

This might be a little too low for a daily driver though ...

 

[xponents]

This might be a little too low for a daily driver though ...
View attachment 21387

View attachment 21388

(this is from forza if anybody is wondering)

 

[scal_air]

Hahaha... reminds me of my RX8 with lowered springs. Alot of "angling" over dips and still had to replace the front spoiler and underbody splash shields from wear and tear.

 

[xponents]

Hahaha... reminds me of my RX8 with lowered springs. Alot of "angling" over dips and still had to replace the front spoiler and underbody splash shields from wear and tear.

It also must have been a pain when trying to lift the car up for service, which given the model in question, was likely a common occurrence.

 

[hmp10]

This might be a little too low for a daily driver though ...
View attachment 21387

View attachment 21388

Those flares actually look better than the ones on the Sapphire. No mounting plugs visible.

 

[hmp10]

Hahaha... reminds me of my RX8 with lowered springs. Alot of "angling" over dips and still had to replace the front spoiler and underbody splash shields from wear and tear.

A lot of issues come with very low cars. I was still in Chicago when I got my first Audi R8. The only way it could be driven up on a lift to switch between summer and winter tires was to lay down planks.

 

[terrycs]

Those flares actually look better than the ones on the Sapphire. No mounting plugs visible.

Those aren't plugs on the Sapphire. They moved the proximity sensor from the body panel outward and into the fender flare. Most aftermarket flares however are direct "tape-ons" utilizing a foam adhesive tape with a notch so the sensor doesn't need to be removed.

The Forza model was accurate enough to show the slot in the front fender flare needed to clear the charge port door. I couldn't tell if it includes the prox. sensors.

 

[hmp10]

Those aren't plugs on the Sapphire. They moved the proximity sensor from the body panel outward and into the fender flare. Most aftermarket flares however are direct "tape-ons" utilizing a foam adhesive tape with a notch so the sensor doesn't need to be removed.

The Forza model was accurate enough to show the slot in the front fender flare needed to clear the charge port door. I couldn't tell if it includes the prox. sensors.

My Air doesn't have any sensors located in the area covered by the Sapphire fender flares . . . at least no sensors that I can see, such as the ones in the bumper.

 

[terrycs]

My Air doesn't have any sensors located in the area covered by the Sapphire fender flares . . . at least no sensors that I can see, such as the ones in the bumper.

Very interesting ... I guess those were installed for cars with DDP?

Front

Rear

 

[xponents]

Very interesting ... I guess those were installed for cars with DDP?

View attachment 21389
Front

View attachment 21390
Rear

@hmp10 has a DE, which comes with DDP. Wonder why there is a difference?