It's one of the hallmarks of the Porsche 911: the retractable spoilers of the various Carrera, which have been with them for decades, can be found not only on other Porsches but also on other machines — but on a Carocha? Well… time to do a little investigation.
We ended up finding out that you were part of the Volkswagen New Beetle (1997-2010) when associated with the 1.8T engine — 1.8 Turbo of 150 hp — automatically rising from 150 km/h. Later versions of the New Beetle raised it much earlier, from 77 km/h, and could also be operated manually using a button.
How to identify them? Easy. Unlike the 911, which has the spoiler below the rear window, the New Beetle was located at the top, looking like an extension of it.
Its function is identical to that of the other retractable spoilers we know. The beetle shape (derived from the water droplet) of the… Beetle naturally creates a lot of positive lift on the rear axle at high speeds. The rear spoiler, by altering the airflow, attenuates the positive lift, contributing to the vehicle's stability at high speeds.
Hat tip to our Raul Mártires.
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