Plastic finned fuel tank cover

[zei20t]

I want to live there too

also, thanks for the backup. clearly its practical!

fuel tanks have no chance of being affected by salt, they are plastic. but I bet they did when they were using metal ones

[K1W1]

There is no way it's an aerodynamic aid but it might be there to provide protection to the rear suspension in exactly the situations that was described in post one.

My car doesn't appear to have anything like that fitted.

[Mysticality]

One of mine has mostly broken off - these damned country dirt roads and clients driveways. Very sturdy plastic, mind you.

A friend of mine has a Saab with mud flaps in the middle. Her dad's has them too. They suspect its due to the snow and salt in Europe - I'm guessing that these plastic ones are just the newer, more elegant and hidden versions. They deflect rocks pretty well, though.

[Mysticality]

I don't understand what you mean. there's no contradiction. I didn't say they weren't necessary, but they assist with differentiating models.

you listed a few items a few posts above that clearly aren't there for aesthetic purposes.

If the premium models didn't have anything to differentiate them, then we'd all have $45k 90TSI's with 6spd manual gearboxes.

[wai]

More likely to be there to stiffen the plastic panel and stop it flopping around. Just about every such accessory/go faster bit ia only there for looks. At legal speeds, they offer no significant benefit at all.

Yes, there are cars with moveable spoilers that "deploy" within legal speeds, but then wouldn't you be miffed if you paid for a moveable spoiler and discovered you would have to be breaking the law for it to deploy when it actually did provide a benefit?

[K1W1]

Yes, there are cars with moveable spoilers that "deploy" within legal speeds, but then wouldn't you be miffed if you paid for a moveable spoiler and discovered you would have to be breaking the law for it to deploy when it actually did provide a benefit?

And there was me thinking that those things were just penis substitutes. I guess what you are saying is that they are actually cost justification devices.

[zei20t]

looks like its there to clean up the air going under the car. even at 110km, air UNDER the car is pretty dangerous

[K1W1]

Of course it is.
The air going under the base model at 110kph is dangerous and needs "cleaning up" but the air going under the sports model at the same speed isn't and doesn't need "cleaning up". I can see the logic in that (I think).

[zei20t]

im not sure what youre talking about.

the picture a few posts above is an RS. the OP has a 118tsi mid spec model.

are you on drugs?

[brad]

More likely to be there to stiffen the plastic panel and stop it flopping around. Just about every such accessory/go faster bit ia only there for looks. At legal speeds, they offer no significant benefit at all.

Yes, there are cars with moveable spoilers that "deploy" within legal speeds, but then wouldn't you be miffed if you paid for a moveable spoiler and discovered you would have to be breaking the law for it to deploy when it actually did provide a benefit?

80kph+ seems to be the magic speed. Certainly above 80kph you'll use less fuel with windows up than down. Also, the smooth underbody plastics (eg: As fitted to the current Commodore) certainly come into play below the legal speed limit as they have an affect on fuel consumption at legal speeds.

[dArK5HaD0w]

Bugger me, that's one impressive garage floor there mate!!!

Lol, that ain't my garage floor!! I wish.

Someone took some very detailed (and up-close) pics of a yellow Skoda while still on the dealer showroom floor, and posted the pics on a wesite. This is one of the many pics.

[Difinity]

Certainly not a diffuser - strakes not in the right place or big enough to have that effect.
BTW Mystically, I have a 1999 Saab 9-3 I'm trying to sell to make way for the soon to be mine Fabia vRS. If your friend might be interested, PM me and I'll send details.