Car news  15 March 2012  How does aero work?  Prepare to be
inducted into the arcane world of aerodynamics, from buttresses
to winglets…  Paul Horrell Car image  Many years ago (OK, 13),
when the Mk1 Lotus Exige was new, everyone was very excited that
it had downforce - you know, like a racing car and all. So we
set off to do a feature on it. On the road, it gripped and
gripped, but then we went to a track. The lateral g was too much
for me to explore, but one of our testers was a bit handy on a
track, so set off down the pitlane with a cheery wave. At the
first corner, he decided to throw it merrily sideways, and we
all stood by to enjoy watching the rest of his lap.  No sooner
had the tyres started to squeal on that first bend, he was in
the gravel. The Lotus engineer who'd come along to shepherd the
car turned to us spectators, shrugged his shoulders and
deadpanned: "That's the trouble with wings. They only work in
one direction." Once the air was no longer passing exactly fore-
aft over the rear wing, it b