Mud Flaps for R

[MarkH]

I have read through the other posts on this topic that I could find but nothing seems to answer the specific question I have.
And please don't let this ope up the debate on should or shouldn't anyone fit them.

My R is on order and the brochure lists Mud Flaps.
I've asked for them and it was agreed but now the sales guy is saying that they don't have any that fit.

I suspect there are Mud flaps for an R and different ones for the other models which have different sill line and body shape.

Does anyone own an R which they have fitted Mud Flaps to and can share a photo or two that show them?
I cant believe that VW would make a mistake of listing an accessory that is not available.

Thanks in advance of any response.

Mark

[animaluus]

I picked up my R last Friday and it has mud flaps fitted. I will try to make a picture of them this evening and post it.

[snapey]

Would you also be able to find the part numbers? Providing their OE.

Luke

[Kennowaybino]

I called into my local VW garage today, no rear mud flaps exist on their system for the R model, I've got a R rear bumper and back box + side skirts on my blue motion and would have them fitted myself if available

[snapey]

Any joy with these photos?

[animaluus]

Sorry for making you wait for so long, but I was far away from my beauty.

[trix]

They are not mud flaps, they're wind deflectors

[animaluus]

This means I was wrong, there are no mud flaps for R.
By the way, why are the wind deflectors placed behind the tire? Can someone explain me why are they there and what's their purpose?

[bianco]

They deflect mud from your behind, but does nothing for the cars following you.

[RoccoScientist]

I don't think they're actual wind deflectors either. These flaps are likely just supposed to make the wheel arch wider and are a requirement when the car is fitted with large wheels. This is probably due to legal issues, since at least in Finland the tyre tread pattern must remain inside the wheel arch. However, the rear bumper is formed in a way that would let the tread pattern partly pass the edge of the wheel arch and a black piece of plastic is a more subtle and cheap way of correcting this than changing the rear bumper.

All in all they're a bit of an oddity. VW only states that these have to be installed on certain models "for technical reasons", while in reality every Scirocco appears to have them. For example, these flaps have to be fitted on 1.4 TSI 90 kW models when the car is fitted with wheels and tyres of size 235/40 R 18 91H 8J x 18 ET 41 or 235/35 R 19 91Y 8J x 19 ET 41, but mine came with the flaps even though it only had a wheel/tyre setup of 205/50 R 17 7Jx17 ET 33. Perhaps there are some markets where they're not installed as standard? I've heard that you can get Scirocco's even with a greater ground clearance in some parts of the world.

[animaluus]

RoccoScientist, thanks for your detailed explanation.

[b0rk]

As RoccoScientist explained the arch extensions are a requirement for a car to achieve EU wide type approval.

The regulations do not allow for road spray to be thrown up from the rear wheels beyond a set height measured from the centre line of the hub hence certain wheel/tyre combinations require extended arches. VW probably should have designed wider factory arches but I expect large diameter road wheels where not considered eight odd years ago when the body was being styled. This is also why road legal track toys such 7's, Atom's, x-bow's, BAC mono's etc have wheel arches, when fully exposed wheels would be more aerodynamic.

[Mac135]

They are a requirement down under too, for the reasons RoccoScientist describes.