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Originally Posted by JackMcCornack
I've assumed the Aptera needs a wide front track to give it reasonable roll-over resistance and a small cabin to keep frontal area down. There is some ratio of track to cabin width where wheel pants make aerodynamic sense, where even though wheel pants give the car a higher Cd than a single body unit, if they reduce frontal area enough, then the CdA will be lower than a single body.
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Yeah, that's pretty much what I was asking, but you said it better than I did. Basically, I wouldn't want the cabin as wide as it is on a typical donor car, but I think changing the front wheel track width much gets you into serious work. Then there's also space needed above the wheel for vertical travel. and the open wheel well, both of which go away with a full pant.
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I doubt you're at full throttle much, and brief bursts can be carried by thermal inertia, but do you ever ask for more than 32 hp for extended time?
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If you live in the mountains. The Insight will do just fine with a half radiator block much of the year, as long as it's on the level. Climb to a 9000 ft pass on a warm day (or even in the winter), and it'll be running 10-15 degrees above the 195 F thermostat setting in short order.