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Old 06-02-2013, 03:28 PM   #1 (permalink)
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Driving with the top down?

Ever wonder what taking your Targa top off does to your aerodynamics?

Vehicle aerodynamics


Spiffy Cd calculator at the site above too.

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Old 06-02-2013, 04:00 PM   #2 (permalink)
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Aww now I'm sad

But this is exactly why I only take the top off when I'm driving around town 35mph and below
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Old 06-02-2013, 05:34 PM   #3 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shortie771 View Post
Aww now I'm sad

But this is exactly why I only take the top off when I'm driving around town 35mph and below
If you have a Targa like me, roof off and side windows rolled up isn't so bad (see numbers above).

I topped out at 138 mph that way, just 2 mph shy of what I should be able to do with the top on.

It was a test which I will never repeat, not on public roads anyway.

That example must have hidden headlights, a funny thing to take into account.
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Old 06-02-2013, 06:36 PM   #4 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kach22i View Post
If you have a Targa like me, roof off and side windows rolled up isn't so bad (see numbers above).

I topped out at 138 mph that way, just 2 mph shy of what I should be able to do with the top on.

It was a test which I will never repeat, not on public roads anyway.
Lol that is probably for the best. That would be an expensive ticket, not to mention the danger it would be to yourself and other driver. Sure is fun though... Oh and I do have a targa, love my sol
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Old 06-03-2013, 07:31 AM   #5 (permalink)
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... Oh and I do have a targa, love my sol
I suspect that with the top off and side windows rolled up it performs much like the bed of a pick-up truck. A captured static bubble of air, of which the main flow can move over.

Targa's are better than full convertibles for this reason, at least from an aerodynamic viewpoint. See the numbers if in doubt.
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Old 06-03-2013, 03:25 PM   #6 (permalink)
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I've been sitting on this waiting for a relevant thread.

A retractable mesh to moderate turbulence in the cockpit.
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Old 06-04-2013, 03:51 AM   #7 (permalink)
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I wonder how bad it is for me with my targa off, side windows up, but rear window rolled down. Compared to rear window up.
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Old 06-04-2013, 11:51 AM   #8 (permalink)
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Quote:
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That example must have hidden headlights, a funny thing to take into account.
It's a VW-Porsche 914. The Cd for the car under those circumstances has been published.

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Old 06-04-2013, 02:34 PM   #9 (permalink)
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I've been sitting on this waiting for a relevant thread.


A retractable mesh to moderate turbulence in the cockpit.
So, does it work?

My wife likes the convertible and the front seats don't have much of an issue with wind. But, she typically has the kids with her, and the back seats have much more wind. I was trying to figure out a cheap. easy way to mitigate that.

I was thinking about a panel behind the rear seats to make it more like a targa top car.
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Old 06-04-2013, 03:01 PM   #10 (permalink)
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Hmmf.. I see a problem. The screen capture was carefully cropped so you can see that it's 1:53 into a Youtube video titled 'Niki Lauda gives Michael Schumaker a special lift'. In Google Chrome when I'm not logged in there is a ****ing ad obscuring that info. Lesson: always view in a properly locked down browser.

Anyway these guys (whoever they are ) discuss it. You might try a separable clip-on version instead of a retractable one.

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