Mercedes CLA sedan: 0.23 drag coefficient (0.22 for BlueEfficiency model)

[tjts1]

I cant believe we still build cars with outside mirrors.

[niky]

The proof of the aerodynamics will be in the speed. When they first released the projected performance numbers, I was impressed at the quoted top speed given the quoted power. If it really can hit those numbers, then the aerodynamics claims are more believable.

[jime57]

Originally Posted by mcrews

do you also believe that the oil companies squashed a carb that got 99mpg???????

No, I do not. I'm an engineer and I spend a fair amount of time reading my Hucho. I know the equations. It's all about environment, weight, frontal area, and Cd. It's Cd under discussion.

Here is something to think about.
Some other german car maker w/ a big windtunnel (bmw maybe) has some engineer come in and say "mb is blowing smoke on the .23 cd......let's go buy one, run the test and then expose them!!"
2 days later MB is retracting and firing.
Loses MASSIVE credibility in the marketplace.........

just sayin......

Read your Hucho. There is enough wiggle room between different wind tunnels that such a test would probably prove nothing. Identical testing in the same wind tunnel would be the only convincing test IMO. But, admittedly I am speculating. I just don't see the stuff on the car that translates to .23 when the Insight is .25. Of course, that has not been independently tested either, far as I know

[mcrews]

Insight is sandbagging!!!! lol

[mcrews]

As I had commented early, I am just 'visually' impressed with the obvious stuff that MB seems to be doing on the aero side.

I know you smart guys see alot more stuff due to your training.

[ChazInMT]

The thing I marvel at and wonder ...Huh?...is the very front. Looks like a bull dozer blade, I'm surprised that's an optimal shape. Something to be learned here fer sure.



I also note how there is just one long arc from the base of the front windscreen to the base of the rear window, and only then does it break just slightly for the trunk, something tells me this shape has been refined to the Nth degree.

[mcrews]

couple of non-engineer thoughts:
the lip to ground is very low. That thing wont clear a curb much less a parking stop.
Also the angle up the hood starts out pretty dang low compared to any other similar sized car in the market

[Cd]

Mercedes-Benz Aerodynamics: An In-Depth Look (Part 1) | eMercedesBenz

[Cd]

Originally Posted by shovel

and yet the wheels... don't look very aero at all.

These are the aero wheels. Note how that the wheel is actually flat with a small section cut out for cooling. The 'spokes' are simply the area of the wheel that is not painted black.
Stealth aero.

[Cd]

Originally Posted by California98Civic

Fiddling around on a sleepless night, I found these videos. A couple stills from the first video were posted earlier in this thread, but the video itself seems to have only just appeared on Youtube. Watching the smoke test of several details that make the low Cd possible is interesting: wheel-well curtains, spoiler, tail light fixtures, a-pillar, rear view mirrors, and others:

And here is the "preparation" vid, which is kinda fun. It shows the procedure for putting the car in place and securing it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=LqeljvJ6j-k

Impressive facility. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a bit of a sought-after privilege to work in it.

At 6:47 you can see how the trip strip works on their taillights.