Mythbusters "tests" efficiency of dimples vs. smooth, and clean vs. muddy car

[MetroMPG]

One way I could see bugs (or mud) significantly affecting aerodynamic performance is if the vehicle is designed to preserve laminar flow along its whole length. Think smooth, seamless HPV speed racers, most solar race vehicles, gliders.

Regular road-going cars don't have laminar flow much beyond the nose.

[MadBill]

-but then the nose is the only place the bugs would be deposited...

[Old Mechanic]

The less surface friction the less overall drag.

That is what I think they will find.

Sadly the more slippery you make the car by reducing all drag factors, the lower the efficiency of the engine on the BSFC map.

Offsetting factors will probably make it close to a wash.

Just my opinion.

regards
Mech

[Frank Lee]

Wash-n-wax it for best fe- it promotes laminar flow!

No! Wait! Put Skinz and vortex generators on it for best fe- they promote "helpful, controlled" turbulence!

I'm so confused.

[vtec-e]

What i find laughable is that they stubbornly refuse to test braking distances at higher tire pressures. It would be a really easy test to do for them. Instead i see then going to great lengths to prove/disprove this and that. Yeah the explosions are cool and so are a good few of their experiments. But i still don't see any mythbusters tire pressure testing.

As for dirty vs clean......hardly measurable i'd say. There might be some difference found if they do the exact same test over and over all day long and get a good average. But i bet it'll be tiny, if any at all. Grumble....grumble...moan......

ollie

[Christ]

Their concern with tire pressure testing is the possible long term effects of higher pressures, which they can't prove or disprove. If they were to note that higher tire pressures could even remotely be safer, then something happens to some asshole who takes the advice and runs them all the time, they're in the legal firing range, and up ****'s creek without knee waders.

You have to think about things from a legal standpoint, not what's really true.

[MadisonMPG]

I think I have said this, it's entertainment.

[alohaspirit]

Originally Posted by MadisonMPG

I think I have said this, it's entertainment.

not as entertaining since Kari had her baby

she was mine

[MadisonMPG]

Originally Posted by alohaspirit

not as entertaining since Kari had her baby

she was mine

Oh she had it? I was mad that she got married, and he's ugly too.

[MadisonMPG]

They already failed so hard, it's only 1 minute in.