Popular Mechanics busts the Fast Skinz dimple wrap claims

[MetroMPG]

Popular Mechanics has busted the claims by the marketers of "Fast Skinz" that their dimple wrap improves fuel economy.

Fastskinz Test Drive: Can a Golf Ball Covering Shed MPGs?



After wrapping a Ford Flex, and driving the same route with that vehicle and an identical non-wrapped flex, the magazine concludes, shockingly, that:

Essentially, in our test, we found no real fuel-economy improvement from the Fastskinz MPG-Plus wrap.

The salient point: golf ball dimples reduce drag by changing laminar flow to a turbulent boudary layer, which delays flow separation and minimizes wake. But on conventional road-going vehicles, the boundary layer is already turbulent over most of the vehicle's surface (nearly the thickness of an entire golf ball by the trailing edge of the roof of a small sedan!).

So adding dimples will do little to nothing to help.

> Read the full Pop Mech article.

> There's also a detailed EM thread discussing the issue, here:

Turn your car into a golf ball! (FastSkinz wrap)

[UfoTofU]

Beside golf I wonder if the idea was inspired by Speedo

[MetroMPG]

You should contact the company. There may be some cross-branding potential there.

[MazdaMatt]

That's gotta hurt the company reputation when popular mechanics says that your product and all your claims are absolute crap.

[MetroMPG]

Is it just me, or is the wording in the title of the Pop Mech article a bit off? You don't want to shed MPG's do you? I'd prefer to gain them. I'd like to shed drag though.

[Frank Lee]

Another dream dashed!

I don't know if I can carry on.

[Electric Frenzy]

Originally Posted by MazdaMatt

That's gotta hurt the company reputation when popular mechanics says that your product and all your claims are absolute crap.

I was just about to say that! I guess there will be another company looking for handouts shortly!

[cfg83]

Frank -

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Another dream dashed!

I don't know if I can carry on.

Oh well. I was hoping to use bubble-wrap for the same effect. If it didn't work, at least I could pop them to relieve stress.

(I'm joking. At least I think I'm joking. Please tell me I'm joking)

CarloSW2

[Peter7307]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Another dream dashed!

I don't know if I can carry on.

Stay strong there Frank,

We all feel like that just now... but remember there WILL be another hair brained , slickly marketed , snake oil product along very soon to relieve you off your hard earned cash !

Cheers , Pete.

[Frank Lee]

LOL I like bubble wrap. Remember when Anna Nicole Smith popped bubble wrap to distract a guard in Naked Gun? LMAO

Thanks Pete. Somehow I will endure. Maybe beer will help.