View Single Post
Old 06-22-2009, 11:57 AM   #18 (permalink)
Christ
Moderate your Moderation.
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Troy, Pa.
Posts: 8,919

Pasta - '96 Volkswagen Passat TDi
90 day: 45.22 mpg (US)
Thanks: 1,369
Thanked 430 Times in 353 Posts
Don't pretty much all fuels provide more power under load? I thought that was a function of efficiency...

As far as aero-modding your car, I read about 3 posts in your other thread... I haven't looked at your car yet, but I realize that you don't want to change your appearance too drastically.

Not sure if it will pass Tech 'Spec, but you can fair back your roll-cage bars with extra material (which will add a little more weight) to gain some aero. Something like hard foam glued to the bars (which counts as a safety feature) and just taper it back so that it's holding to somewhat of an airfoil shape.

Smooth wheels, and a belly pan with a rear extension (past the back of the car) that helps to keep airflow from detaching and rotating wildly after leaving the underside of the car.

If there are any body panels on the car, make sure there aren't any protrustions from the body which are thicker than the boundary layer. Preferably, smooth out all the panels, but at least check for protrusions.

One consideration that many don't take into account nearly enough is weight loss.

Soichiro Honda, back in the first days of Honda Motor Co, used to walk the assembly lines looking for bolts that had too many threads sticking out. If he found one, he'd make the worker take it out, file the end down to an acceptable length, and then file a report so that the newest order of those bolts wouldn't be any longer than they needed to be.

Maybe, this is just splitting hairs... but no matter whether you're a billion dollar race team, or Joe, down the street, the same physics apply. The lighter car will be faster/quicker (all else equal) and the faster/quicker car wins.
__________________
"¿ʞɐǝɹɟ ɐ ǝɹ,noʎ uǝɥʍ 'ʇı ʇ,usı 'ʎlǝuol s,ʇı"

  Reply With Quote