if they sprayed the car with aluminum mud (? just saying)
I wonder what would happen..
the point is cars are on rubber wheels, they use every inkling of their bodies for dispersal of energy created. all powers from coil, nuclears (never ever say never)from combustion, moleculars, hertz from the generators, and wiper motors and heaters, and...well that is my point.
a freshly high grade urethaned automobile respecting the cars system of origin will do as good as it can.
and for the golf ball thing..moving air as fast as possible to back to where it came from (a car plowing through the air) is as smart as it gets. That needs smooth. to our eyesight anyway. in reality, it is simply "micronically bumpy".
I fell for the golf ball dimple thing with a pc fan, the only benefit was demanding more draw because the fan was too light for the air (cheap product). I ended up reverting to the classic large paddled design that has been there since my first computers. It is all a crock.
including skirtings on the bottom of cars.
concerns for aero? you need a drivetrain. you need better bearings, higher grade grease, and better dispersal of energy created. aero is a silly product after conquering the other things. I sincerely mean it...