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Old 11-24-2009, 04:09 AM   #46 (permalink)
hypermiler01
93 Metro Streamliner
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Oregon
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AeroMetro - '93 Geo Metro
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf View Post
That's something I wonder about. There are two rather contradictory factors at work (at least to design a car to my taste): you want a rather wide front stance for stability, but a narrower passenger compartment. So is it aerodynamically better to have the wheels within a wide front bodywork (like modern cars) then taper rearwards, or have them in outboard wheel pants, like Aptera?
The frontal area width measurement that matters is the widest point on the car. There is no advantage to making the nose narrower than the rear fenders. By making the front wide and the sides straight, you eliminate turbulent airflow over complicated shapes.
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