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Old 04-01-2010, 06:12 PM   #18 (permalink)
RobertSmalls
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Buffalo, NY, USA
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Prius C - '12 Toyota Prius C
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I can picture the lawsuit already. Some nice lady who didn't read the owners manual and didn't pay attention in Physics class descends a mountain uses her friction brakes the whole way down. The brakes overheat and fade, she doesn't know of any way to slow the car down besides the middle pedal, and she kills her whole family. If I were an automaker, that's why I'd be afraid to go with completely smooth wheels.

But the five-spoke wheels on the Leaf are obviously overkill for cooling the brakes, especially when the car has powerful regen brakes and a huge battery to store that energy in. I guess it's an appearance thing.
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