I've been noticing some of the styling on newer cars and been seeing some of the CD's going down slightly while the styling has gotten sharper in many cases. I'm refering to the front of a vehicle, we'll leave the rear for another thread.
My question, hope this this is understandable:
Does it matter aerodynamically(keeping stability out of the equation) which way you "split" the air?
For example lets a take a 6'x4' rectangular frontal area, on one example the top and bottom taper to the nose while the sides are straight and flat.
On a second example all 4 sides taper to a point. Will one have any advantage over the other?
In addition, when you look at "aerodynamic" cars, whats with the bulges around the wheels? Wouldn't it be more aerodynamic to have the sides flat and smooth with the wheels as flush to the panel as possible?
Guesses..references..theory...gut feelings welcome
