Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryland
Am I understanding it correctly that they are not saying that the tear drop shape is bad but that boxes are not as bad as some might think.
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Ryland,I think that stylists would rather that no-one discuss the teardrop.For truly low drag it's the only solution and that's the problem.As long as no-one of influence extolls the virtue of low drag,no-one is pressured to bring up the topic of the teardrop.The natural,unprecedented simplexities of the teardrop must be terrifying to stylists.
The fear of 'sameness' goes back at least as far as 1927,with duPont-GM's Director of Sales,B.G.Koether,who intimated his growing fear to GM President,Alfred P.Sloan,Jr.,that cars would 'look alike.'
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As to 'boxes',well they are highly profitable to auto makers.They're cheap to make and consumers perceive high value with them and 'a fool and his money is soon parted.'
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The 2011 Flex,at Cd 0.355,is basically a 1984 HONDA CRX of SUVs.Same Cd!
To give you an idea of where boxes have been,consider:
*1992 Suburban K1500----------------------- Cd 0.39
*1997 RAV4--------------------------------- Cd 0.40
*1991 GMC Typhoon------------------------- Cd 0.41 ( est)
*1991 Explorer------------------------------- Cd 0.42
*1991 Navajo LX----------------------------- Cd 0.43
*1993 Grand Cherokee Laredo----------------- Cd 0.44 (est)
*1995 Montero SR---------------------------- Cd 0.48
*1988 Tracker hardtop------------------------ Cd 0.50
*1988 Tracker convertible--------------------- Cd 0.53
So comparatively speaking,the Flex looks pretty good.
Keep an eye on the cross-dresser SUV offerings.They are doing some of the most aggressive 'styling.'