Quote:
Originally Posted by COcyclist
I just feel there may be some gains to be had at the front too. For many of us, a full boattail presents visibility, added length and parking problems. Should we as Ecomodders, do more work on the front before concluding that it is boattail or nothing?
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It's worth considering. The fronts of many cars are "pretty good" already, because a front that is good for aero purposes can also be good for styling (e.g., faired-in headlights). So there are (for many cars) opportunities for wake reduction that can be considered low-hanging fruit (rear fender skirts being an obvious one). Closing in the underside is another low-hanging fruit.
Some front gains are expensive to achieve -- raking the windshield being a good example. Others require removal rather than addition of material, which can be hard work (the removal may be easy, but the re-enclosing in nice smooth bodywork can be hard).
At both ends what looks right is not always, in fact, lower drag.
But your basic contention is correct, I think, we should look at the whole car: there are opportunities everywhere.