[QUOTE=aerohead;287777]NASA's research,published in 1981,revealed that a cleanup of a vehicles nose would net less than a 5% drag reduction.Less than 2.5 % mpg for all your trouble and expense.
QUOTE]
Phil, can you please expand on that statement ?
By 'cleanup' of the vehicles nose, do you mean by adding an air dam, or something like the wedge on the CRX in the picture above ?
In reality, how much of a mileage gain do you think that CRX gained from the ramp at the front of the car ?
Although adding a pointed nose versus a blunt ( and preferably rounded ) nose to a car may lower the stagnation point and reduce A pillar votices on cars with steep transition angles between the hood and windshield, the angle on the Prius is very close between the hood and windshield, and therefore I'm guessing it would not show much benefit to add a wedge shaped nose cone versus a more rounded nose.
Is this assumption wrong ?
Jamesshaw89 - I'm really looking forward to that tuft test
I cant wait to see the airflow around the A pillar area and around the wheel area .
Another interesing area is going to be at strakes just behind the rear wheels .
Can you throw some on the back of the car as well ? I'm wondering how large the vortices are back there compared to an average car such as my hatchback Civic.