Quote:
Originally Posted by slowbro
I initially thought the same thing. I was stunned when he said that was the most aerodynamic wheel and tire combo. Those things are blenders!  Then I realized he was pretty much saying that the design was pretty much the limit Toyota was willing to take it to. I'm sure many of the engineers would have liked to keep going, but Toyota along with other car companies generally likes to keep things conservative. |
That was the precise moment in the video when I got
real skeptical about the self-congratulatory script. The wheels on that thing suck. Maybe he should trot on over to WalMart and pick up some aluminum pizza pans @ ~$3 each, and give them a shot.
Mirrors could use some work: Who needs a mount stalk the size of your wrist and grossly un-aerodynamic, when a pencil-thick airfoil shape would work better at a tiny fraction of the drag? The British Spitfire designed in the 1930s and flown in WW2 had an outside mirror with a skinny little stalk, flew 500+mph in a dive with no ill effects, so
surely the automotive rocket scientists can come up with a better design than we see on this vehicle.
Then, there are the gaps in the undertray area, etc..
Sorry about the rant. Grumpy mood.