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Old 12-10-2019, 05:50 PM   #34 (permalink)
MetroMPG
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,515

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 52.48 mpg (US)
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never-before tried mod...



I've never made or tested side skirts before. But I was emboldened by GM's 'Vette patent:

Thread: GM aero patents (includes active side skirts for drag reduction)

The patent describes drag reduction in terms of shielding the rear tires (which, in the case of the Vette are probably 3 or 4 times wider than the Mirage's!).

The 14-15 Mirage didn't even get spats ahead of the rear tires. So hopefully this helps instead of hurting, because I won't be doing any A-B-A testing before April or May at the earliest!

I also like that the rocker skirt gives me options for integrating the rear wheel skirt -- could extend the wheel skirt lower and fair them together.

Also, while the middle of the Mirage underbody is relatively smooth (it has 2 OEM plastic aero panels), the rear underbody looks like a bit of a disaster. The side skirts should mean reduced flow there.

Next up: re-do the Kammback & air dam in coroplast.
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