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Old 02-24-2021, 01:01 PM   #1 (permalink)
aerohead
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'Wing'-car talking points

I noodled some figures for the 1993 HONDA Dream-II solar racer, which is an airfoil-derived shape, considering applicability as a future 'production' vehicle.
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* In today's market, the lowest body height, acceptable to 'real' motorists falls in the range of Lamborghini's Huracan, @ 40.49- inches ( 1028.4mm ).
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* The Dream, at 31.276-inches ( 794.4mm ), would have to undergo a body 'inflation' of 129.46% in order to become the 40.49-inch minimum.
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* As all other dimensions would also require the same 'inflation', Dream's overall length would grow to 310.7-inches ( 7891.7mm ).
* Dream's width would swell to 101.88-inches ( 2587.7mm ).
* Dream's overall height would end up at 46.6-inches ( 1183.6mm ) lower, I believe, than any extant production car from any maker.
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I believe that the 'longest' contemporary production vehicle currently for sale may be the RAM 3500, 1-ton, 'Dually', pickup, @ around 249.9-inches ( 6347.4mm ) overall length. I apologize if that's eclipsed by another vehicle.
Losing enough of the knife-edge trailing surfaces to accommodate a rear license plate would reduce Dream's length, at an unknown drag penalty.
Using an 'extensible' tail to provide the 'long-tail' only on the open highway, would allow 'practical length' flexibility.
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Only 'high-cube' 18-wheeler trailer vans attain widths of 102-inches.

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Last edited by aerohead; 02-24-2021 at 01:03 PM.. Reason: add data
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