Quote:
Originally Posted by Snax
Not entirely correct. I have long lost the issue, but an article in Racecar Engineering demonstrated this effect in wind tunnel testing for F1 cars. It was very small, but I suppose it could mean the difference between running out of fuel 100 feet before the finish line vs. at the line. For road cars, such gains are statistically very likely impossibly insignificant nonetheless.
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That seems plausible. I'm not sure anymore what maximum velocities are achieved in F1, but Indycars, which are similar, approach transonic speed at Indianapolis Speedway, at least during qualification.
Transonic speed, and its compressibility effects would be a requirement for achieving thrust. It cannot happen in subsonic flow.