0.19 CD Merc (Mercedes 2015 Concept IAA -- tons of active aerodynamics)
 

Had not heard of this one before. Looks pretty neat! Active aerodynamics are a thing we will see in the near future I think.

Merc's incredible IAA concept is the world

http://www.topgear.com/sites/default...?itok=S0pS4DvX

Active...
 

...air curtains, vents, spoilers, even wheels and boattail!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ExPLhdRCbk

Wow! Sexy fun brain candy.

Meanwhile, over at Toyota... :D

Noticed at Jalopnik's article on the car: even the rocker panels have a full length active flap that effectively becomes a side skirt.

Another shorter video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq31JNylDgc

Says that the tail extension lowers the Cd from 0.225 to 0.19

And the best illustrated comment so far at Jalopnik:

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/...2399276323.jpg

How in the hell do you make the wheels flatten out?? I can guess on everything else but a dished wheel that flattens out blows me away...

I believe that last image was just a "look how silly it is when I take it to its extreme" photoshop.

I could be wrong, but it certainly wasn't in the second (shorter) video. I'll watch the longer one now...

-soD

Looks like something Gru from Despicable Me would drive.

I remember we here at EM spoke about this very thing on our cars years ago. It's been a long while, but we had spoke of a collapsable tail section just like this.

A tail could be fashioned in such a way that it slides back into itself, or outward on rails.

The tail could deploy using a signal from the VSS. Once you get to a certain speed, it would deploy and then go back into itself for parking and such.

I'm glad to see it being done - even if just on concept cars.

S.O.D. you're right. That segmented one is photoshop.

Go go gadget boat tail!

But Mercedes is older than Mercury...

Would be easy enough to do on a pickup with aero shell.

Maybe this is their "Tesla competitor"?


This seems to be silly - just make the wheels flat all the time.

Merc is Mercury and Mercedes-Benz is M-B at the parts store.

Only in the US, where its curb (sic) weight will be measured in pounds and it takes so many quarts of oil!

the wheels could have weighted sliders that come out as the speed goes up.

it definitely looks like a Gru-mobile! Probably extremely expensive, but very cool!2c

IAA wind tunnel pic
 

This was online under streamlining research
https://www.mercedes-benz.com/wp-con...81-478x274.jpg

Several more live videos:

Mercedes-Benz Concept IAA At The Frankfurt Motor Show, cd of .19 - Videos | Inside EVs