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2019 CAS: The State of the Industry is Venty (and Long and Picture-Heavy)
As in years past, I've braved the Chicago cold in search of the most egregious aerodynamic details from the current fleet of cars available for sale in the US. Noticeably absent this year: BMW/MINI, Mercedes-Benz, and Mitsubishi. I expect two of those companies will still have a US presence in ten years.
On to it! This year's show was dominated by trucks, SUVs, and crossovers, including two I've wanted to get a look at for a while now. First, the new Silverado was there, with its enormous air curtain vents: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-01.jpg https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-02.jpg And RAM finally brought a truck with the movable airdam, seen here in its stowed position: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-03.jpg Air Dams Sticking with air dams for a moment, there were some unusual arrangements. The Ford Ecosport, similar to the Fiesta, uses a deeply inset air dam and no engine bay pan: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-04.jpg The soon-to-be-dead Volt has an inset air dam, plus wheel strakes behind that: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-05.jpg A few cars used a combination of full or partial air dams with an engine pan. The 2019 Acura RDX, for example: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-06.jpg This is an interesting arrangement, on the Lexus LX570: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-07.jpg Air Curtains There have been some interesting developments in air curtains over the last year. These things have gone from a novelty just a few years ago to ubiquitous today. Some cars wear them with pride, like the new Jaguar I-Pace electric SUV: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-08.jpg ...and the Hyundai Veloster N: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-12.jpg Others try to hide them with the smallest inlet possible. The Mustang, one of the first production vehicles with air curtains: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-09.jpg Blink and you'll miss it. Similarly, the new Ranger hides its curtains well, and has an outlet far inboard of where these usually are in relation to the wheel arch edge: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-10.jpg https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-11.jpg Rear wheel air curtains are now officially A Thing. I noted last year that the Honda Clarity was the first and, at the time, only car to use them, but there are now others. The Veloster N again: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-13.jpg And, ladies and gentlemen, a new first in the industry--a car with air curtains only in the rear: the Lexus LC500. https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-14.jpg https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-15.jpg The front of the car has what appears to be inlets: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-16.jpg ...that are, in fact, blanking plates with no duct. Venty Galore Of course, the LC500 wasn't the only car at the show using strategically-placed "vents" as a stylistic device. Everybody's kow-towing to BIG VENT apparently. Here are some of the others. 2019 Audi Q8 front bumper cover vent. Fake...or not? https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-18.jpg https://media1.tenor.com/images/76bf...temid=11478969 Even though the duct looks real, there's no curtain behind it and the "duct" itself is solid: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-19.jpg How about the apparent rear wheel housing vent on the aging Dodge Charger? https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-20.jpg https://media.giphy.com/media/3o7TKy...lH9e/giphy.gif There is no duct, but that is open to the vented wheel housing! https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-21.jpg Try the hood vents on the RAM 1500. Outboard: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-22.jpg Center: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-23.jpg https://media1.tenor.com/images/6e58...itemid=8824676 That's right, the outboard vents are functional and the center hood "vent," near the base of the windshield, is just for looks. One last one. The Silverado's platform mate, the GMC Sierra: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-24.jpg https://media.tenor.com/images/4d95a...7fea/tenor.gif Until I looked at this truck close up, I assumed it didn't have the air curtains that the Silverado does. They aren't as large (the Silverado's are more than a foot tall!), but they are definitely there: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-25.jpg Spoilers With the rise of crossovers, we are nearing Peak Spoiler as well. Most designs are basic, ranging from the vestigial on the Ford Escape: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-26.jpg ...to the quite large, as on the Lexus NX300: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-27.jpg Many crossovers have slotted spoilers now, like the Toyota C-HR: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-28.jpg Lip spoilers on cars are slapped on anything with any sporting pretensions at all. Here's the 2020 Toyota Corolla XSE: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-29.jpg Grill Blocks As last year, manufacturers continue to try and hide the actual cooling air opening behind apparent grills. The most honest car at the show was the NASCAR Camry, just about the only car to wear its cooling inlet area with pride: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-30.jpg All the production cars hide behind giant plastic maws. The 2020 Corolla Hybrid: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-31.jpg The Acura TSX hides it better; it's hard to tell what's open and what isn't: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-32.jpg Vents, Just Vents, More Vents, Stupid Vents Vented wheel strakes on the Jeep Grand Cherokee: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-33.jpg Functional hood vents on the Dodge Challenger: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-34.jpg Functional wheel housing vents on the Jaguar F-Pace: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-35.jpg ...and Kia Stinger: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-36.jpg Grill/hood vent on the Jaguar I-Pace: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-37.jpg Odds and Ends For Daox, the 2019 Toyota Sienna's hood gasketing: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-38.jpg Flush door handles on the Acura NSX: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-39.jpg Open grill over the 2020 Porsche 911's engine bay: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-40.jpg Aerodynamic lip on the 2019 Kia Niro plug-in's muffler: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-41.jpg Interesting rocker shaping aft of the front wheel housing, Jaguar F-Pace: https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-42.jpg The End Since the Mercedes guys weren't there to heckle me this year, I had a pretty easy time of getting under cars. However, a Jaguar rep, seeing me take that last picture of the F-Pace, asked what manufacturer I was with! I have literally hundreds more pictures, so if there's something you want to see, let me know--I may have it. Keep your stick on the ice. |
LOL with the Red Green references.
I don't get how directing pressurized air at the wheels is supposed to improve aero efficiency? Nothing I hate worse than faux aero and cooling treatments. Can't wait until the ubergrill fad has passed. Hoping the Model 3 exterior design philosophy becomes popular and kills the other nonsense. |
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The album won't give me the whole pic so this is the thumbnail. The vortexes over the middle of the tire are suppressed. |
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But wait - Model what? https://mashable.com/article/tesla-m...e#NZoJdTZYiiq9 That's the other extreme. Want ornaments? Have a T. That's it... |
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The abandonment of the front air curtain on the Lexus LC500 is indeed a curious thing as it looks like they surely wanted them. 2016 2018 Lexus LC 500 & LC 500h Preview https://lexusenthusiast.com/2016/12/...-500h-preview/ https://lexusenthusiast.com/images/w...dynamics-2.jpg Quote:
On the Land Rover I suspect they wanted to assure their customers that they were on top of the technology treadmill on the aerodynamic front and put that pathetic excuse for an air-curtain in there as proof. RE: Rear Curtains Are we assured there is enough pressurized air running along side the vehicle to warrant use of rear air curtains? I mean the front air curtains work because a jet stream is created by taking low speed high pressure air and accelerating it though a narrow slot via Bernoulli/Venturi effect, correct? Quote:
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https://ecomodder.com/forum/member-v...go-2019-17.jpg Quote:
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Maybe it worked too well, and they had to slow the flow down? Quote:
I just got in an Internet fight over the demise of the Airbus A380, none of the "follow the herd" people chanting Boeing outfoxed them had an explanation for the major sponsorship and majority sales going to Persian Gulf countries. They would rather look like fools than to accept my theory based on tons of actual data and an event/experience I remember from 35 years ago. The herd goes where the herd goes, there is no mind to it. On a lighter note, today was the first time the funny Gifs showed up for me - hilarious. :D |
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Nice reference.:thumbup: |
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