3rd gen Prius aeromod thread

[hayden55]

So when are we finishing out the aero so we can get this car dtm legal? I've seen you on the race track before. *eye emoji* :P

[freebeard]

Similar to Hucho's first project at VW, I want to see how much I can lower the drag coefficient while keeping within the footprint of a conventional sedan.

Too much gap, like an 18-wheeler.

[MeteorGray]

Hey, if that rear attachment could be utilized as a cargo box, it would be great for aerodynamics as well as cargo hauling. And if the gap is too large, some type of material could be added to fix the problem.

It also would be a lot more aesthetically pleasing than the Kammbacks I've seen, especially since it could be easily removed when driving in the city.

[freebeard]

It's been done before, I remember christofoo's Civic ecomodder.com: Project: ECOfamily Civic and its Aero Hitch Box / Boat Tail

There have been others.

I like ecomodder.com: MetroMPG's Honda Insight boat tail extension (cardboard) tuft video; ABA test +9.7%. It doesn't have a gap a-tall.



Possible solutions: a hinged flap for access to the lift-gate latch. Or the whole box slides back. The downside of filling it with cargo is the vehicle will oversteer like a VW Beetle.

[MeteorGray]

I guess it's a psychological thing, but the example in post #272 looks quite normal to me, not much different than any car with a trailer-hitch box. If it yielded the same benefits as a full-fledged boat-tail, that would be great. I wouldn't have a problem driving it, whereas I would not consider other boat-tail designs I've seen. I hate to draw attention, especially the ones that have folks pointing fingers, which makes me too self-conscious :-)

[Tahoe_Hybrid]

Originally Posted by Vman455

There have been a few threads; search "conductive tape" or "Toyota patent." Here's the patent on Google.

the old school version is ground straps GM trucks have them on the hood connecting to ground they been using them since the 1980/90s they changed the design in 2007 models not required

[bobo333]

I've been considering how far to go with transforming my rear carrier into an aerodynamic aid, this one is beautiful! How much difference did it make at highway speeds? Did you ever test gap fillers of any sort?

My rear carrier as it currently sits:

[California98Civic]

You can build an effective boattail around that. For easy of access on the trail, make the tail open at the back, like a box cavity design. Do like Metro did in the example freebeard posted above and leave the stock tail lights in place. In fact, maybe build your whole boattailed open back boxcavity out of a clear product such as lexan.

[M_a_t_t]

There is a few boat tailed prii around if your looking for inspiration.

[veloman]

I'm starting to mod my gen 3 and wondering what these plastic things are in front of the front wheels? Looks like unnecessary drag.
Edit: I finished reading the thread and see how they were discussed a few pages ago.