Driving with the top down?

[kach22i]

Ever wonder what taking your Targa top off does to your aerodynamics?

Vehicle aerodynamics


Spiffy Cd calculator at the site above too.

[Shortie771]

Aww now I'm sad

But this is exactly why I only take the top off when I'm driving around town 35mph and below

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by Shortie771

Aww now I'm sad

But this is exactly why I only take the top off when I'm driving around town 35mph and below

If you have a Targa like me, roof off and side windows rolled up isn't so bad (see numbers above).

I topped out at 138 mph that way, just 2 mph shy of what I should be able to do with the top on.

It was a test which I will never repeat, not on public roads anyway.

That example must have hidden headlights, a funny thing to take into account.

[Shortie771]

Originally Posted by kach22i

If you have a Targa like me, roof off and side windows rolled up isn't so bad (see numbers above).

I topped out at 138 mph that way, just 2 mph shy of what I should be able to do with the top on.

It was a test which I will never repeat, not on public roads anyway.

Lol that is probably for the best. That would be an expensive ticket, not to mention the danger it would be to yourself and other driver. Sure is fun though... Oh and I do have a targa, love my sol

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by Shortie771

... Oh and I do have a targa, love my sol

I suspect that with the top off and side windows rolled up it performs much like the bed of a pick-up truck. A captured static bubble of air, of which the main flow can move over.

Targa's are better than full convertibles for this reason, at least from an aerodynamic viewpoint. See the numbers if in doubt.

[freebeard]

I've been sitting on this waiting for a relevant thread.

A retractable mesh to moderate turbulence in the cockpit.

[Shortie771]

I wonder how bad it is for me with my targa off, side windows up, but rear window rolled down. Compared to rear window up.

[some_other_dave]

Originally Posted by kach22i

That example must have hidden headlights, a funny thing to take into account.

It's a VW-Porsche 914. The Cd for the car under those circumstances has been published.

-soD

[darcane]

Originally Posted by freebeard

I've been sitting on this waiting for a relevant thread.


A retractable mesh to moderate turbulence in the cockpit.

So, does it work?

My wife likes the convertible and the front seats don't have much of an issue with wind. But, she typically has the kids with her, and the back seats have much more wind. I was trying to figure out a cheap. easy way to mitigate that.

I was thinking about a panel behind the rear seats to make it more like a targa top car.

[freebeard]

Hmmf.. I see a problem. The screen capture was carefully cropped so you can see that it's 1:53 into a Youtube video titled 'Niki Lauda gives Michael Schumaker a special lift'. In Google Chrome when I'm not logged in there is a ****ing ad obscuring that info. Lesson: always view in a properly locked down browser.

Anyway these guys (whoever they are ) discuss it. You might try a separable clip-on version instead of a retractable one.