Buick Wildcat 1985 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

snakub · 12-31-2013, 10:43 PM

Hi I don't know if this has been discussed but what is the drag and frontal area of this car?

bikin' Ed · 01-01-2014, 04:20 AM

Don't have an answer for you. But thanks for the memory. I remember reading about that car back in the day. I sure did want Buick to build it.

Frank Lee · 01-01-2014, 09:36 AM

Overall width: 72.3 inches
Overall height: 43.7 inches

72.3 x 43.7 = 3160 x .84 = 2654 / 144 = 18.4 sq ft estimated frontal area. The greenhouse angles in more than most but then the tires might be fatter than most so who knows which way the formula should be adjusted.

Another web source places it at 18.6 sq ft but that's just another estimate.

Various web sources give Cd at .27, .28, and .32; for the .27 and .28 it was not stated if those were estimates or figures given by GM. The .32 was estimated.

It's a beauty and I sure would like to have it in my driveway, especially since it has one of my favorite engines, the 3800 V6.

snakub · 01-01-2014, 05:41 PM

.32 eh? Any suggestions for improvements?

Frank Lee · 01-01-2014, 06:26 PM

For some reason I trust the .28-.29 values more.

At any rate, my suggestion for improvement would be to trade it in on an Aerotech.

baldlobo · 01-02-2014, 12:32 AM

i like this one better

The Wraith Car (based on the Dodge M4S Turbo Interceptor)

Frank Lee · 01-02-2014, 09:24 AM

Where is this going anyway?

kach22i · 01-02-2014, 11:04 AM

I loved the Wildcat and similar GM cars of that era.

Website with more Wildcat information (Russian - .ru):
1985 Buick WildCat -

Frank Lee · 01-02-2014, 11:16 AM

Yeah, the Pontiac Stinger and Banshee, and the Camaro were nice too, and especially the Pontiac minivan which in concept was soooo cool and in production was soooo yuck.

BWAHAHAHA- they make such a big deal about the "technological and design breakthrough" of the rising canopy and steering column... not only does that ignore the old Isetta, but even more closely GM's own 1967 Astro I.

Ahhh, marketing hype.

kach22i · 01-02-2014, 11:27 AM

Somewhere in storage I have a NAIAS acquired poster of the 1986 Corvette Indy concept.

It's a hand drawn marker type sketch on thick paper stock which they were handing out for free. I had it on my old apartment wall for years, brings back a lot of memories from back in my bachelor days.