Car Aerodynamics Have Stalled?

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by JasonG

There was a recent thread here about how car manufactuers used to post their cd #s.
Now it seems they stopped caring.

That's essentially Hucho's idea as well.
Reduzierung des Luftwiderstandes - volle Wirkung erst mit regenerativem Bremsen

While European manufacturers do care about aero, they still play it on the very safe side, and use solutions for small(er) problem areas while largely overlooking the big issues (rear end, likely due to (perceived) lack of market acceptance.
A case in point being the BMW air curtain for the front wheels.

Lots of detail aero solutions are made only to special series (Volvo DrivE / VW Blue Motion) instead of being standard on all vehicles.


Hucho blames this on the NEDC, which runs at an average of only 32.5 km/h / 20mph.


Less aero drag, means less energy needed to get about in the first place, but it also means more electric regeneration can be used for braking (unless you go coasting, which many won't do).

[JasonG]

Originally Posted by Big Dave

There are some realities that intrude on aero design.

The human body has a finite number of positions you can bend it into and expect it to tolerate.

Mechanical components need space and only come in a limited number of arrangements.

Auto fashion is for ridiculously large-diameter wheels set at the corners.

Unibody design imposes its own set of limitations.

You probably have hit the limits.

I think I disagree.
If some guy from from SC with a pop rivit gun can build a car that will do 75+MPG @ 70MPH, don't you reckon them big degree carrying engineers could do it too ?

No disrespect to Basjoos, I'm from a dirt rd in SC myself. If the lot of backyard mechanics here can build vehicles like they do, the guys with the big shops and $$$$ are nowhere near hitting their limit. Just look at your truck Dave.

We are far from hitting the limits of design.

Keep it up folks !!!

[brucepick]

I'm with JasonG on that one.
There's always the potential for something new to be done.

Shoot, back in the late '60's I thought all American cars were fuel sucking pigs, and the people were whining that Detroit really couldn't make anything more fuel efficient than what they were making then. Somehow they figured out a few things they could do. Unfortunately they moved with the speed of molasses on a cold winter morning.

So again, we here are running ahead of the manufacturers. Only because one guy with a rivet gun and a drill and a 10-15 year old car can move a lot faster than a large corporation, or even a small one. It takes them decades, unfortunately, to do what we'd like to see.

[Big Dave]

I'm not saying there's not plenty of work to be done, but the constraints I listed mean that production cars with Cd<0.25 will be very rare and probably none below 0.20.

[Otto]

Originally Posted by euromodder

That's essentially Hucho's idea as well....

A case in point being the BMW air curtain for the front wheels....

Got more information or links to this air curtain idea? I've been wondering about such a concept, and would really like to see what BMW has done. So, any references are much appreciated.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by Otto

Got more information or links to this air curtain idea?

Sure
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ain-17418.html

At the same time they're forgetting rear wheel skirts.

[Sven7]

Wheel skirts on a new BMW? I sure love that retro Mille Miglia concept, but you don't actually expect them to produce it, do you? :/

It would also be nice if they'd at least make an attempt to match it to the template.


OG:

[Rokeby]

Doors are included in the Get Real/Real World option package?

Oops! I forgot it's a concept racing car.

'Nuff said.

[gone-ot]

..that "canopy" would make one-helluva air-brake at speed.