Dodge to offer 41 MPG (hwy) "Aero" version of 2013 Dart - 0.285 drag coefficient

[LeanBurn]

I was a little disappointed to see a cD of only 0.285 to tell you the truth....after the 2009 Corolla has a Cd of 0.29...you'd think they could do a bit better...

[Cd]

2013 Dodge Dart Specifications and Dimensions

. *37.4 / 35.4 with sunroof. Drag coefficient is for models with active grille shutters and underbody treatment (standard on all but SE, where they are optional) **Trunk volume listed as 16.6 cubic feet; it was irregularly sized and this does not appear to have been an SAE measurement (we suspect it’s “optimistic.”)

[ksa8907]

an '09 corolla is only .29? too bad they couldn't beat a car from 14 years ago, the '98 concorde had a Cd of .288, was bigger, and had more power.

[cfg83]

ksa8907 -

Originally Posted by ksa8907

an '09 corolla is only .29? too bad they couldn't beat a car from 14 years ago, the '98 concorde had a Cd of .288, was bigger, and had more power.

I would make the weak(?) argument that the 1998 Concorde was from the end of the "streamline(?) fashion" era. If you look at the cars from the late 1980's and early 1990's, the design tends toward clean lines. When I look at this example :



I see the "below headlight" grille and clean/contiguous horizontal lines along the side of the body. About the only thing it needs are wheel covers and a belly pan.

CarloSW2

[ksa8907]

Originally Posted by cfg83

ksa8907 -


About the only thing it needs are wheel covers and a belly pan.

CarloSW2

And a TDI engine with a 5 speed.

[gone-ot]

Originally Posted by ksa8907

And a TDI engine with a 5 speed.

...and, a HEFTY weight diet!

[ksa8907]

From what ive read, the dart will only be a couple hundred pounds lighter.

[bhazard]

Yeah the dart weighs like 40 tons.

[Tango Charlie]

Originally Posted by deathtrain

need to put this up on the aero templet

Aw, shoot, I just couldn't resist that.
OK, here we go;



Thanks to seifrob and the awesome online tool he created.
It really oughta be stickied.

[JackMcCornack]

Originally Posted by ksa8907

an '09 corolla is only .29? too bad they couldn't beat a car from 14 years ago, the '98 concorde had a Cd of .288, was bigger, and had more power.

Let us not forget that the easiest way to improve a car's Cd is to make it bigger. It's Cd x Frontal Area that matters. I suspect MAX's Cd will go down when I put an enclosed cabin on it, but its total drag, sad to say, will most likely rise because the frontal area will increase by about 25%.