The Dreaded VG's again...

[gumby79]

Hard to tell from the image. They appear to be inclined towards the center of the car making the outside the downstream vortex generation side. If this is so, then they are causing a counter-rotating vortex that would travel down the back window forming a curtain therefore reducing the effect of the vortices formed as the air comes around the back of the C pillar. An aerodynamic kam... but appearances are deceiving.

Dreem Big Chisel Down To Reality

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by freebeard

I'd like to know the logic behind the jumbo hinge covers. If it involves vortices, it would seem it would most likely be located at the edge between the roof top and side.

Unless Honda actually reports on it we may never know if there's any actual utility to the feature,or just a styling gimmick.
It smells of some mistake discovered late in the R&D game,and an attempt to fix it with a Band-Aid different from someone else's patented Band-Aid.

[Vman455]

Originally Posted by aerohead

Unless Honda actually reports on it we may never know if there's any actual utility to the feature,or just a styling gimmick.
It smells of some mistake discovered late in the R&D game,and an attempt to fix it with a Band-Aid different from someone else's patented Band-Aid.

Or a concession to some interior volume target (it's worth noting that the hatch is a full 5" shorter than the sedan on the same wheelbase). The sedan and coupe, with more tumblehome and a shallower rear glass angle, have no such gimmicky add-ons.

[freebeard]

I miss chrome, external trunk hinges.

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by freebeard

I miss chrome, external trunk hinges.

Packard, baby!!

[Shepherd777]

Originally Posted by aerohead

Bob,if you can locate a Tesla S take a gander at what they've done under the nose with the leading edge of the front wheel hour-glass openings.
They've got angled fairings to create this 'jump' and re-attachment beyond the rearward termination of the opening.
The scale of the fairing,with respect to the size of the opening may suggest something about 'sizing' and angles.
This is 'underbody' flow,and it's complicated with the ground plane,but it would be a beginning point perhaps.

Hey Phil -

Thanks much for the input. I eyeballed some images of the Model S but it was not blatantly obvious to the feature that you are referring to. Like you said, I'll have to see this in person to get a feel for it.

I did find a cool image of the Model S steering tire wheel well.



They also have a cool video on the mirror drag. According to Tesla rear-view mirrors are said to increase aerodynamic drag between 3 to 6 percent. Wheels can generate an additional 20% of drag.

“One of the objectives with the Model S was to minimize the airflow around the front wheels and to line up the airflow so it hits the front wheels head on. We needed to avoid air hitting at an angle, as often the side of the tire acts like a bucket that catches the air, producing significant drag. This was an area where we made a huge improvement from the initial concept designs to the final design.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiq_mnS1DNg

[aerohead]

yeah,you'll wanna peek under the nose.The leading edge of the wheelhouse/end of the belly pan leading up to the openings under the car has a molded-in airdam which extends downward and to the rear at a specific angle.There may be other companies who've done this,but Tesla's is the first I've noticed.
It reminds me very much of the 'taco' fairings MIT and other universities used on their very-low-drag solar racers.
The logic is to direct the air down,separate it right there,have the flow 'overshoot' the rear portion of the opening,then re-attach to the belly once the flow's cleared the opening.There would be a locked-vortex inside the wheelhouse
traveling with the car.It's very clever!
Exa's PowerFlow CFD is full-scale,so these sorts of details can be successfully 'tested' inside the computer.If you have the money.

[Shepherd777]

Chevrolet has some way cool aero features on the 2018 ZL1 1LE Camaro.

Presumably the Gurney Flaps on the leading edge of the steering tire wheel wells direct the air above and around the tire opening.

[freebeard]

I wouldn't call those Gurney flaps. This Jalopnik article calls them 'dive planes'.


http://jalopnik.com/the-aston-martin-vulcan-s-new-performance-package-looks-1796575534

Wikipedia offers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumper_canards

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Shepherd777

Chevrolet has some way cool aero features on the 2018 ZL1 1LE Camaro.

Presumably the Gurney Flaps on the leading edge of the steering tire wheel wells direct the air above and around the tire opening.

Some journalists say that everything on the Camaro is for downforce and high speed handling.The cars (Mustangs too ) are capable of lethal speeds and GM (and Ford/Chrysler/etc.) would rather the owners arrive alive.
It's all a concession to speed and bragging (marketing) rights.