Which mass produced car is closest to a teardrop shape ?

[Christ]

CD - nice MX3.. i've never really looked at one and thought of it like that...

Still, you need to remove at least 200 lbs before adding that boat-tail to it... in all fairness LOL.

[dichotomous]

chevy is really good at making aero cars..... stingray corvette, cleaned up bodywise I doubt you could do much better



[img[http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/DES/D694~Chevy-Corvette-Stingray-Posters.jpg[/img]




and there are a few 7th gen civic Si's running around with RSX-s transmissions which are 6speed and have a taller final drive, they get signficiantly better gas milage. one guy thew the type s final on his Si gears with a TSX 5th added as 6th (confused yet?) for much taller gears (he also has a bored and stroked with a LOT more power) and gets around 38mpg out of it. this vs my stock motor with almost 100less hp and stock gears at 10mpg less....

[Cd]

Originally Posted by dichotomous

chevy is really good at making aero cars..... stingray corvette, cleaned up bodywise I doubt you could do much better


and there are a few 7th gen civic Si's running around with RSX-s transmissions which are 6speed and have a taller final drive, they get signficiantly better gas milage. one guy thew the type s final on his Si gears with a TSX 5th added as 6th (confused yet?) for much taller gears (he also has a bored and stroked with a LOT more power) and gets around 38mpg out of it. this vs my stock motor with almost 100less hp and stock gears at 10mpg less....

Hate to say it, but some of the most streamlined LOOKING cars are actually aerodynamic nightmares.

[Cd]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

PS - Cd, your artistic & photoshopping skills are impressive! Nice work.

Thanks !
Did you happen to notice the modified Metro with wheel skirts ?
( I also posted an image of your Flea with a tow-a-long boattail. I'm not sure if you saw it or not.)

[Christ]

So... I wasn't read in on this.. does the boat-tail trailer help as much as a standard boat-tail would? or even close?

Is there a different airflow profile to consider when working with a towbehind rather than the actual vehicle's body?

[MetroMPG]

Christ: probably not as much, owing to the additional rolling resistance & drag caused by the trailer tire(s). Not to mention added weight.

Aside from that, designed well, it could potentially make a significant improvement. See: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...p-fe-5698.html

Cd: I missed the Flea trailer, but saw that white choptop treatment.

[Christ]

MetroMPG - Thank you.

I wonder if I can use something of that.. since I like to haul stuff with my car... like car parts lol.

I use my car as a truck.

I also would love to drive that white metro photochop. That's a sweet looking ride, even though it's fake.. and yes, I saw the drag-race EV metro lol. I'd make it road legal.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by dichotomous

chevy is really good at making aero cars..... stingray corvette, cleaned up bodywise I doubt you could do much better



[img[http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/DES/D694~Chevy-Corvette-Stingray-Posters.jpg[/img]




and there are a few 7th gen civic Si's running around with RSX-s transmissions which are 6speed and have a taller final drive, they get signficiantly better gas milage. one guy thew the type s final on his Si gears with a TSX 5th added as 6th (confused yet?) for much taller gears (he also has a bored and stroked with a LOT more power) and gets around 38mpg out of it. this vs my stock motor with almost 100less hp and stock gears at 10mpg less....

The Corvette shown,with stock wheels and tires measured Cd0.45.

[trebuchet03]

Originally Posted by dichotomous

chevy is really good at making aero cars..... stingray corvette, cleaned up bodywise I doubt you could do much better



[img[http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/DES/D694~Chevy-Corvette-Stingray-Posters.jpg[/img]




and there are a few 7th gen civic Si's running around with RSX-s transmissions which are 6speed and have a taller final drive, they get signficiantly better gas milage. one guy thew the type s final on his Si gears with a TSX 5th added as 6th (confused yet?) for much taller gears (he also has a bored and stroked with a LOT more power) and gets around 38mpg out of it. this vs my stock motor with almost 100less hp and stock gears at 10mpg less....

Curvaceous lines is not an indication of an aerodynamic car

For example, 1969 Opel GT, lots of curvyness that screams to the masses "air just gets out of my way."


A = 1.51 m^2
cD = .41 --- not too bad for the time period

And the 1974, VW Scirocco... Screams "I'm a boxy car, listen to the turbulence I make!"



A = 1.73 m^2
cD = .41


There's likely many other examples with cars that are "boxy" versus "curvy" with identical form drag numbers

------
For the OP:
I would put neither of those cars on the list

[lunarhighway]

i think perhaps a worhty winner would be the 1970 citroen sm



0.26Cd ! and not to much frontal area by the looks of it it's got a smooth underside that slopes up gently... a true drop on wheels