Miura, a lightweight aerodynamic body over a Volkswagen frame

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Look how low it is compared to an Opel Corsa C.

And has a nice Kammback.


It was made in my hometown from '77 to '85, using the Volkswagen platform, as usual with many artesanal Brazilian fiberglass-bodied cars from the 70s and 80s when imports were extremely restricted.

[mcrews]

Vw beetle?

[kach22i]

Those side scoops seem to be the only source for cooling the air-cooled engine.

Compare to a Type-2 wagon.

OLD PARKED CARS: 1970 Volkswagen 1500 Squareback Wagon.


I do not think it would have a cooling problem after all (white car, not orange car).

Looks to be fairly aerodynamic outside of vortexes forming at the rear corners.

Gotta love those old VW Beetle based kit cars.

[renault_megane_dci]

Shame the boxer is such a gas guzzler, could do for a nice looking efficient ride ...

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by renault_megane_dci

Shame the boxer is such a gas guzzler, could do for a nice looking efficient ride ...

As I understand it the boxer layout is lower in low end torque than lets say a "V", and harmonic vibrations cancel each other out.

I owned a 1976 Super Beetle which got good gas mileage, and currently own a 1977 Porsche 911 which gets 26 mpg hwy - not bad for a 0-60 in seven seconds car (and boxer layout).

Are you sure you are not thinking of a Rotary (Wankel) engine, renault_megane_dci?

[renault_megane_dci]

I red here and there that the VW flat four is no good for FE, is it the Beetl aerodynamic or the engine itself I don't know.

Thing is in standard trim they have a very low CR being air cooled, at the back of the car and dedicated to burn pretty much anything.
This alone does not help FE

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by renault_megane_dci

I red here and there that the VW flat four is no good for FE, is it the Beetl aerodynamic or the engine itself I don't know.

That's because it's an ancient engine design.

Properly designed, boxers can be efficient.
But as most of the boxer designs end up in sporty or sports cars, the engines usually aren't designed for highest FE.

[NeilBlanchard]

The aero of the OP seems to be exactly backward? Turn it around, and it would be much better.

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

The aero of the OP seems to be exactly backward? Turn it around, and it would be much better.

It does look like it would be fairly aerodynamic backwards too.

Subaru's uses boxer layouts on their engines. I believe the reason they don't get great fuel mileage is because they are AWD.

Air-cooled VW Beetle engine, pre-WWII technology for the most part. Not a modern engine example to be sure.

[renault_megane_dci]

I am not throwing stones to the boxer design for engines, I was saying the vehicle shown can difficultly be made to be some FE champion since it is using the VW flat 4 engine and FE is not one of the strong points of these engines.