VW's 1L is back ("XL1" latest version of concept, side-by-side seating this time)

[redneck]

Yup, stretchy material over the front wheels. I'd like to know what it's made of.

Probably a trade secret.

Here's another angle.



More pictures at this site.

1985 Ford Probe V (Ghia) - Concepts



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[ai_vin]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

Is this the car that used stretchy fabric for the front wheel skirts?

Yes.

[NeilBlanchard]

That is obviously a Kamm back done right. It looks to have an air exhaust vent helping pressurize the wake zone, too?

[ai_vin]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

It looks to have an air exhaust vent helping pressurize the wake zone, too?

The Probe V was the last of a series so I imagine they used the same trick they used in the Probe IV: The radiator and air conditioning compressor were located at the rear in order to eliminate a high drag radiator opening in the front (or nose).

Why isn't that done more often?

[Piwoslaw]

Originally Posted by ai_vin

The Probe V was the last of a series so I imagine they used the same trick they used in the Probe IV: The radiator and air conditioning compressor were located at the rear in order to eliminate a high drag radiator opening in the front (or nose).

Why isn't that done more often?

It is done, but only in mid- or rear-engined vehicles. Most passenger cars are front engined, since that is the most functional solution as far as passenger/cargo space goes. Putting the radiator(s) in the back would require a long length of plumbing (weight) and lots of coolant to fill it (more weight). The gains in simplicity and weight savings outweigh (pun intended) the extra aero drag.

[Frank Lee]

Pontiac had the perfect opportunity to do that with Fiero... but they didn't.

VW had the perfect opportunity to do that with the Wasserboxer and diesel Vanagons... but they didn't.

[Piwoslaw]

But VW did do it with the rear-engine Beetle

OK, OK. Let's think about cars that actually need cooling, like Ferrari, et al.

[mnmarcus]

Sorry but I don't understand how moving the radiator to the rear would decrease the drag. I suppose it's because you are just screwing up the airflow near the end and letting the rest of the flow be smoother over the majority of the cars length? Because you still need some (?) drag to push the air through the radiator... Any votes on how much rear mounting radiator would help FE?

I suppose the wheel is encased in its own housing which pushes against the fabric when the tires are turned... Doesn't seem so tough, if you had some fabric that was elastic enough and weather proof... Some strechy neoprene maybe?

[basjoos]

That stretchy material covering the front wheel wells of the ford Probe is polyurethane sheet. I wonder how well it would hold up in the daily driving environment.

[NeilBlanchard]

The key to reducing aero drag in the cooling system is to have a smoothly ducted system, and have the intakes in a high pressure zone (like the very nose) and have the exhaust in a low pressure zone (like the rear fascia of the Kamm back).

Look at the Britten V1100 for the potential of a fully ducted cooling system:

Neil Blanchard Designs: Britten V1000/V1100 - The Most Innovative Motorcycle Ever?

The radiator is under the seat, in the tail section. The intake is the 2 small oval opening on the nose of the fairing, and the exhaust is the "stinger" tube on the very tail. This worked perfectly to cool a 160+HP v-twin race motorcycle. A really fast, amazing motorcycle.