Zoleco: custom aerodynamic car, 1.0L Suzuki drivetrain

[zoltanbod]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

I'm still confused. :/ So how about this hypothetical question: Say you have the 4 million dollars or whatever amount it is you think you need. Can you detail what it is you would do next (on the car, that is)?

Should money or lack of it no longer be an issue I would complete all the design work and plug building.

Have the molds built.

Pull out the first body from the molds.

Remove the tubing chassis from the development model and use it as the jig to form up an aluninum monoque chassis to go under this first body if that proves beneficial.

Build the rear swing axle and suspension.

Put in the new braking system.

Either rebuild or replace the turbo 3 cyl engine and transmission with a new one.

Installation of the electrical,cooling ,exhaust systems.

Body and paint.

Testing and tunning of engine ,chassis and suspension.

Now the tested and working prototype is used for promotion in hopes of creating a niche market.First available in a kit format.

This is a summarized version of what I would do next and next.

[NeilBlanchard]

Do you intend to do tuft testing at some point? How much work would it take to get the drivetrain up and working? Three wheel layouts need to have careful engineering of the Cg, and the handling can be great, but they can also be problematic. Getting actual data on fuel economy and/or video of tuft tests would go a long way toward promoting your design.

[kach22i]

Yes this car is a familiar story, and for many of us forum posters a dream we all share.

[zoltanbod]

Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard

Do you intend to do tuft testing at some point? How much work would it take to get the drivetrain up and working? Three wheel layouts need to have careful engineering of the Cg, and the handling can be great, but they can also be problematic. Getting actual data on fuel economy and/or video of tuft tests would go a long way toward promoting your design.

You make some good points.Yes, I have considered tuft testing to varify the laminar airflow stream over the tear drop shaped body .Just have not done it yet.It would be a good visual aid in the promotion of the car aswell.I am confident that the shape of my car with all the comprimizes that it does have for ergonomic reasons will produce very low drag numbers.Then again it is all smoke and mirrors til the car actually sees the road and shows what it can do.
The drivetrain is not the hold up.It all just needs to be rebuilt and tuned.The fact that the body plug was not intended to be driven down the road is.Not alot differant than driving one of the OEM clay models down the road.There is still alot of design and plug building work to be done before I can pull a useable body from the works.
The tadpole configuration is a very stable three wheeled layout if engineered correctly as you say.Key points to follow are to keep as much of the vehicles mass over the front axle centerline and the center of gravity as close to the ground as feasible.From what I understand this configuration when correctly set up will handle extremely well,almost as good as the best four wheeled cars.

[user removed]

Good luck with achieving your dream zoltanbod. My pursuit is similar but my focus is different based on the knowledge that the better the aero, the more important the powertrain becomes. Powertrain efficiency alone can produce an 80% increase in economy without any aero improvement.

The combination of excellent aero with a powertrain that can utilize the results of better aero will provide the ultimate in efficient vehicles for personal transportation as well as commercial transportation.

For all of my adult life I have studied and dreamed of building the ultimate in efficient transportation.

While Frank is skeptical, which as long as it is constructive, is actually a good thing, this world will be changed by those who build their dreams and see them become reality. In that process those same "dreamers" will always face serious skepticism. How they handle negative comments is not really important. Much more important is that they understand the total package of issues that they must resolve to achieve their goals.

The issue I see is that when you vastly improve the aero of a vehicle, one of the consequences is you are lowering the energy requirement of the powertrain. In almost every instance this results in lower engine efficiency at constant speeds.

My powertrain system is one of few that automatically compensates for lower overall energy demands due to lower aero, rolling resitance, as well as any other improvement that lowers total energy demands.

Pure battery electric powered vehicles are one of the few current configurations that can benefit from aero improvement automatically. I am not saying that better aero will be offset completely by lower engine efficiency, just that a significant portion of the total improvement will not be achieved without serious refinement of the powertrain.

regards
Mech

[zoltanbod]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

Good luck with achieving your dream zoltanbod. My pursuit is similar but my focus is different based on the knowledge that the better the aero, the more important the powertrain becomes. Powertrain efficiency alone can produce an 80% increase in economy without any aero improvement.

The combination of excellent aero with a powertrain that can utilize the results of better aero will provide the ultimate in efficient vehicles for personal transportation as well as commercial transportation.

For all of my adult life I have studied and dreamed of building the ultimate in efficient transportation.

While Frank is skeptical, which as long as it is constructive, is actually a good thing, this world will be changed by those who build their dreams and see them become reality. In that process those same "dreamers" will always face serious skepticism. How they handle negative comments is not really important. Much more important is that they understand the total package of issues that they must resolve to achieve their goals.

The issue I see is that when you vastly improve the aero of a vehicle, one of the consequences is you are lowering the energy requirement of the powertrain. In almost every instance this results in lower engine efficiency at constant speeds.

My powertrain system is one of few that automatically compensates for lower overall energy demands due to lower aero, rolling resitance, as well as any other improvement that lowers total energy demands.

Pure battery electric powered vehicles are one of the few current configurations that can benefit from aero improvement automatically. I am not saying that better aero will be offset completely by lower engine efficiency, just that a significant portion of the total improvement will not be achieved without serious refinement of the powertrain.

regards
Mech

So very true.You make some good points.I wish you great success.Now if I can just get my prototype on the road.....hydraulic drive was something that I was wanting to test and verify!

Thanks,
Zoltan

[mikeyjd]

Good luck. Sounds like your half way home

[Frank Lee]

^Riiiiigggghhhhtttt.

[Frank Lee]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhCLloR6fPA

Now with red paint!!!

...and on 6/26/2013 only 60mpg... "estimated".

Won't somebody please write a huge check? Luvit- where are yooooooo?

P.S. Nope- wait- 10/26/2013 it was still getting 151mpg. I'm so

http://impressivemagazine.com/2013/1...or-sports-car/

[ecomodded]

With a cd of just 0.17 being driven by a 375hp vr6 VW motor the Zoleco a Canadian made Concept car may have it all, looks , economy and a insane 230mph super car top speed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhCLloR6fPA