Posted on 06/21/2018 2:18:38 PM PDT by Rummyfan
Its not incredible that so many cars look so similar. Its incredible that cars look different at all.
Maybe youve seen it: three lanes of midsize crossovers that could trade badges and nobody would notice. Those shapes are dictated by interior space, powertrain packaging, federal regulations, and production feasibility. But most of all, theyre designed for aerodynamic efficiency. When we started asking manufacturers around the country how that works, we realized that its not incredible that so many cars look so similar. Its incredible that cars look different at all.
There is a basic tension between aerodynamic engineers and car designers. Each side will say that their missions are in harmony, that good design should not preclude good aerodynamics, and that aerodynamics should not limit design. But thats not really true. The wind doesnt care whether your grille is distinctive, or even whether you have one at all. The wind wants your car to look like a raindrop, and anything else is a compromise. Yes, every percentage of miles per gallon or range per charge matters, but visual distinction sells cars.
(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...
Ah well. Autonomous driving will soon be here. We can set in our cocoon car and maybe watch a video.
The problem with autonomous driving is that it will have to be mandated for ALL cars, because if there’s ONE human on the road and 99 autonomous/computer controlled auto, then the 99 will do what is expected based on the IF/THEN of the other drivers/cars. However, the one human driver will do whatever they want, based on what the computers will never be able to have, the human drivers intuition. And that will drive the computers crazy.
Nice looking car. Wish I had one, or two, or three.
They’d better have a nuclear-powered air conditioner in that thing.
Dimples.
They work for golf balls, too.
I may get one of those after I retire as a runabout.
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“Automotive Aerodynamics” is killing the auto industry!
Ugly is, and reduces sales.
We just saw one of those at a car show last night.
L
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That extra axle doubles your bridge and toll road fees!
(Bad news for travelers)
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I was surprised that those Airtab vortex generator things were all over it, I figured that was bs but they must work.
Surprisingly the strange aerodynamic-looking VW Beetle wasn’t all that aerodynamic.
I don’t do toll roads or bridges with fees. There’s only one toll road in this state, nowhere near me. I can get to the Blue Ridge or Smokies and never see a toll road. I can get to the entire coast and not go too far out of the way to avoid the one toll road around Raleigh. If I don’t feel like driving the whole way to the OBX, or want to go to Ocracoke Island which has no bridges to it, the ferry charge is $45.00. The ferry between Ocracoke and Hatteras is free. They’re wonderful vehicles, you can drive it with your finger if it’s well-sorted. A lot of shops don’t understand alignment or steering with these, though, so you’ll encounter GMC motorhomes for sale that are like trying to herd cats down the highway but that’s not normal and can be corrected. They’ll go far faster than you should be driving such a heavy vehicle. The driving experience is akin to a 70’s Cadillac, very plush. Complex vehicles though, there’s a lot to stay on top of, air suspension, rubber seals and gaskets in the aircraft fuselage style body, etcetera. Modern gasoline has done them no favors so most are switching to FiTech fuel injection to cope with it. The fuel tanks need more insulation and heat shielding than they came with originally too, you can boil the gas sitting in traffic on hot pavement which will also cause problems. But, all in all, they’re the cheapest toy in the box as far as a Class A RV goes, and they just look so nice. Well worth the occasional hassle. From what I hear, brand new ones have quite a few problems right out of the box themselves and have hideous depreciation. These have sold in a range from mid-teens for a serviceable but not necessarily pretty example, on up to mid-20’s for a pretty nice one that has been maintained. The restomods with modern tech, 3 coat base and 3 coat clear, custom interior and all that can set you back into six figures.
I agree. But then they should also run a float test on all of those cars.
Avanti! Cool car! Thanks for posting.
“Actually, raindrops are only as aerodynamically efficient as a body lacking an internal structure can be.”
In reality rain drops are shaped like hamburger buns and not ‘teardrops’.
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