[Roadsters] Modern car body design changes

[Hall, Phillip B. (MSFC-ED10)]

Hey Gary -

The Bosch Automotive Handbook lists the Cw of open convertibles as .5 to .7
and the 'ponton' or sedan body as .4 to .55 (top up..).  The wedge shape body
is .3 to .4.

I think what drives the design of a car are the marketing folks and not
engineers.  The automotive industry is a cost driven industry so marketing
roles at the end of the day.  Personally I like a car with a 'grill'.

Phil Hall
NASA/MSFC/ED10
Systems Engineering
work :   256-544-2525
cell:    256-975-6385


-----Original Message-----
From: datsun-roadsters-bounces at autox.team.net
[mailto:datsun-roadsters-bounces at autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Gary Boone
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 12:57 AM
To: Datsun Roadster List
Subject: [Roadsters] Modern car body design changes

Hey roadster fans,
Just a little trivia here.  I'm sure everyone has noticed that over the last 3
to 5 years that front end body designs have transformed from a wedge shape to
a very blunt front shape, starting with European cars.  I read in one of the
car magazines at least 5 years ago, that this concept of a blunt front end
started in Germany because of the need to reduce the severity of injury to
pedestrians when they get hit by a car.  I think that may not be a totally
legitimate reason for designing a car with a blunt front end body design when
it increases the cars' coefficient of drag  as opposed to a wedge shape.  It
seems it would be detrimental to fuel mileage and performance at higher
speeds.  Pedestrians need to be smarter in my opinion.  Now the Asian  and
American car makers are adopting the same body design.  I have not checked out
the coefficient of drag on the modern cars.  Car magazines once upon a time
would publish the coefficient of drag but not
 anymore.   Maybe the engineers have figured out a way to make a front blunt
just as aerodynamic as a wedge front end.  Anyone seen any coefficient of drag
data on these blunt cars?  BTW, our roadsters have that blunt front end.  Is
there any published info on coefficient of drag on Datsun roadsters?
Gary
You are subscribed as phillip.b.hall at msfc.nasa.gov

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