Hi everyone...

This was covered briefly in the the slat flat topic. But I was just wondering what is the most aerodynamic model beetle?

Thanks,
Cam

I think it's the Oval. Low screen/roofline, curvy guards... but they're all terrible, really

Yeah, I know. They're all pretty dodgy. I'm thinking oval with shaved rain gutters and flush fit winscreen.

apparently the windscreen is one of the worst areas aerodynamically..... i believe it's slightly better on an '03 because it's curved, but the front of an '03 is basically fatter so that probably cancels it out....

this car has the right idea, guide the air over the windscreen.....


kai

Not sure on the beetle, but I do remember that the Kombi was the first passenger vehicle to be streamlined in a wind tunnel - got the Cd down to .34 if my memory serves...

That's my recollection as well, but I can't back it up with data at the moment.

so the most aerodynamic 'beetle' would probably be the Karmann Ghia, followed by the Bus, followed by the Beetle as the least aerodynamic 'Beetle'.

When I'm driving at decent speed in the rain the drops on the front windscreen don't know where to go.

You'd think they would go up the screen or perhaps to the side in straight lines but they don't. The drops tend to stall, change direction and even go down the windscreen at high speed. Perhaps a beetle would be more aerodynamic if it was going backwards.

Mind you I've tried that at high speed at Eastern Creek in the wet. But I was too shit-scared to notice what the drops on the windscreen were doing.

CYA, CT

Going around in the wet is very scary. Makes for good footage is people are video-ing it tho

I think deflectors on the bonnet will be the way to go. I'd just have to try to make them look like an original accesory I guess.

Hi

I cant see how a Kombi would be more aerodynamic than a bug, it has a much larger front area to start with and no slopping bonnet.

I reckon a 1303 (L bug) with early headlights would be pretty good.

I agree when I have driven Ghias at speed they seem to get along well with less throttle than a simlar powered beetle would.

1302Steve

Aerodynamic efficiency and the car's total drag are two different things... A car can be more efficient, but have more total drag (ie require more power to punch through the atmosphere) because of a larger total frontal surface area.

Doesn't Cd take into account the frontal area of a car or object?

Cd = Drag force / ((1/2) * p * A *(U^2))

Noye; drag force = total force due to both friction and form
A= representive area - eg largest x-sectional area of object.

Just curions, but are we talking about aerodynamic drag or lift.

Because at a certain point (speed) the shape of the curved body with flat chassis causes the vw to actually want to fly.

From what I've read this was due to the air in front of the car passing underneith it without changing pressure, but the air going over the car and around it creating a low pressure region above and behind the car resulting in lift.


From what I've read there is only two way to cut down on the lift effect.

They were to attach wings to the car to provide additional downforce to counderact the lift effect, which looks kind of silly,

or

to reduce the pressure under the car by using a front wing/spoiler and diverting air aroung the car, making a low pressure region under the car.

Going faster only requires more horsepower, who cares about drag.... The way I figure it is that if you are want to go fast, its more important to he able to control the car at speed without turning into a fireball!!

Cheers,

Ian.

I think a venturi at the rear of the car, with a spoiler at the front and just above the drop off in the roof would make a dramatic difference to downforce. As for wind resistance.... A deflector on the bonnet, which channels the airflow around the car, shaved rain gutters and some sort of deflector running vertically on the a pillars.

The most aerodynamic Beetle? That's got to be a Eureka!