In 2013, VW built the XL1, which can get more than 200 US mpg. In Conclusion. But the record for the lowest-drag wheeled vehicle of all time goes to a much stranger looking machine than any of the others featured in the gallery above. - May 8, 2020 6:02 pm UTC. Mixing 3D printing with aero inspiration taken from some of nature’s most apt predators, the Urbee 2 flaunts an aerodynamic coefficient (Cd) of 0.149. Tap to unmute. Interestingly, the number one on the list of least aerodynamic cars … The Goldenrod’s rise to automotive fame is based on an incredible feat and it alone deserves a place in a separate article - it held the world land speed record after averaging 409.277 mph on the Bonneville salt. But the ARVW isn't the lowest-drag vehicle ever built, just the lowest-drag VW. It was called the Aerodynamic Research Volkswagen, and it was built in 1980 as a demonstration of how to make a vehicle as slippery as possible, with a drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0.15. Or even when objects are not in motion, but air is passing over them, … The big wing, huge front splitter, and dive planes on the Dodge Viper ACR are probably the most in-your-face aerodynamic features on this list, but they're also some of the most effective. Its shape—with a Cd of 0.12—was designed with Le Mans' three-mile Mulsanne Straight in mind. … A car manufacturer called Lucid Motors has designed the vehicle with the most efficient aerodynamics in the world. In the realm of pure concept cars, Ford's Probe V of 1986 might be the most aerodynamic ever created. Performance-wise, the Turbina could hit a top speed of 175 mph (282 kph) and the turbine could spin at 22,000 rpm to develop 200 horsepower (although some sources say the output was closer to 300 horsepower). Colin showed some good example of aerodynamic cars for breaking land speed records. Its ability to cut through the air was also backed up by four Chrysler Hemi V-8 engines, each producing 600 horsepower. All Rights Reserved, � Copyright TopSpeed. What's particularly interesting about the Q50 is that once you start getting high … In the Pac-Car II, two DC motors (18V, 150 kilowatts) kept the car in motion. All this culminated with the Probe V and its outer shell, which was in essence a sum of aluminum modules that snapped together into an integrated car frame. Audi 5000 – 0.30. Ford probe 5 ghia 1985 (Prototype Car), Fiat Turbina - 1954 - Italy's gas turbine, Urbee - First 3D Printed Car Body Goes For A Test Drive, October 2011. When Tesla revealed its Model 3 sedan a few years ago, it was justifiably proud of the car's Cd of 0.23, which bettered the Models S and X by 0.01. Four years later, BMW got the same number for its 520d EfficientDynamics diesel sedan. The year was 1987 and the Sunraycer won the race by a landslide. 2017 BMW 5 Series EfficientDynamics Edition – 0.22 Cd. The 2017 BMW Series efficient dynamics edition … The XL1 might not hold the crown for the lowest-drag production car for too much longer. It had no gearbox, no clutch, and the turbine engine was placed behind the passenger compartment. Its bodywork was the result of aerodynamicists Charles Deutsch and Lucien Romani, and it used covered wheels and a smooth underfloor to race down the Mulsanne straight with a Cd of 0.12. The drag coefficient of an … Its latest iteration is the NunaX, the tenth such car built by the fine folks at Delft Uni. Our list of the 10 Most Aerodynamic Cars … Tesla Model 3 Elon Musk's electric cars are already breaking the mold, but they're also some of the most aerodynamic cars on the road. Cd value: 0.65-0.75. Or the Ford Mondeo / Fusion with 0.275. For example, a flat plate held at right angles to the airflow has a Cd of 1.25, whereas the most efficient production car … As time went on, he started seeing that in other cars as well, and his love for the automobile was born. Oh, and it also featured a mid-engine layout, but most importantly, it bested the Prove IV’s Cd with a value of 0.137. with 57 posters participating, including story author, Car and Driver put to the test late last year, fitting aftermarket front- and rear spoilers, The Porsche Taycan—every bit as good as a $200,000 Porsche should be, race cars are optimized to create downforce. Copy link. To have a drag coefficient of under 0.28 is truly a feat, especially for a car regular car which was designed on a budget, for a budget. Although these days race cars are optimized to create downforce, before aerodynamicists worked out that the air could be harnessed for added grip, their efforts were mainly focused on drag reduction. Lotus seven. The Lightyear One is a solar EV being developed in the Netherlands, and if it makes it into production, it should beat the XL1 and EV1 in terms of drag. That number is pretty low, and it's one reason Autoblog, Car and Driver, The Drive, Inside EVs, MotorTrend, Road and Track, Roadshow, and others have all found its EPA range is woefully pessimistic. Read our full review on the Volkswagen XL1. The Nuna is a solar car developed by a team at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Covering the wheels cuts drag even more than clever wheel design. Born slippy – the most aerodynamic cars. Since it is set in motion solely by the electric energy converted (and stored in batteries) from solar power, so it has to cut through the air like a hot knife through butter. The Fiat 8001 aka Turbina (turbine in Italian) debuted with a lot of fanfare in 1954, when it was shown to the public at the Turin-Caselle airport in the presence of a lot of Fiat big-name officials such as Gianni Agnelli, Vittorio Valletta, and Dante Giacosa, the engineer responsible for the Turbina’s development. The Aptera 2 was said to be able to reach a top speed of over 85 mph, yet initial plans included an electronic speed limiter that would only let it reach 95 mph. In 1996, GM's EV1 electric car had a Cd of 0.19. From that point on, the Probes got more and more radical. It achieved a drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0.15. Shopping. Cars… The Fiat Balilla of the mid-1930s, by contrast, was rated at 0.60. But that’s another story for another time. The Ecorunner V - The most aerodynamic car in the world - YouTube. Four years later, BMW managed the same Cd of 0.22 with its 520d EfficientDynamics diesel. Imagine a 4-door sedan with better aero … With no car launches to work on thanks to COVID-19, some automakers' press offices are filling the gap by digging into the archives to share interesting stuff with the rest of us. In 2013, Mercedes-Benz tweaked the shape of its CLA 180 BlueEfficiency diesel to generate a Cd of 0.22. It's called the Eco-Runner 8, and it's one of a series of cars built by Team Delft for the Shell Eco-marathon. In 1980, Volkswagen built the ARVW concept car, the most aerodynamic vehicle it has ever created. Probe I, for example, had a wedge-shaped body, pop-up headlights, and covered rear wheels. Built by brothers Bob and Bill Summers, in 1965 it set a world record for the fastest wheel-driven car on earth, at 409mph (659km/h). In 2006, it went 350mph, and it cuts through the air with a Cd of 0.147. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Share. Tesla Model S: 2012-present (Cd 0.24) The all-electric Model S – when it isn’t bursting into … You don’t really associate a streamlined body with diesel power but the JCB Dieselmax was just that. Passenger cars traveling at lower speeds are a little different. Back then, his father brought home a Trabant 601 Kombi and a few years later, a Wartburg 353. As the name suggests, it was the fifth in a series of Probe concepts dating back to the late 1970s. Alright, we get it, the great Enzo Ferrari believed aerodynamics are for people who can’t build engines but when you’re trying to move an object with as little energy as possible, a streamlined body is crucial to the task. Here we find models like Toyota’s current Auris, with 0.277. That's why electric cars often have wheel faces that are as close to being a solid disc as possible, while still allowing the brakes to cool. This was particularly true at Le Mans, where the track included the three-mile (4.8km) Mulsanne straight. 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