What would an aerodynamically perfect car look like?

A tear has a drag coefficient (Cx) of 0.05, but this value is practically impossible to achieve in a real car.

Saving energy and increasing autonomy by using the most appropriate way to reduce aerodynamic drag is the goal of every aerodynamics expert. “If vehicles were designed solely with this in mind, they would probably look like a teardrop,” he says.
Marcel Straub, Head of Aerodynamics and Thermal Management at Porsche Engineering. “A tear moving across a surface is round at the front and very thin at the end. This shape allows air to flow with particularly low resistance, as there is no wake or drag against the direction of travel.”

Of course, the numbers confirm this idea: a teardrop has a drag coefficient (Cx) of 0.05. However, this value is
almost impossible to get in a real car. The reason has to do with the incompatibility between that shape and the functionality of the design. Such a vehicle would present major challenges when it comes to making the most of the space, whether in the passenger compartment, in the luggage compartment or even in the engine compartment.

On the other hand, the wheels also bring complications because they create turbulence and produce air currents around them that cause energy losses. In this case, a technology like magnetic levitation can help solve the problem.
More elements against? Unfortunately, the vehicle’s proximity to the ground doesn’t help either, as it prevents a perfectly symmetrical flow around the teardrop. When driving a few centimeters from the surface, it is practically impossible to have that symmetry in the passage of air.

To solve this, it would be necessary to drive or rather “fly” at an altitude of several meters. We may soon see teardrop-shaped air taxis with sporty wings flying through the sky and moving forward.
thanks to a propeller at the pointed end of the aircraft. However, this design has been difficult to implement until now.

As a curious fact, it is worth noting that there is an existing form in nature that is even more aerodynamic than the teardrop: the penguin! This type of bird gets a Cx of 0.03 when moving horizontally, so if it were possible to make a car in the shape of a sea creature, it would be aerodynamically perfect and unmistakable.

But here again, the low driving position, the wheels and the need to optimize space would hinder any attempt to translate this idea. The history of the car gives some examples, almost all from the first half of the 20th century, of teardrop-shaped models.
Such is the case with the ALFA 40/60 HP Aerodinamica from 1914 or the 1939 Schlörwagen which, despite the great efforts of its makers, did not progress beyond the prototype stage.

Source: La Verdad

Ida

I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.