Mr Whippy
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| posted on 24/6/08 at 02:47 PM |
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will we ever have them?
Its odd isn’t it? That cars have never evolved into the teardrop shape they predicted to become, to me it is such a logical way to progress,
especially since the vw beetle being the best selling car ever was so close. Hugely spacious, efficient and quiet they always look very futuristic,
even ones designed decades ago…to me anyway. If it wasn’t for the cost of the glass (perhaps the real reason we don’t have them) I’d love to build one
myself.
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nib1980
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| posted on 24/6/08 at 03:01 PM |
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Err Have you not seen the Nissan Pivo
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 24/6/08 at 03:07 PM |
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well thats not really a tear drop, more a four legged cartoon Octopus
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speedyxjs
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| posted on 24/6/08 at 03:58 PM |
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I see similarities in the front of these:
How long can i resist the temptation to drop a V8 in?
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02GF74
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| posted on 24/6/08 at 04:18 PM |
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I reckon not.
the teardrop shape arose probably from world speed record breaking and race cars in the 1920-30s. In those days the designers did not fully
understand aerodynamics but they were eye catching.
the problem is going to be packaging - dunno what the roads are likewhere you lieve but down in the tropical south they can like a big car park so the
goal is to maximise the amount of people transported in the minimal amount of space - the long and narrow bubble does not work well for that.
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Volvorsport
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| posted on 24/6/08 at 06:42 PM |
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teardrop shapes also have there CoP at about a 1/4 distance from teh front .
Lots of oversteer . especially in crosswinds
www.dbsmotorsport.co.uk
getting dirty under a bus
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StevenB
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| posted on 24/6/08 at 09:04 PM |
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lost track of the thread while watching the avatar.
Last wall he'll try kicking.
*
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smart51
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| posted on 24/6/08 at 09:40 PM |
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Teardrop / aero shaped cars are tricky to style nicely. Big car companies are terrified to try something new. If the public don't like it, it
won't sell and lots of money is lost. The best you can hope for is gradual evolution unless there is a huge crisis, like £10.00 per litre fuel
prices.
Cars are slowly been getting more aerodynamic. The headlights of a ford focus, for example, are sloped backwards and to the side, giving a fairly
rounded front. Compare to a mark 1 golf, or almost any car from the 70s where the front was flat and vertical, with 90° edges to the sides and
bonnet. Its taken 30 years to get this far, perhaps in another 200 or so...
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 25/6/08 at 08:17 AM |
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good points, never considered the cp maybe that why so many had rear fins.
I am still amazed by VW, after carrying for decades the aerodynamic torch , coming closer to any other manufacturer to producing a almost teardrop
car, to then jump to the Golf, which although a good car was a shed in comparison, just breath taking madness. A case of fashion over good sense
perhaps.
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