Guy allegedly cuts drag coefficient from .34 to .17 in backyard

[proxlamus©]

Knowing that Citroen is dominating the 2008 WRC manufacturer championship right now makes me want to drive a Citroen lol

[Tony D]

I've seen what gets those mileages, and of the lot, the Mini Clubman Estate is the only one I'd be caught driving around!

 

I voiced my opinion of the classification of vehicles that gets that kind of mileage earlier in the thread, and the Citroen and Skodas fit that bill to a "T"!

 

Now, drop your mileage requirements into the mid 50mpg range, and a LOT of sexy cars (and performance oriented diesels) are open to you.

 

Move it to the mid 40 mpg range and you are in 7 Series BMW range! Huge Cars with excellent handling.

 

I really beat the hell out of the 320D I had earlier in the summer. I mean I hammered that car, using the 'sport shift' gate on the autobox and was four-wheel drifting around the twisties like nobody's business! It was a very rewarding car to drive at speed. Rock solid and positionable.

 

And I was getting 40mpg beating the hell out of it.

 

Oh, and did I mention it ran along from Barcelona to Valencia on the Toll Road at a GPS indicated 255KPH (speedo said 265...and curiously was 10 high throughout the whole speed range, very odd!)

 

From a 2L turbodiesel in a 3-series BMW.

 

I'd buy one.

[bjhines]

Carbon/Aramid composite unibodies are on the way. This is what it will take to get the MPG numbers you want along with safety to boot.

 

You will also see simplification of suspension and braking components on these future cars. For example. The springs could actually be areas of the unibody with "flex" that a simple control arm would bolt directly to, instead of a complex spring+shock+upright+control arm+track rod set up used on today's cars.

[Tarik]

the reason the car gets such great gas mileage is because the car is so ugly the air moves out of it's way to avoid it.

[kiwi303]

You will also see simplification of suspension and braking components on these future cars. For example. The springs could actually be areas of the unibody with "flex" that a simple control arm would bolt directly to, instead of a complex spring+shock+upright+control arm+track rod set up used on today's cars.

 

 

My Serena has a fibreglass strip that looks like it doubles as a spring and control arm.

[MetroMPG]

FYI, the owner now has a web site about the car: http://www.Aerocivic.com

[BSD]

I just happened to snag the October 2008 Top Gear Issue on the flight to Singapore yesterday, and it had a 'buyers guide' of all the cars available in europe...

The highest manufacturer's claim in those numbers was 68.9mpg. And that may be Imperial Gallons...

 

Those were the little 1.4L Citroens, a 1.4L Skoda, and curiously the Mini Diesel Clubman Estate...which got better mileage for some reason than the normal Diesel Cooper which registered something like 65.

 

So the '100mpg' claim is pretty much shot in the hiney.

 

Close to 70, yes. Driven conservatively you might eke out 85...

 

But 100? Not in a currently available production diesel, and if we are going by 'common' mileage figures, it was more 'common' to be in the 50's than anywhere else. Even large cars like BMW 7's were in the mid 40's. The BMW 180's did well, but not as good as the Citroen and Skoda.

 

Then again, who wants to buy a Citroen or Skoda?

 

Hey now.. don't have hating on the Skodas...

 

Which now is basically buying a VW, because VW owns a few companies now..

 

Anyways, for what this guy has and spent I think he did an excellent job, and could easily improve off whats already there.

 

I mean.. look at all the imperfections still left to clean up? But he is still getting "80mpg"

 

Of course, without real numbers, its still a little hard to believe it.

 

If I were to do something like that.. I'd start with the curvred windshield Super beetle or a Ghia.

[MetroMPG]

could easily improve off whats already there. I mean.. look at all the imperfections still left to clean up?

 

No argument there! The builder fully admits that "craftsmanship" wasn't high on his to-do list for this project.

 

Of course, without real numbers, its still a little hard to believe it.

 

I'd settle for a videotaped side-by-side coastdown test between a Prius and this car from 75 mph. A real "drag race".

[roger280zx]

Yeah, it's ugly, but it sure does cut the lawn well.

[Tony D]

Being here in Morocco makes me have a penchant for fitting a Supercharged Buick 3800 Gen3 Suipercharged powertrain in the back (or wherever) of an old Renault 4.

 

Much as I love gas mileage, these unclean thoughts just creep up, and I don't know how to stop them!

[BSD]

L67 ftw Tony D.. ftw.

 

I was originally gonna swap one into my ZX, but I didn't feel like messing around with my old tired engine and finding mating up a manual trans and etc.

 

Only got 18mpg too.

[kiwi303]

if you want a renault donor engine... why not cut out the back pan and subframe from the 2+2 Z, and fit in a Renault 25 GTX engine in the rear under a pantera hatch? it's a FWD, front engine car with the engine running north/south and a 90 degree turn in the gearbox to poke the axles out sideways

 

mid engine Z anytone? the 2+2 ought to give enough room behind the drivers seat to fab up an engine enclosure box

[Tony D]

Given the choices of poison mentioned here, I'd pick GM3800 than anything renault.

 

Especially for installation in a 4!

 

(though an early 80's F1 Renault 1500 Turbo could change my mind, were one to come into my posession for equivalent $$$)

 

Baarring that, I'd pick GM. Delorean anybody? The last mix of GM Engineer and a Renault Powertrain.

 

I figure using the Renault Chassis, and GM Powertrain would be a real winner!

[Consaka]

Wow, it's a small world. My uncle (and Godfather) is the one who designs and sells the ScanGauge. Worked at Motorola as an engineer for years, this is sort of his retirement hobby. I really liked mine, until I looked at the horrible gas mileage my Honda [Element] got the way I drove it.

Hmm maybe you should suggest to him that OBD2 cars aren't the only ones on the road. I like the scanguage setup but don't plan on having any obd2 cars in the future and I know alot of people that really like their old custom hotrods etc that would also like to be able to get real mileage information on their carbed vehicles, not to mention the mpg enthusiests with older cars.

In the old days, lol, you used to be able to get mileage computers from the likes of JCPenney etc. It had a transducer you put in the fuel line and one of a couple of types of speed sensing units. My sister and I loved to watch the instant mpg while my dad drove. Now you cant find anything like that for those cars.

[The Woj]

Hmm maybe you should suggest to him that OBD2 cars aren't the only ones on the road. I like the scanguage setup but don't plan on having any obd2 cars in the future and I know alot of people that really like their old custom hotrods etc that would also like to be able to get real mileage information on their carbed vehicles, not to mention the mpg enthusiests with older cars.

In the old days, lol, you used to be able to get mileage computers from the likes of JCPenney etc. It had a transducer you put in the fuel line and one of a couple of types of speed sensing units. My sister and I loved to watch the instant mpg while my dad drove. Now you cant find anything like that for those cars.

 

Unfortunately, I think the market would be too small for something like that. Besides, most of the time would be spent on tech support calls ("Hello, which one is the fuel line?") Just take a look at the freeway and come up with a ratio for pre-1996 cars to post-1995 cars.

[MetroMPG]

I like the scanguage setup but don't plan on having any obd2 cars in the future

 

FYI, there's an ongoing open source DIY project at EcoModder. Members have developed a fuel economy computer called "MPGuino" (based on Arduino platform) that works on pre-OBD2 vehicles - actually, any fuel injected vehicle with a VSS. You get them them pre-built, or buy the components and make it yourself from the instructions posted.

 

 

There has been talk about adapting a version for carbureted cars, but I don't know if anyone's done it yet. Here's the subforum discussing the development of the DIY instruments: OpenGauge / MPGuino fuel economy computer

[Consaka]

Unfortunately, I think the market would be too small for something like that. Besides, most of the time would be spent on tech support calls ("Hello, which one is the fuel line?") Just take a look at the freeway and come up with a ratio for pre-1996 cars to post-1995 cars.

 

If it was added as a feature it wouldn't. Older cars and diesels it is pretty easy to find a fuel line. If you are so ignorant as that then take it to a mechanic right. Its a feature that you shouldnt have to tech support. All it needs is three additional signal channels. +pulse per gallon -pulse per gallon(for return lines) and VSS +pulse per mile. Those are just numbers that need crunched. Scangauge III yay lol Thats called a multipurpose scangauge and that old stuff was alot simpler then all the ODB2 stuff is.

[Consaka]

FYI, there's an ongoing open source DIY project at EcoModder. Members have developed a fuel economy computer called "MPGuino" (based on Arduino platform) that works on pre-OBD2 vehicles - actually, any fuel injected vehicle with a VSS. You get them them pre-built, or buy the components and make it yourself from the instructions posted.

 

 

There has been talk about adapting a version for carbureted cars, but I don't know if anyone's done it yet. Here's the subforum discussing the development of the DIY instruments: OpenGauge / MPGuino fuel economy computer

 

I ordered mine a couple days ago. I should order the kit version as well. Either this or a programmable scanguage would still need the fuel flow sensor. This little item seems to have stalled the carbureted version. the nice thing about the mpguino is that the programming could be changed pretty easy to accomodate a flow meter. Flow meters can be really simple devices too but there is NOTHING on the internet that is simple or cost effective for this effort. I have been thinking of making my own but finding a cheap ready made spinner is the problem.

[sweetleaf]

Here's something that could be adapted. I know I have seen just the spinner by itself with a A/D out. Need to remember where I found it. Think it was mouser or something.

 

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_21032_21032

[tonycharger72]

FYI, there's an ongoing open source DIY project at EcoModder. Members have developed a fuel economy computer called "MPGuino" (based on Arduino platform) that works on pre-OBD2 vehicles - actually, any fuel injected vehicle with a VSS

 

What is a VSS - Vechile Speed Sensor?

 

Thought I might chime in on the fuel economy to, recently saw an episode of Top Gear where the 3 of them raced from Switzerland to Blackpool (England), it was 900 miles from Memory, Hammond drove the VW Emotion, which I think is just a Polo with a 3-cylinder 1.3L D and he got 74mpg's (UK Gallons though, 4.56L/1G) - this was some pretty serious "mileage" driving taking the shortest possible route, which meant a few back roads - Jeremy drove a V6 twin turbo'd Jag and floored it the whole way as he thought there was no way he was going to make it, he took the motorways - but he made it, with apparently 100miles spare in his 70L fuel tank!