Blue Nose

vfx · Feb 25, 2013

Somewhere Franz said the Genlll/bluestar would be an opportunity to do something different with the design of an EV. Of course that means Tesla would not be doing what some have considered "safe" design they have practiced on the Roadster and Model S.

With little need for a big radiator Tesla opted to do a fake radiator on the front of the Model S. (Still waiting for someone to paint it the same as the car -possibly dechrome it as well)

So what full sized cars have successfully had no radiator on the nose? Sports cars don't count). Post pics here.

1995 Pontiac Trans Am

Avanti

ElSupreme · Feb 25, 2013

Well the VW Beetle lineup immediately came to mind. The original had no such air intakes in the front:

The New Beetle and the current version have Model S type under intakes.

ElSupreme · Feb 26, 2013

Saw these on the way home from work yesterday (all pics from Wikipedia):

Oldsmobile Alero, and Aurora (I think most of the early 2000s Olds were this way).

Also the first generation Ford Crown Victoria had very little radiator:

A common design element seems to be to wrap the hood down over where the grill normally is.

vfx · Feb 26, 2013

So it is possible.

I wonder if Tesla started out with a working grill with the brand shape on the Model S, and put it on the new Roadster front, and then determined they really did not need it but was already committed?

Bipo · Feb 26, 2013

Citroën DS, of course!!

Alpha · Feb 26, 2013

Well.. not actually different, but no grille for sure, and simpler is sometimes better.
They would probably want to stay away from this look though for obvious reasons...

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How about the Tatra 77? One of the most aerodynamic cars, ever! I think it looks really cool, personally.

constraint · Feb 26, 2013

1. No radiator because its powered by a futuristic "Fuel Processor" that primarily ran on Hydrogen
2. Comes equipped with bullet proof Aero wheels
3. Already has the Tesla signature monitors on the center console.
4. Voice recognition enabled
5. Has the ability to turn the car on when the owner is within range.
6. Ability to communicate and and change settings in the car with a watch (or Android app).

vfx · Feb 26, 2013

Alpha said:
How about the Tatra 77? One of the most aerodynamic cars, ever! ....
View attachment 17283

Can anyone look at that car and say it's aerodynamic? It's a joke. Flat upright windshield and the wipers. Cloth roof, fenders, door handles, wheels, ...running board! They did not even address air passing under the bottom of cars in those days so the airflow underneath would be a plate of spaghetti. They never actually tested this car in a windtunnel. Just a model. It is to laugh.

TEG · Feb 26, 2013

palmer_md · Feb 26, 2013

TEG · Feb 26, 2013

04%20Corvair%20Convention%20Carshow%20%2848%29.jpg

vfx · Feb 26, 2013

This was the working grill on the first driving Model S.

Alpha · Feb 27, 2013

vfx said:
Can anyone look at that car and say it's aerodynamic? It's a joke. Flat upright windshield and the wipers. Cloth roof, fenders, door handles, wheels, ...running board! They did not even address air passing under the bottom of cars in those days so the airflow underneath would be a plate of spaghetti. They never actually tested this car in a windtunnel. Just a model. It is to laugh.

According to some sources on the internet, quoted from Wikipedia, the Tatra T77A scale model 1:5 was tested in a wind tunnel and had a drag coefficient of 0.212, which is better than the Model S.

I don't know how accurate the reports are, I was just going by what I read. It does look quite aerodynamic to me, with the swept rear fenders, and very rounded front and rear.

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Knight Rider!!!

constraint said:
1. No radiator because its powered by a futuristic "Fuel Processor" that primarily ran on Hydrogen
2. Comes equipped with bullet proof Aero wheels
3. Already has the Tesla signature monitors on the center console.
4. Voice recognition enabled
5. Has the ability to turn the car on when the owner is within range.
6. Ability to communicate and and change settings in the car with a watch (or Android app).
View attachment 17288 View attachment 17289

Sparrow · Feb 28, 2013

vfx · Feb 28, 2013

Alpha said:
According to some sources on the internet, quoted from Wikipedia, the Tatra T77A scale model 1:5 was tested in a wind tunnel and had a drag coefficient of 0.212, which is better than the Model S.
I don't know how accurate the reports are, I was just going by what I read. It does look quite aerodynamic to me, with the swept rear fenders, and very rounded front and rear.
...

The best near perfect aerodynamic shape is a waterdrop. All those protrusions I mentioned each cut away from that perfection. Have you followed the thread on wheel covers? A seven percent improvement on range for a seeming tiny change? The Tatra (the real car not some fanciful carved block of wood with no wheels and no bottom) in a wind tunnel today would probably do worse than the 80's melted cube of butter cars of the 80's.

Wind tunnels have changed too. Even from 20 years ago. The EV1 would not score as well in a modern tunnel. There are wind tunnels used today all over the world and some are aknolwded as more accturate than others for accurate readings. The latest ones have the car's tires actually rolling for the most accurate drag numbers. Imagine how crude they were in the 30s.

I do wonder why aerodynamicists don't bother changing the Tarta Wiki reading. I guess they all know it's so ludicrous it's not worth their time. Like Fox news.