Aerodynamic

  • 2014 Tesla Model S

    Aerodynamics are a vital component of automotive efficiency. The more air you have to push out of the way to reach or maintain a certain speed, the more energy you're using. And the more energy you use, the less efficient your journey will be. ALSO SEE: Solar Roadways Smashes Crowdfunding Target, Still Raising More Tesla Model S owners don't need aero numbers to confirm their car's efficiency, but it doesn't hurt--and Tesla Motors is rightly celebrating a recent Car and Driver test that puts its electric sedan at the top of the aero heap. The magazine gathered five vehicles for a wind tunnel...

  • 2014 Nissan Versa Note
    2014 Nissan Versa Note Tops Subcompact Gas Mileage; Clever Aero, Light Weight

    As automobile manufacturers strive for greater fuel efficiency, it's the low-hanging fruit proving most effective for immediate gains. That's why Nissan's new 2014 Versa Note--replacing the old 2012 Versa hatchback--has improved by a full 5 mpg on the old car's combined economy. The 2014 Nissan...

  • 2014 Mazda 3 sedan leaked
    2014 Mazda Mazda3 Sedan: Aero-Efficient Sedan Revealed

    Mazda is on a roll at the moment. Its CX-5 crossover is among the most efficient in class, and the new 40 mpg highway Mazda 6 likewise. The 2014 Mazda 3 was also unveiled recently, and thanks to images leaked on the internet a few days ago, Mazda has now seen fit to reveal the 2014 Mazda 3 sedan in...

  • 1981 Citroen economy car by Luigi Colani (Image: Colani Design)
    Making A Small French Car Do 138 MPG? Easy, In 1981

    It's no surprise that some of the most economical cars that have gone on sale have also been some of the most aerodynamic--the two go hand-in-hand. Light weight helps too, and a small engine that sips as little gas as possible. The best example of modern times would be the first-generation Honda...

  • 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco
    How Does Your New Car Get Better MPG Than Your Old One?

    Almost every day we hear of a shiny new car that gets a certain number of miles to the gallon, a number often greater than its predecessor. It sometimes seems like witchcraft - until significant steps towards high-tech materials are taken, rarely do cars lose weight from one model to the next (with...

  • Dave Cloud's Dolphin electric car
    The Dolphin: Super Aerodynamic Homebuilt Electric Car

    The practice of home-building electric vehicles is not uncommon amongst hardcore EV enthusiasts. Our own Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield has converted her own EVs before, and several members on the website Ecomodder have done the same, often using the economy driver's favourite, the Geo Metro, as a...

  • Toyota Prius G Sports Concept, 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon

    The Japanese auto show known as the Tokyo Auto Salon is full of as many customized cars--and just as much weirdness--as its domestic counterpart, the massive SEMA show in Las Vegas. And just as it did at SEMA, with its Aerius and Aemulus customized Prius concepts, Toyota brought a factory custom to the Tokyo Auto Salon. In this case, it's the 2010 Toyota Prius G Sports Concept. It's a conversion that will actually be sold through Toyota dealers to "customers who strongly desire to own a unique vehicle." The modifications include sports suspension, racing seats, and aerodynamics parts...

  • Toyota Prius EV-Mode button kit
    Holiday Gift Guide: The Best Accessories For Your Toyota Prius

    The huge SEMA show, mecca of car modifications from awful to awesome, now attracts even manufacturers, who commission custom versions of production cars in hopes that hotness will rub off on them. Even Toyota showed the Prius Aerius and Aemulus this year. But the real action is in the aftermarket...

  • Aptera 2e Production Design
    Final Aptera 2e Styling Leaked, We Drive the Electric 3-Wheeler

    To green-car fans, the idea of an ultra-aerodynamic electric two-seater sounds pretty familiar, right? Think the late, lamented EV1 from General Motors, subject of the controversial documentary, Who Killed the Electric Car? But for more than 4,000 people who've put down deposits on the 2011 Aptera...

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