C3 Corvette's have a terrible Coefficient of Drag ratio....

[HighlyFanatic]

I was running some numbers through Car-Test...crappy aerodynamics, even though they look sleek.

anyways, I believe stock CD is 0.443. Just for comparison I changed it to C4 specs, which is 0.330 CD.

It makes such a huge difference in top speed, a modified C3 (with the ZZ4/TH-700R4) has a top-speed of 158 mph. However, with the same modified C3 and the new CD (of 0.330) the car's top speed is 178 mph!!

Cliff notes: If you've got an LT1 C4 with less HP than a modified C3 beast, chances are the LT1 will still have the higher top speed.

Any ideas on how to lower CD??

 

[1DOWN6TOGO]

lots and lots of bacon grease!
lots!
i mean unimaginable amounts of fried lard!
yummy!
a tasty C3

 

[Eric]

Unless you want to lean the windshield back, taper down the voluptuous Coke bottle fenders and smooth out the sides... hey wait a minute, I just designed a C4:L. There is no bolt on be all, end all solution to that dilemma, it's all about the evolution.

IMHO, that's just one more challenge for us C3 folks to take to the table.

 

[HighlyFanatic]

lol, hell no! those curves are staying

 

[mmvette80]

I thought the 1980 was lowered to .035 from .044 because of the intergrated front spoiler.

 

[C V Man]

The drag coefficient is not so bad....


... It's the price coefficient that bothers me!







C V Man
The C is for Cookie....
...And that's good enough for me!

 

[Tom73]

lol, hell no! those curves are staying

I agree. Anyway, who cares if it is 150 mph or 170 mph, I won't be driving anywhere near those speeds.

tom...

 

[AKRAY4PLAY]

150 mph is way fast no matter what you are piloting! the c3's are the best stand-outs in a crowd anyway, everyone loves those lines. just spend some money on some ponies and forget the drag rating. air won't hold 500+ hp from reaching top speed, just the gears get too small!! i wonder if the c3 would suffer from the viper's problem of becoming airborne at high speed?? does anyone know??

 

[JohnZ]

i wonder if the c3 would suffer from the viper's problem of becoming airborne at high speed?? does anyone know??

Whoever told you the Viper has a problem of becoming airborne at high speed is highly misinformed; countless hours were spent in the Lockheed wind tunnel and on the 5-mile oval to produce the aerodynamic shape, the contour of the rear deck and spoiler lip, and the front fascia, spoiler, and high-pressure vent louvers in the tops and sides of the front fenders to make the car rock-stable over 150mph, because the car is capable of 192mph in stock form and we knew some owners would utilize that capability when given the opportunity.

I rode shotgun/navigator in a dead-stock Viper coupe (except for a roll cage and fire system) in the 1998 Silver State Classic Open Road Race in Nevada, 98 miles round-trip; we averaged 171mph for 49 miles on the way up, and 177mph for 49 miles on the way back, with no drama, and A/C for comfort. No other non-modified production car on the planet under $200,000 can perform like that and be driven home.

 

[sscam69]

I think if you add that front and rear spoiler it helps out with the drag coefficient.


Buy yeah you guys are right, you gotta love the curves of these babys. The sharks seem to be more popular because of them!!

 

[JohnZ]

Aero drag coefficient is a function of the car's shape and its overall frontal area, and there isn't much you can do to an existing production car to reduce either one without getting pretty radical (and expen$ive). The Viper has a lousy drag coefficient due to its frontal area, but the shape is carefully tuned to manage and balance lift and downforce at each end.

Spoilers will always increase aerodynamic drag, but can be useful in managing lift; most of them do nothing worthwhile under 100mph, except the front deflector under the fascia on C3-and-later Corvettes, which are designed solely to divert air into the radiator at highway speeds. Without the deflector, most will either run hot or overheat on the highway; Corvettes were the first production cars designed as "bottom-breathers" for cooling airflow.

 

[TZ Racer]

wonder if the c3 would suffer from...becoming airborne at high speed

Our C3 race car did not suffer from aero problems. It was very stable at high speeds (approx. 165). It did, however, suffer from chassis flex and being heavy (2900+#) compared to the tubeframe cars it had to run against.