Aerodynamics and sporting cars

NYSpeed Automotive
1

BMW X6 M

frontal surface area (A) 2.85m²
cw (cd) 0.38
airdragindex (cd x A) 1.07
at 200km/h (125mph)
lift front axle 69kg
lift rear axle 48kg

http://img3.sportauto-online.de/BMW-X6-M-r498x333-C-6c5d6f48-279843.jpg

Audi R8 V10 5.2
(A) 2.024m²
(cd) 0.36
(cd x A) 0.72
at 200km/h
lift front 23kg
downforce rear 3kg

http://img2.sportauto-online.de/Audi-R8-5-2-FSI-quattro-R-tronic-r498x333-C-19767f26-260889.jpg

Mercedes SL 65 AMG Black Series
(A) 2.17 m²
(cd) 0.37
(cd × A) 0.80
at 200km/h
lift front 56kg
downforce rear 22kg

http://img2.sportauto-online.de/Mercedes-SL-65-AMG-Black-Series-r498x333-C-a532a16a-242538.jpg

Corvette ZR1
(A) 2.059 m²
(cd) 0.32
(cd × A) 0.66
at 200km/h
lift front 39kg
lift rear 14kg

http://img3.sportauto-online.de/Corvette-ZR1-r498x333-C-fc1d26b9-267910.jpg

Ford GT
(A) 1.92 m²
(cd) 0.35
(cd × A) 0.67
at 200km/h
downforce front 44kg
lift rear 2kg

http://img3.sportauto-online.de/Ford-GT-09-r498x333-C-fc3db9dc-219808.jpg

Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works
(A) 2.05 m²
(cd) 0.36
(cd × A) 0.73
at 200km/h
lift front 17kg
lift rear 20kg

http://img2.sportauto-online.de/Mini-Cooper-S-JCW-r498x333-C-5b12a388-232969.jpg

Lexus IS-F
(A) 2.22 m²
(cd) 0.30
(cd × A) 0.67
at 200km/h
lift front 31kg
lift rear 7kg

http://img2.sportauto-online.de/r498x333-C-50dbab9b-162751.jpg

Ford Focus RS
(A) 2,35 m²
(cd) 0,36
(cd × A) 0,86
at 200km/h
downforce front 8kg
lift rear 4kg

http://img4.sportauto-online.de/Ford-Focus-RS-r498x333-C-7fed744e-255719.jpg

Nissan GT-R
(A) 2,30 m²
(cd) 0,31
(cd × A) 0,71
at 200km/h
lift front 3kg
downforce rear 8kg

http://img3.sportauto-online.de/Nissan-GT-R-r498x333-C-f77e4081-250214.jpg

Porsche GT3 facelift
(A) 2.04 m²
(cd) 0.32
(cd × A) 0.66
at 200km/h
downforce front 15kg
downforce rear 19kg

http://img4.sportauto-online.de/r498x333-C-360f7d28-245985.jpg

Audi TT-S
(A) 2.10 m²
(cd) 0.32
(cd × A) 0.68
at 200km/h
lift front 42kg
lift rear 17kg

http://img1.sportauto-online.de/r498x333-C-42b32ab4-162580.jpg

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4
(A) 1.93 m²
(cd) 0.35
(cd × A) 0.67
at 200km/h
downforce front 4kg
lift rear 37kg

http://img3.sportauto-online.de/r498x333-C-6235d850-164900.jpg

Alpina B3 Coupe
(A): 2.14 m²
(cd): 0.29
(cd × A): 0.63
at 200km/h
lift front 12kg
lift rear 13kg

http://img2.sportauto-online.de/r498x333-C-ab6bd973-159560.jpg

Aston Martin DBS
(A): 2.11 m²
(cd): 0.36
(cd × A): 0.76
at 200km/h
lift front 11kg
lift rear 10kg

http://img4.sportauto-online.de/r498x333-C-cf2e384f-159394.jpg

Abarth Grande Punto esseesse
(A): 2.21 m²
(cd): 0.34
(cd × A): 0.75
at 200km/h
lift front 26kg
lift rear 31kg

http://img2.sportauto-online.de/r498x333-C-a3adae02-160595.jpg

Mercedes C 63 AMG
(A): 2.18 m²
(cd): 0.32
(cd × A): 0.69
at 200km/h
lift front 35kg
lift rear 42kg

http://img3.sportauto-online.de/r498x333-C-b34909bf-161808.jpg

BMW Z4 3.0si Coupé
(A): 1.94 m²
(cd): 0.33
(cd × A): 0.64
at 200km/h
lift front 28kg
lift rear 43kg

http://img1.sportauto-online.de/r498x333-C-4a03461a-220061.jpg

Lotus Exige S
(A): 1.62 m²
(cd): 0.44
(cd × A): 0.71
at 200km/h
downforce front 5kg
downforce rear 24kg

http://img3.sportauto-online.de/r498x333-C-b4781354-170963.jpg

Porsche 997 Carrera S facelift
(A): 2.02 m²
(cd): 0.29
(cd × A): 0.59
at 200km/h
lift front 24kg
lift rear 14kg

http://img4.sportauto-online.de/r498x333-C-c9ffd0f5-165853.jpg

Ferrari 430 Scuderia
(A): 2.02 m²
(cd): 0.33
(cd × A): 0.66
at 200km/h
lift rear 4kg

http://img2.sportauto-online.de/r498x333-C-95e865db-171339.jpg

Audi S5
(A): 2.18 m²
(cd): 0.31
(cd × A): 0.67
at 200km/h
lift front 52kg
lift rear 34kg

http://img3.sportauto-online.de/r498x333-C-b89c299e-191026.jpg

Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640
(A): 2.04 m²
(cd): 0.35
(cd × A): 0.71
at 200km/h
downforce front 30kg
downforce rear 11kg

http://img4.sportauto-online.de/Lamborgini-Murcielago-LP-640-06-r498x333-C-c397e9ab-191384.jpg

from a other planet were the Gumpert Apollo numbers…

Gumpert Apollo Sport
(A): 1,99 m²
(cd): 0,57
(cd × A): 1,14
Terrible cd from the wing and various vents - but it adds up in cooling and downforce.
at 200km/h
downforce front 20kg
downforce rear 176kg

http://img3.sportauto-online.de/Gumpert-Apollo-Sport-r498x333-C-66079f55-279758.jpg

Honda NSX-R (2002)
(A): 1.7800 m²
(cd): 0.34
(cd × A): 0.60
at 200km/h
downforce front 32kg
downforce rear 5kg

http://img2.sportauto-online.de/r498x333-C-999359d1-165539.jpg

Porsche Carrera GT
(A): 1.95 m²
(cd): 0.37
(cd × A): 0.72
at 200km/h
downforce front 49kg
downforce rear 40g

http://img3.sportauto-online.de/Porsche-Carrera-GT-im-Supertest-r498x333-C-f1e6a258-238806.jpg

Mitubishi Evo VII
(A): 2.12 m²
(cd): 0.37
(cd × A): 0.79
at 200km/h
downforce front 37kg
downforce rear 8kg

http://img3.sportauto-online.de/r498x333-C-b33bceca-187021.jpg

Pagani Zonda F
(A): 2,08 m²
(cd): 0,36
(cd × A): 0,74
at 200km/h
downforce front 1kg
downforce rear 25kg

http://img4.sportauto-online.de/Pagani-Zonda-F-08-r498x333-C-734e6041-219874.jpg

Koenigsegg CCR
(A): 1,86 m²
(cd): 0,35
(cd × A): 0,64
at 200km/h
downforce front 13kg
lift rear 11kg

http://img3.sportauto-online.de/Koenigsegg-CCR-06-r498x333-C-24eb18f8-219828.jpg

Porsche 997 Turbo old
(A): 2.04 m²
(cd): 0.29
(cd × A): 0.59
at 200km/h
lift front 9kg
downforce rear 12kg

http://img2.sportauto-online.de/Porsche-911-Turbo-15-r498x333-C-a77ca6e8-191706.jpg

Couple of surprises in there :eekdance:

2

:frowning: no viper ACR… I read it has gobs of rear downforce

3

what are “good” and “bad” numbers?

4

im surprised how many cars have lift to them

impressed with that gumpert though

5

me too…i thought some of the boxier cars number would be worse…

6

I’m REALLY surprised the ZR1 has lift front and back… doesn’t sound too appealing for high speed stability

7

cd is the coeffcient of drag. Lower numbers mean less drag.

A is the frontal area of the car. Bigger number means a bigger shape presented to the wind.

Downforce and lift should be self-explanatory.

I <3 this stuff. An F-4 fighter has a cd of .022 :stuck_out_tongue:

8

the had to redesign the ford GT from the original GT40 because the original GT40 had ALOT of lift in the front end esp, the car wanted to fly.

9

I think it would be easier to compare in a horizontal chart. Are they ranked at all?

10

Gives you higher top speed.

11

Someone make this an excel!

A little lift isn’t bad if drag is reduced…it is sometimes a good trade off.

12

understandable :slight_smile:

13

http://aviationfans.com/images/4forces.jpg

Just sub out the Sukhoi for a ZR1 (although the lift arrow would be pretty tiny)

Reducing lift requires downforce, and downforce adds drag.

Less downforce = less drag = higher top speed.

Both the 997 911’s have the best cd.

14

Pretty cool. Thanx for posting!

15

no Prius love

16

Otsuka’s team of more than 2,000 engineers also included aerodynamics specialists who managed to cut the 2010 Prius’ coefficient of drag – to just 0.25 from 0.26 for the '09 model, which already had one of the lowest CDs ever for a mass-produced car (a bullet by comparison, has a drag coefficient of 0.29).

http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/2009/03/2010-prius-industry-leading-hybrid-gets-greener-and-more-informative-.html

Maybe a .38 has a cd of 0.29, I don’t think something like a 7.62x39 does.

17

x2, the acr is a crazy fucking machine

edit: 1100lbs downforce, couldnt find drag coef.

18

wow, stock honda del sol is .35 cd and 0.663 cdA.

More here: http://ecomodder.com/wiki/index.php/Vehicle_Coefficient_of_Drag_List
Need to convert from f^2 to m^2 though.

…hrm, actually that list there has the NSX at .57 while the one posted here has it at .60 I guess the accuracy might be slightly off.

19

You can’t look at cd alone, unless you want to have retarded bragging rights. Have to look at it with downforce as more downforce = more drag.

20

I’d assume that something like a truck or awkward shaped car like the dell sol can have a lot of drag without actually having downforce, correct?

or is drag always broken down into downforce/lift?