Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[VIDEO: BMW tests new wind tunnel with a model we can appreciate]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/28/video-bmw-tests-new-wind-tunnel-with-a-model-we-can-appreciate/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/28/video-bmw-tests-new-wind-tunnel-with-a-model-we-can-appreciate/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/10/28/video-bmw-tests-new-wind-tunnel-with-a-model-we-can-appreciate/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


Sylvie van der Vaart and a BMW E30 Convertible - Click above for high-res image gallery

The more things change, the more things change. If you would have asked our opinion, we would have told you that open top motoring means feeling the wind in your hair. NEIN! says BMW. And to prove just how far they've come in two short decades, the boys and girls at Bimmer decided to stick footballer wife and all around hottie Sylvie van der Vaart in a wind tunnel with two very different BMW droptops.

At first, Sylvie gets all tarted up in her best Falcon Crest summer ensemble with matching Aqua Net hair and gets behind the wheel of a 1987 E30 convertible. The wind tunnel is switched on and a 60 km/h (about 37 mph) wind is upon her hairdo. Rats, says her stylist. Ruined. Then Mrs. van der Vaart changes into some late first-decade-of-the-twenty-first-century duds and climbs into a folding hard top E93. Wind starts blowing and... not a thing, at least in terms of Sylvie's hair. It's as if her and the porcine 3 Series aren't in a high tech wind tunnel. Says van der Vaart, "What a difference from the older model! I couldn't feel the wind at all - I even had to check to see if they'd even turned it on."

A couple of points - sadly, Sylvie was diagnosed with cancer right after the photo shoot was completed. She was treated, so far so good, but now wears a wig. We know this because BMW chose to exploit her illness to point out that despite the wig, Sylvie still rocks out in a convertible. Thanks, BMW! That said, automotive aerodynamics have sure come a very long way since Malcolm Sayer taped tufts of wool to the E-Type. Also, not only were BMWs better looking in the Eighties, but fashion was, too. Video and press release after the jump.


Gallery: BMW windtunnel test with model


[Source: BMW]

Continue reading VIDEO: BMW tests new wind tunnel with a model we can appreciate

VIDEO: BMW tests new wind tunnel with a model we can appreciate originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BMWBMW 330i ConvertibleBMW E30BMW E93Bmw330iConvertibleBmwE30BmwE93E30Sylvie van der VaartSylvieVanDerVaartWind TunnelWindTunnelWed, 28 Oct 2009 14:59:00 EST<![CDATA[Slide Rule Chic: Edgy can be aerodynamic, too]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/26/slide-rule-chic-edgy-can-be-aerodynamic-too/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/26/slide-rule-chic-edgy-can-be-aerodynamic-too/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/26/slide-rule-chic-edgy-can-be-aerodynamic-too/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click above to view high-res gallery of the Ford Flex

The classic idea of aerodynamics gives rise to mental pictures of vehicles shaped like a smooth suppository. Reality turns out to be different, thankfully. Cars like the Ford Flex may appear weighty and as slippery to the wind as a barn while actually sliding through the atmosphere far more gracefully than one might guess. Aerodynamics studies by all automakers have led to the startling discovery that vehicles like the squared-off Flex actually manage their airflow quite well, thank you, and sanding off the corners hinders, rather than helps.

It's the same over at Toyota where they're calling strategically-placed folds "aerocorners." While it's long been held that a teardrop shape is the most aerodynamic, that's not necessarily the case and a droplet-shaped vehicle isn't terribly practical; just try to put that armoire in your first-gen Honda Insight. The worry that all cars will look the same when aerodynamicists start to take over is unfounded, as discoveries in the wind tunnel show that things aren't always as they appear, and there's plenty of room for uncommon design to still cheat the wind.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Ford Flex


[Source: NYT]

Slide Rule Chic: Edgy can be aerodynamic, too originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aerodynamicsflex aerodynamicsFlexAerodynamicsford flex aeroford flex aerodynamicsFordFlexAeroFordFlexAerodynamicstoyota aerodynamicsToyotaAerodynamicswind tunnelWindTunnelFri, 26 Dec 2008 08:28:00 EST<![CDATA[ VIDEO: Step inside BMW's F1 wind tunnel]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/30/video-step-inside-bmws-f1-wind-tunnel/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/30/video-step-inside-bmws-f1-wind-tunnel/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/30/video-step-inside-bmws-f1-wind-tunnel/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Fun though it may be, racing is still an applied science. Perhaps this is most evident in the tech heavy F1 cars. BMW uses a very trick wind tunnel to test their Sauber F1 car in virtually all dynamic conditions to ensure that the aerodynamics give the desired result. This video has a bit of a Kubrick/2001 feel to it, but it's fascinating watching the car "drive" on this gigantic treadmill. As usual, the video does a much better job than a whole bagful of words, so check it out after the jump.

[Source: MotorAuthority]

Continue reading VIDEO: Step inside BMW's F1 wind tunnel

VIDEO: Step inside BMW's F1 wind tunnel originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 May 2007 18:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1bmwengineeringff1formulaformula 1Formula1motorsportsoneracingsaubertestingvideowind tunnelWindTunnelWed, 30 May 2007 18:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Wind tunnel + dyno = as real as you can get]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/17/wind-tunnel-dyno-as-real-as-you-can-get/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/17/wind-tunnel-dyno-as-real-as-you-can-get/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/04/17/wind-tunnel-dyno-as-real-as-you-can-get/#commentsFiled under:



After spending an unhealthy amount of time around a dyno in recent weeks (more on that soon), the benefits of such testing is hardly lost on those of us looking to eek out every last ounce of propulsion potential. But they don't tell the whole tale. Neither do wind tunnels for that matter, as even air traveling upwards of 200 MPH doesn't accurately reflect real world conditions. Enter Haas CNC Racing.

The NASCAR team, owned by Gene Haas, worked with Jacobs Engineering to develop a combination rolling road/wind tunnel that uses a steel belt to run the team's vehicles up to 180 MPH, while at the same time, gaining readings from each individual wheel. Coupled with wind tunnel technology, the system can not only get the car's wheels spinning, but can also thrust 2.85 million cubic feet of air over the vehicle every minute.

According to our friends at Jalopnik, the facility is due to open sometime this year and it will be available to rent to well-funded teams. Be sure to click on over to see another pic that gives you a better idea of the size of the Haas/Jacobs creation.

[Source: Haas CNC Machining Magazine via Jalopnik]

Wind tunnel + dyno = as real as you can get originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Apr 2007 09:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dynogeen haasGeenHaashaas cnc racingHaasCncRacingjacobs engineeringJacobsEngineeringnascarrolling roadRollingRoadwind tunnelWindTunnelTue, 17 Apr 2007 09:37:00 EST<![CDATA[Video: Peugeot 908 RC concept]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/26/video-peugeot-908-rc-concept/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/26/video-peugeot-908-rc-concept/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/26/video-peugeot-908-rc-concept/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Later this week at Paris, Peugeot will be officially unveiling the menacing-yet-elegant 908 RC concept car, details and photos of which we brought you last month.

Now, ahead of the show, Peugeot has released two videos of its precious new 700-hp diesel V12 show-car in motion. The first video has the car on some sort of rooftop wind-tunnel, while the second features footage of the 908 RC moving smoothly down the highway before switching about two-thirds way through to pans of the futuristic interior.

Both videos feature some impressive cinematographic splicing, with smooth transitions between clips of the car in motion to standing still. Enjoy!

[Source: Peugeot via Virtual Car]

Video: Peugeot 908 RC concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Sep 2006 19:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>908conceptdebutdieselparispeugeotpremierrcshowcarvideowind tunnelwind-tunnelwindtunnelTue, 26 Sep 2006 19:10:00 EST