Quote:
Originally Posted by plucas
I have not compared the differences however I can. The problem with this is that is will not be a black and white answer. It will depend on the track. What really needs to be done is to run cfd analyses in both configurations and use this data to run vehicle simulations at different tracks.
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I know, but it would at least be a start. If your testing shows the increase in drag is negligible then the debate is over. Of course we would have to agree on a definition of 'negligible' and that may take us back to running simulations at various tracks.
Side note, is there any reason real world testing couldn't be used here? I am thinking of the following test procedure:
1) find level, straight road
2) accelerate to a safe max speed (say 85 mph)
3) put the car in neutral and time how long it takes to slow down by some amount (say to 65 mph)
4) repeat on the same road in the opposite direction
5) repeat steps 1-4 with wider wheels/tires
From here you could back out the drag coefficient of each configuration. Of course this would also include other friction losses but if the testing speeds are high enough those other losses should be negligible relative to aerodynamic drag.
Obviously this data still wouldn't conclusively answer which setup is faster on a given track, but again, it is a start.