Interesting high mileage car developed in the 80's

[basjoos]

This 2 seat, 1550 lbs car (Avion) got over 100mpg from a Rabbit diesel engine in 1982 and set some high mileage records. Noticed this car has a boattail. Like I've said before, none of this stuff we're doing is totally new, its just been ignored by the big boys in Automobile world.

Website: http://www.100mpgplus.com/

[kickflipjr]

Looks like a great car. Lightweight, aerodynamic, and has a small engine all add up to amazing mpg. According to the site:

114 mpg at 55 mph
80 mpg At 70 mph

Thats a big hit to go an extra 15mph.

[basjoos]

If they updated the aerodynamics on the front end to drop the Cd some more they could reduce their mileage drop at the higher speeds (after all my car has nowhere near that mpg drop going from 55 to 70mph). That recessed headlamp pocket in the center of the hood is certainly adding significant drag (in the photo, it doesn't look like it has a clear flush cover over the headlamp pocket) and the grill opening, although in the right location, is overlarge for a Rabbit sized diesel ICE (and could easily be modified to become an active grill).

From the website, it looks like they trying to make a go of it today with the renewed interest in high FE vehicles and are building them to order. Also this month they are re-running their 100+mpg run along the west coast to show that their car still has the goods. It seems like they are a bit miffed with all the hoopla surrounding the automotive X-Prize when they had already created a 100+ mpg car back in 1986.

[Telco]

They also need to redesign the doors. I can just see having to get out of the car on a rainy day after following a cattle truck. The interior and you would get covered in whatever was in the water on top of the car. If they want to be different, build it with suicide doors, which is easier to get in and out of anyway since the door's not where your feet need to be.

[trebuchet03]

Where are you looking for mileage?
From http://www.100mpgplus.com/technology/specifications.html

'86 Specifications:
City: 28 mpg **
Highway: 40 mpg **


** Highway mileage on actual cross country run

Oh wait, I see... the 100mpg+ is the new version, the recycled cars they are making now...

The car has been designed to be manufactured in small volume using recycled components from the automobile recycling yards. Utilizing standard engines and drive trains installed in the Avon's light weight and aerodynamic body we can achieve significant improvements in fuel efficacy and performance making the Avion both fun to drive and while getting great mileage. In our testing the car we were able to achieve 80 mpg At 70 mph and an astonishing 114 mpg at 55 mph driving from Eugene OR. To Portland OR.

It's cool looking though - I'd totally want one if I could afford it :)

http://www.100mpgplus.com/images/avion_profile.jpg

They also need to redesign the doors. I can just see having to get out of the car on a rainy day after following a cattle truck. The interior and you would get covered in whatever was in the water on top of the car.

The same was said about the Delorean... and it wasn't a problem (at least no more so than a "normal" car). As long as the top edge passes over the roof (rather than the cab), it shouldn't be a problem :)

[SVOboy]

I wonder how much they would charge. Their website really sucks...

[omgwtfbyobbq]

I suppose this is why I should stop being a pansy and aeromod mah bunny. :o

[cfg83]

basjoos -

It reminds me of your car. A commercially made version of your boat-taill.

I like those wheels. That's one of my favorite 1980's designs.

CarloSW2

[Telco]

It wold have to have a fair-size lip to keep the mud and the crud out of the passenger area. I like DeLoreans, but wouldn't have one for the same reason.

[VetteOwner]

cool lookin car indeed! i wonder what a pontiac fierro would get mpg wise if you really tried..

[basjoos]

basjoos -

It reminds me of your car. A commercially made version of your boat-taill.

CarloSW2


That's not the most efficient design for a boattail since it has only vertical taper. The most efficient boattail for an aircraft has equal amounts of vertical and horizontal taper. The most efficient boattail design for a car would have more horizontal taper than vertical taper. This is because the presence of the ground surface limits the amount of vertical taper you can efficiently use on the bottom side since it limits the movement of air to fill in along the bottom side of the boattail. My boattail has equal amounts of vertical and horizontal taper and terminates in a 2 foot wide horizontal line since my car is wider than it is tall. I kept more vertical taper on the bottom side of my boattail than is optimum since I have a steep approach to my driveway and I didn't want to risk the boattail dragging the ground.

If you look at the boattail designs from the 20's and 30's (Rumpler Tropfenwagen, various boattail speedsters), they had predominently horizontal taper.

[TomO]

It's funny, I have a chance to get those exact same wheels for my car! pretty neat car, and not bad looking

Basjoos - I don't know if you watched the video but the lights are only exposed when they need to be on. Otherwise the center section rises up to fit flush on the front of the car.

[Lincoln]

cool lookin car indeed! i wonder what a pontiac fierro would get mpg wise if you really tried..

The Fiero isn't a lightweight. A Spitfire would be a better starting point.

What kind of mileage would it get with a VW TDI engine?

[Peakster]

cool lookin car indeed! i wonder what a pontiac fierro would get mpg wise if you really tried..

The original body design of the Fiero has a Cd of 0.37, so it's not that very aerodynamic (even worse with the headlamps popped up: Cd of 0.41). The notchback rear window creates a fair amount of drag and the pointed front end rams a lot of air under the car. The 1985 GT model was redesigned with an aero front end and a rear spoiler which brought the Cd down to 0.35.

But just for your information, I've gotten 38 mpg in my old Fiero @ 55mph with the 2.5L engine, automatic.

This 100+mpg car looks absolutely sweet. Shockingly it's very similar to what I would invision an ultimate aero machine to be like.

[basjoos]

Oh yes they do. Ask any pilot of an taildragger about the thrill of trying to set it down on a runway in a gusting 25mpg crosswind without ground looping. But to get back to cars, my boattail has increased my car's sensitivity to crosswinds only slightly.

TomO - I watched the video from work. I live too far in the boonies for DSL or wireless. Dial-up and video do not a good match make. I have never been a fan of pop-up headlights (too much drag and one more thing to break in older cars). I don't know why they didn't just have a clear cover over the headlights and dispense with the pop-up. One inaccuracy from that TV commentator. He was saying that this car can do 0-60mph in 5sec and also get 100+mpg. What he didn't say that you can't get both from the same car/ICE combination.