The Vanagon has a pretty good coefficient of drag (maybe 0.40 - read it once and promptly forgot). IIRC Moffett Field has a big honking wind tunnel - put a V'gon and a model of the hanger in and see who wins. Those rounded doors probably are better than the front of the VW. Now, frontal area is a whooooollle other matter :-) I've been wondering even before this what the limiter to the V'gon's gas mileage is - weight? Aerodynamics? Mechanical efficiency? Obviously a heavy brick isn't going to deliver 40mpg and 10 second 0-60, but engine transplanters and tweaky builders like Mr Lilley report improved performance _and_ economy. I'm thinking that there's a lot of room to improve the engine... ed "I used to be a pedant, but now I try to be amused" devinney
Alan Bosch wrote: > The sales office I work in had some product training today, bringing in > folks from all over the Northeast. The receptionist comes up to my office > with a guy from our North Jersey office, telling me he wants to talk to the > guy with the bus. Great! Another VW fan. Always willing. > > We trade VW stories and generally shoot the breeze. At one point, while > I'm espousing the virtues of Vanagons and the neat list I happen to belong > to, this guy just shakes his head and says the following: > > "What is it with you bus guys? How the heck can you drive anything with > the drag coefficient of a zeppelin hanger?" > > Made me laugh... > > Alan Bosch > & Phred ('88 Wolfsburg Edition Graf Zeppelin) > Rochester, NY |
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