Date:         Sat, 11 Mar 2000 22:54:20 -0500
Reply-To:     ed <edevinney@BIGFOOT.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         ed <edevinney@BIGFOOT.COM>
Organization: Pismo Beach Institute for Advanced Leisure Studies
Subject:      Re: While talking to a New Beetle owner...
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854";
              x-mac-creator="4D4F5353"

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