Windtunnel photos of various cars
 

A buddy of mine posted this on another forum:

BMW X6 M

frontal surface area (A) 2.85m²
cw (cd) 0.38
airdragindex (cd x A) 1.07
at 200km/h (125mph)
lift front axle 69kg
lift rear axle 48kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Audi R8 V10 5.2
(A) 2.024m²
(cd) 0.36
(cd x A) 0.72
at 200km/h
lift front 23kg
downforce rear 3kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Mercedes SL 65 AMG Black Series
(A) 2.17 m²
(cd) 0.37
(cd × A) 0.80
at 200km/h
lift front 56kg
downforce rear 22kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Corvette ZR1
(A) 2.059 m²
(cd) 0.32
(cd × A) 0.66
at 200km/h
lift front 39kg
lift rear 14kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Ford GT
(A) 1.92 m²
(cd) 0.35
(cd × A) 0.67
at 200km/h
downforce front 44kg
lift rear 2kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Mini Cooper S John Cooper Works
(A) 2.05 m²
(cd) 0.36
(cd × A) 0.73
at 200km/h
lift front 17kg
lift rear 20kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Lexus IS-F
(A) 2.22 m²
(cd) 0.30
(cd × A) 0.67
at 200km/h
lift front 31kg
lift rear 7kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Ford Focus RS
(A) 2,35 m²
(cd) 0,36
(cd × A) 0,86
at 200km/h
downforce front 8kg
lift rear 4kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Nissan GT-R
(A) 2,30 m²
(cd) 0,31
(cd × A) 0,71
at 200km/h
lift front 3kg
downforce rear 8kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Porsche GT3 facelift
(A) 2.04 m²
(cd) 0.32
(cd × A) 0.66
at 200km/h
downforce front 15kg
downforce rear 19kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Audi TT-S
(A) 2.10 m²
(cd) 0.32
(cd × A) 0.68
at 200km/h
lift front 42kg
lift rear 17kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4
(A) 1.93 m²
(cd) 0.35
(cd × A) 0.67
at 200km/h
downforce front 4kg
lift rear 37kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Alpina B3 Coupe
(A): 2.14 m²
(cd): 0.29
(cd × A): 0.63
at 200km/h
lift front 12kg
lift rear 13kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Aston Martin DBS
(A): 2.11 m²
(cd): 0.36
(cd × A): 0.76
at 200km/h
lift front 11kg
lift rear 10kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Abarth Grande Punto esseesse
(A): 2.21 m²
(cd): 0.34
(cd × A): 0.75
at 200km/h
lift front 26kg
lift rear 31kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Mercedes C 63 AMG
(A): 2.18 m²
(cd): 0.32
(cd × A): 0.69
at 200km/h
lift front 35kg
lift rear 42kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

BMW Z4 3.0si Coupé
(A): 1.94 m²
(cd): 0.33
(cd × A): 0.64
at 200km/h
lift front 28kg
lift rear 43kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Lotus Exige S
(A): 1.62 m²
(cd): 0.44
(cd × A): 0.71
at 200km/h
downforce front 5kg
downforce rear 24kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372


Porsche 997 Carrera S facelift
(A): 2.02 m²
(cd): 0.29
(cd × A): 0.59
at 200km/h
lift front 24kg
lift rear 14kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Ferrari 430 Scuderia
(A): 2.02 m²
(cd): 0.33
(cd × A): 0.66
at 200km/h
lift rear 4kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Audi S5
(A): 2.18 m²
(cd): 0.31
(cd × A): 0.67
at 200km/h
lift front 52kg
lift rear 34kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640
(A): 2.04 m²
(cd): 0.35
(cd × A): 0.71
at 200km/h
downforce front 30kg
downforce rear 11kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

from a other planet were the Gumpert Apollo numbers..

Gumpert Apollo Sport
(A): 1,99 m²
(cd): 0,57
(cd × A): 1,14
downforce front 20kg
downforce rear 176kg


https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Honda NSX-R (2002)
(A): 1.7800 m²
(cd): 0.34
(cd × A): 0.60
at 200km/h
downforce front 32kg
downforce rear 5kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Porsche Carrera GT
(A): 1.95 m²
(cd): 0.37
(cd × A): 0.72
at 200km/h
downforce front 49kg
downforce rear 40g

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Mitubishi Evo VII
(A): 2.12 m²
(cd): 0.37
(cd × A): 0.79
at 200km/h
downforce front 37kg
downforce rear 8kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Pagani Zonda F
(A): 2,08 m²
(cd): 0,36
(cd × A): 0,74
at 200km/h
downforce front 1kg
downforce rear 25kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Koenigsegg CCR
(A): 1,86 m²
(cd): 0,35
(cd × A): 0,64
at 200km/h
downforce front 13kg
lift rear 11kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

Porsche 997 Turbo old
(A): 2.04 m²
(cd): 0.29
(cd × A): 0.59
at 200km/h
lift front 9kg
downforce rear 12kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343223372

No miata?

No NA miata, no care.

JK. Interesting info there. Obvious why the wife's cooper's rear window is filthy by the time I get to the end of my street.

Love this. Cool stuff.

The Gumpert (with its diffuser) is really pretty amazing to see.

I think the one I was most surprised with was the Evo VII (generating downforce front and rear).

I was surprised at how high the CD was for a lot of the cars, until I realized that they had traded some of that for the downforce they were making. Made sense after I made that connection.

Gumpert Apollo looks like it does pretty good.

Carrera GT impressed me. Good numbers, and looks wonderful.

The NSX-R, a 10-year old car, had really good drag to lift (downforce) ratios.

Some of the newer designs are embarrassing in comparison.
Look at the Aston, the Audis TT and S5. Lots of drag and lots of lift at both ends.
Styled by the stylists and not by the wind. :giggle:

I wish I knew how to look at the smoke and tell what was good and what was bad.

I've always though a little more downforce in the front vs rear or less front lift than rear was better. Keep the front end down thinking. Wish I had a better sense for reading the airflow too. I liked the Mucielago pic. Seemed like a good set of numbers (read I have no idea what is good) Little bit of downforce and not too draggy?

There was apparently more in the original SportAuto info:

Originally Posted by Georg
Because at the GT-R datasheet discussion at factory claimed cd of 0.27 and sportauto clocked 0.31 on one of the most modern windtunnels in the world I thought it would be interesting to compare the sportauto results to manufacturer claims..

Important... not cd is important.. the airdragindex is the important number... the combination of cd and the size of the vehicle.. the lower cd x A the better is the aerodynamic of a car...
a other sidenote... many "noseheavy" cars can become nearly weightbalance neutral at higher speeds if the lift at the front axle is greater than it is at the rear

Mercedes SLR
(A): 2.07 m²
(cd): 0.37
(cd × A): 0.77
at 200km/h
downforce front 19kg
downforce rear 35kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343238602

Maserati Coupé Cambiocorsa
(A): 2.016 m²
(cd): 0.34
(cd × A): 0.68
at 200km/h
downforce front 55kg
downforce rear 45kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343238602


Ferrari 575 M Maranello
(A): 2.09 m²
(cd): 0.32
(cd × A): 0.66
at 200km/h
lift front 61kg
lift rear 40kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343238602

Porsche 996 GT3 RS
(A): 1.94 m²
(cd): 0.30
(cd × A): 0.58
at 200km/h
lift front 19kg
downforce rear 26kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343238602

Ferrari Challenge Stradale
(A): 2.0 m²
(cd): 0.31
(cd × A): 0.62
at 200km/h
downforce front 10kg
lift rear 21kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343238602


Mercedes CLK DTM AMG
(A): 2.15 m²
(cd): 0.34
(cd × A): 0.73
at 200km/h
lift front 37kg
downforce rear 12kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343238602

Mercedes SL 65 AMG
(A): 2.1 m²
(cd): 0.31
(cd × A): 0.65
at 200km/h
lift front 29kg
lift rear 33kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343238602

Mercedes SLK 55 AMG
(A): 1.95 m²
(cw): 0.32
(cw × A): 0.625
at 200km/h
lift front 23kg
lift rear 31kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343238602


Corvette C6 Coupe
(A): 2.0 m²
(cd): 0.29
(cd × A): 0.59
at 200km/h
lift front 54kg
lift rear 28kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343238602

Lotus Exige (Mk I)
(A) 1,631 m²
(cd) 0.43
(cd x A) 0.70
at 200km/h
downforce front 20kg
downforce rear 58kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343238602
no windtunnel picture online

Opel Speedster Turbo
(A): 1.61 m²
(cd): 0.38
(cd × A): 0.61
at 200km/h
downforce front 23kg
lift rear 19kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343238602
no windtunnel pitcure online

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
(A): 2.23 m²
(cd): 0.33
(cd × A): 0.73
at 200km/h
lift front 41kg
lift rear 24 kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343238602

BMW e92 M3
(A): 2.17 m²
(cd): 0.33
(cd × A): 0.71
at 200km/h
lift front 10kg
lift rear 23kg
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343238602


Corvette C6 Z06
(A): 2.1 m²
(cd): 0.308
(cd × A): 0.647
at 200km/h
lift front 49kg
lift rear 22kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343238602

Opel Corsa OPC
(A): 2.15 m²
(cd): 0.36
(cd × A): 0.78
at 200km/h
downforce front 23kg
lift rear 22kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343238602
no windtunnel picture online

Ferarri F430
(A): 2.04 m²
(cd): 0.34
(cd × A): 0.70
at 200km/h
lift front 11kg
lift rear 6kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343238602


RUF RT12
(A): 2.04 m²
(cd): 0.33
(cd × A): 0.67
at 200km/h
lift front 11kg
downforce rear 34kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343238602


Honda Civic Type R
(A): 1.93 m²
(cd): 0.326
(cd × A): 0.63
at 200km/h
downforce front 19kg
lift rear 44kg

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1343238602

If you understand the effects, you can work with anything. I think the traditional thinking (even in some higher levels of racing) is to try for some downforce bias that is slightly rearward of neutral (based on the weight bias of the car). In that way, the car has similar handling bias at different speeds, but if the lift/downforce bias starts skewing things, it skews them towards understeer at higher speed, rather than towards oversteer. This makes sense to me because at higher speeds, there is insufficient torque to bias the handling with the throttle.

^Makes some sense. I'm sure when I get further in my degree it will make more sense. This gives me something to think about and makes me want my own wind tunnel.