Awkward design details on production cars

Awkward design details on production cars

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Discussion

Butter Face

30,191 posts

159 months

Thursday 9th June 2016
quotequote all
sidgolf said:
kambites said:
I suspect they'll be to get around type protrusion limits for type approval with a certain wheel option. Not sure why they didn't design the arch to pass type approval with all the wheel/tyre combinations they intended to fit, though.
oh thats what they're for. seen this little detail on lots of cars over the years, had always thought it was some aerodynamic tweak up 'til now.
As far as Renault are concerned they are an aerodynamic alteration, it removes the neeed for rear mudflaps apparently as it points the air flow/water flow in a different direction rather than just out the back.

The entire range has the same detail.

miniman

24,824 posts

261 months

Thursday 9th June 2016
quotequote all
anniesdad said:
miniman said:
I've never quite understood this:

redcard

I agree with others who say...drive one!
Have done. SV as I'm a fat bd natch. Wonderful things, just need the rear arches to be the right size.

njd27

210 posts

119 months

Thursday 9th June 2016
quotequote all
ajprice said:
Range Rover Sport mk1, there is a lot of car here with lots of places they could have designed and fitted the side indicators to, like in or around the wing vent, or the mirror, so why is it a plain rectangle stuck on the door?
The bit that always bothered me about the Range Rover Sport was the dashboard which comes about 9" up the windscreen, to the point where they need to black the bottom section out.

edit - like this (I presume it's where the flaps to let fresh air in are on normal landrovers?):



Edited by njd27 on Thursday 9th June 21:29


Edited by njd27 on Thursday 9th June 21:29

Muddle238

3,871 posts

112 months

Thursday 9th June 2016
quotequote all
mgtony said:
This pointless detail on the rear wheel arch of the new Clio. Thought it was the result of a minor accident the first time I saw it.
On a side note I really love that shade of red they paint the current Clios. Not a fan of the car itself but that red is just stunning in the sunshine.

DoctorX

7,240 posts

166 months

Thursday 9th June 2016
quotequote all
njd27 said:
ajprice said:
Range Rover Sport mk1, there is a lot of car here with lots of places they could have designed and fitted the side indicators to, like in or around the wing vent, or the mirror, so why is it a plain rectangle stuck on the door?
The bit that always bothered me about the Range Rover Sport was the dashboard which comes about 9" up the windscreen, to the point where they need to black the bottom section out.
biglaugh I've never noticed either of those details before!

kambites

67,460 posts

220 months

Thursday 9th June 2016
quotequote all
Butter Face said:
As far as Renault are concerned they are an aerodynamic alteration, it removes the neeed for rear mudflaps apparently as it points the air flow/water flow in a different direction rather than just out the back.

The entire range has the same detail.
I did wonder if it might be to sever the air-flow around the rear of the car but it looks too short for that? Surely they're still going to get laminar air-flow above it and over the wheel below it wrapping around the bumper? I'd have thought that would be the least likely point to need a spoiler because it's directly behind the arch gap.

They probably know rather more about aerodynamics than me though. smile

Edited by kambites on Thursday 9th June 21:37

saaby93

32,038 posts

177 months

Thursday 9th June 2016
quotequote all
kambites said:
I did wonder if it might be to sever the air-flow around the rear of the car but it looks too short for that? Surely they're still going to get laminar air-flow above it and over the wheel below it wrapping around the bumper? I'd have thought that would be the least likely point to need a spoiler because it's directly behind the arch gap.

They probably know rather more about aerodynamics than me though. smile
Strangely enough a bright yellow small Citroen caught my eye the other day but only due to the same tiny bits on the rear wheel arch. Is it eco-aero?

kambites

67,460 posts

220 months

Thursday 9th June 2016
quotequote all
saaby93 said:
trangely enough a bright yellow small Citroen caught my eye the other day but only due to the same tiny bits on the rear wheel arch. Is it eco-aero?
I can't see how it would work if it is.

ATTAK Z

10,586 posts

188 months

Thursday 9th June 2016
quotequote all
Chrysler Crossfire in its entirety .... reminds me of a spaniel having a dump

Edited by ATTAK Z on Thursday 9th June 22:15

mph1977

12,467 posts

167 months

Thursday 9th June 2016
quotequote all
njd27 said:
The bit that always bothered me about the Range Rover Sport was the dashboard which comes about 9" up the windscreen, to the point where they need to black the bottom section out.

edit - like this (I presume it's where the flaps to let fresh air in are on normal landrovers?):
more to do with the fact the front bulkheads on the d3 /d4 and rrs are very similar but the rrs has the 'range stormer' s lower bonnet line ...

Elliot2000

785 posts

175 months

Thursday 9th June 2016
quotequote all
ajprice said:
Range Rover Sport mk1, there is a lot of car here with lots of places they could have designed and fitted the side indicators to, like in or around the wing vent, or the mirror, so why is it a plain rectangle stuck on the door?
I'm guessing as the whole Range Rover sport is based on the discovery - then it was easier to leave it in the same position as it is on a disco than design new looms and setups

JonnyVTEC

3,000 posts

174 months

Friday 10th June 2016
quotequote all
IN51GHT said:
I've had four of these, looking for a fifth.
I'm getting close to 250k now in mine. Gearbox very noisy though frown

IN51GHT

8,777 posts

209 months

Friday 10th June 2016
quotequote all
JonnyVTEC said:
IN51GHT said:
I've had four of these, looking for a fifth.
I'm getting close to 250k now in mine. Gearbox very noisy though frown
Rebuild is really easy, did mine in a day.

anniesdad

14,589 posts

237 months

Friday 10th June 2016
quotequote all
miniman said:
Have done. SV as I'm a fat bd natch. Wonderful things, just need the rear arches to be the right size.
Standard size to accommodate optional wider 8" wheels. thumbup

ebola

13 posts

94 months

Friday 10th June 2016
quotequote all
ATTAK Z said:
Chrysler Crossfire in its entirety .... reminds me of a spaniel having a dump

Edited by ATTAK Z on Thursday 9th June 22:15
Jeremy? Is that you?

Drummond Baize

200 posts

94 months

Friday 10th June 2016
quotequote all
miniman said:
rohrl said:
miniman said:
I've never quite understood this:

Could people please stop posting entire cars to this thread without describing the individual awkward detail?

Thankyou for your co-operation in this matter.
In the rear wheel arch, alongside the rear wheel, there is space for another wheel.
You can get them with wider rear wheels that fill out the arches a bit better


JonnyVTEC

3,000 posts

174 months

Friday 10th June 2016
quotequote all
Butter Face said:
As far as Renault are concerned they are an aerodynamic alteration, it removes the neeed for rear mudflaps apparently as it points the air flow/water flow in a different direction rather than just out the back.

The entire range has the same detail.
I don't believe that.

The features are typically for the rear wheel 50deg tyre coverage. Some OEMs have them as bolt on spats for the larger wheel variants

ajprice

27,314 posts

195 months

Friday 10th June 2016
quotequote all
JonnyVTEC said:
Butter Face said:
As far as Renault are concerned they are an aerodynamic alteration, it removes the neeed for rear mudflaps apparently as it points the air flow/water flow in a different direction rather than just out the back.

The entire range has the same detail.
I don't believe that.

The features are typically for the rear wheel 50deg tyre coverage. Some OEMs have them as bolt on spats for the larger wheel variants
According to this article http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-rev... on the Fiesta with a similar tab on the arch (but a separate black plastic part) they are for tyre coverage, not aero.


csd19

2,170 posts

116 months

Friday 10th June 2016
quotequote all
Stedman said:
JordanTurbo said:




I love the difference these two small alterarions make. The second picture looks so much better IMO.

In fact, now that I've seen how much better it could look. I doubt I would be able to buy and live with an XE without doing both of these changes, especially the exhaust.
I'm glad it's not just me!
Agree re the overbadging, but the lower bumper is one piece - the gloss black is just reflecting the space between the tiles under the car and making it look split.



wst

3,494 posts

160 months

Friday 10th June 2016
quotequote all
ajprice said:
According to this article http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-rev... on the Fiesta with a similar tab on the arch (but a separate black plastic part) they are for tyre coverage, not aero.
That's such a good review. It covers how easy the horn is to press, because it's for the Indian market. I guess if it's something you use a lot it's important to know that stuff!