clutchdust
Millionaire Playboy
I've often heard our cars (c3) have been compared aerodynamically to a brick wall. I did an unofficial comparison the other day and believe it might be a bit of an exaggeration.
I have occasion to visit a town about 70 miles west of here and to get there I have to cross a mountain ridge. Because I'm cheap, I like to shift to neutral on the way down and just allow the engine to idle. I do this in my 5000# GMC 1500 and I constantly slow down without even needing to ride the brakes. However, when I do the same thing in the c3, weighing in around 3600# at the top of the mountain, I'm doing about 60 at the top of the mountain. I have to ride the brakes to keep it around 90 by the time I get to the bottom. In fact, when I did it last week I traveled almost four miles farther down the mountain in the c3 than I do in my truck before I drop below 60mph. So, it may not be all that aerodynamic in the wind tunnel, but apparently gravity likes it just fine.
I have occasion to visit a town about 70 miles west of here and to get there I have to cross a mountain ridge. Because I'm cheap, I like to shift to neutral on the way down and just allow the engine to idle. I do this in my 5000# GMC 1500 and I constantly slow down without even needing to ride the brakes. However, when I do the same thing in the c3, weighing in around 3600# at the top of the mountain, I'm doing about 60 at the top of the mountain. I have to ride the brakes to keep it around 90 by the time I get to the bottom. In fact, when I did it last week I traveled almost four miles farther down the mountain in the c3 than I do in my truck before I drop below 60mph. So, it may not be all that aerodynamic in the wind tunnel, but apparently gravity likes it just fine.
