In the conclusion to our month long look at the aerodynamic elements of modern day road and race cars, we will be looking at some of the accompanying elements that help the main aero devices do their jobs. If you haven’t read about these devices, you can take a look at the last three articles in this series: Part 1: the front splitter, Part 2: the rear wing, and Part 3: the rear diffuser. These three devices all work in harmony to achieve the maximum possible downforce with the least amount of drag. Sometimes, however, these elements need help directing air over them in the most efficient way. (continue reading…)

This is the third installment of our look at aerodynamics in cars. Part 1 was about the front splitter, Part 2 was about the rear wing, and today’s article will focus on the rear diffuser. The rear diffuser is used to shape and decelerate airflow from underneath the car. It was the cause of much controversy at the beginning of the 2009 F1 season, with Toyota, Williams, and Brawn GP having a so-called double diffuser that was assumed by the other teams to be outside of the rules. The double diffuser was allowed and made the 2009 spec F1 cars produce significantly more down force than the previous year’s spec. It is used in most forms of racing, on both prototype and GT class Le Mans cars and most formula cars, in addition to high performance sports cars. (continue reading…)

Last week I talked about the front splitter and its effect. The splitter is much more inconspicuous than what is on the plate for today: the rear wing. The rear wing does exactly what a wing on an airplane would do, just upside down. In 1738, a plucky young Dutch/Swiss mathematician published a book the explained the fundamental principle of speed to pressure ratios. Daniel Bernoulli observed that when water in pipes with a large diameter transitioned to pipes with a smaller diameter, the pressure would increase in the smaller pipe. Many years later, Bernoulli’s principle was applied to the airfoil; stating that when air flowed over a wing shape a pressure differential was created causing lift. (continue reading…)

Supercars are fast. That’s a fact that most of us know very well. Why, though, do the faster cars have to have all of the aggressive body work that they do? The answer is aerodynamics, and it’s two pronged approach to tackling the dilemma of making a car produce less friction as it cuts through the air and making the car heavier and more stable. For the next several weeks, check back on Fridays to get a more thorough understanding of all of the elements that car designers use to create these stunning vehicles. Today, we will start at the front of the car. (continue reading…)

So with Christmas officially 5 days away it seems appropriate to post a gift guide for us car guys. If you are having trouble deciding what to get your significant other and he or she is really into cars, I have a list made up just for you. This may be just because I’m a nice guy, or possibly because my own girlfriend doesn’t have any clue as to what I might like. So here is a list the will hopefully help someone out there.

(continue reading…)

As you may or may not be aware, California is broke. As a result, ticket issuance for the most mundane of violations is at an all time high. Brian and I use a couple simple rules of thumb to keep our records clean and our insurance happy!

So, you’ve been pulled over. Just take your ticket and deal with it later, right? Not for Brian and I. Brian has a pretty unique strategy which has worked for him in the past. When police talk to Brian, he pretends he knows nothing of what he’s done wrong and asks to pay for the ticket up front, right then and there. The reasoning behind this is that the cop, thinking that Brian is just going to pay his fine later on won’t take any notes. This will become crucial later. I, on the other hand, like to start writing down notes and taking pictures right then and there. This is helpful especially when you are far from home. Also, Brian and I are always respectful to police officers and there is no reason you shouldn’t be. They have a job to do and they do it with a certain degree of professionalism most of the time. They slip sometimes, but we don’t go the speed limit every day either. Also, politeness has been known to avoid the ticket all together. (continue reading…)