Calculating Cd for your car

[mechkween]

Help me out!!
How does one calculate the frontal area for the Cd?
Do we take the ground clearance area as well? Do we include the entire height or just till the hood of the car?

 

[HDi fun]

Frontal area and Cd are totally different.

 

[obi_waynne]

It takes into account the shape as well as the surface areas. What are you wanting to discover and why so we can point you in the right direction?

 

[old-git]

Hi and welcome. If you are looking for the drag coefficient of your Ikon, this site quotes it as being 1.

http://www.which-car.org/Ford/Ikon-1.3iL.car?id=17801

 

[Loz]

Here's a manual I scanned a while ago for a someone else who asked the same question.

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Though searching internets is probably easier, just check your findings by cross referencing with other websites. The other way is to find the manufacturers original specs. A vehicles CD is normally quoted somewhere, Vauxhall used to make a big thing about it in their ads many moons ago.

 

[HDi fun]

Cd (co-efficient of drag, latterly called drag factor) is only a ratio. It has no units.

 

[mechkween]

Thanks a lot for the info:bigsmile:
I had this doubt. Cd*(Frontal area) is a better measure to find out how one's car fares in the aerodynamics.
so i wanted to know what the frontal area of the car should be.
Height*width?? if yes then what would be the height- from the ground or minus the ground clearance?

 

[mechkween]

Here's a manual I scanned a while ago for a someone else who asked the same question.

​

Though searching internets is probably easier, just check your findings by cross referencing with other websites. The other way is to find the manufacturers original specs. A vehicles CD is normally quoted somewhere, Vauxhall used to make a big thing about it in their ads many moons ago.

thanks a lot for the info, it has proved very helpful:bigsmile::bigsmile:

 

[old-git]

I had this doubt. Cd*(Frontal area) is a better measure to find out how one's car fares in the aerodynamics

Frontal area is not a very good indicator of the aerodynamic performance of a vehicle. The SHAPE of the vehicle if far more important.

 

[HDi fun]

Frontal area is not a very good indicator of the aerodynamic performance of a vehicle. The SHAPE of the vehicle if far more important.

That's where Cd comes into effect!

Overall aerodynamic drag is a function of velocity, medium density (in this case air), and the drag co-efficient of the car.

The Co-efficient of drag is commonly reffered to as Cd and is directly related the the shape of the car.

Wakey wakey