Rear Wheel Skirts

These ugly things? lol





Toyota Prius 2004 ~ 2009 NHW20 Exterior Accessories :: Sigma Automotive

 

yuck!!!

 

I think there should be skirts for the front and the back -- that way the prius would look like it's floating / hovering over the road. That would be cool, but having skirts on the back and not on the front looks unbalanced to me. It would work for fuel economy, and I'm sure someone out there would like it, - just not my style.

 

The Aerocivic has front skirts too. If I remember correctly from his postings to CleanMPG.com some years ago, the fronts are problematic because the wheels stick outside the fenders when turning sharply.

Flush skirts rub and restrict turning angle. Skirts flared far enough to always clear, add parasitic drag on the highway. He hinged the covers, I thought originally allowing some tire rub that is not ideal. But now his page mentions rollers on the insides of the covers, and the tire edges push on the rollers.

 

sounds a bit Rube Goldberg. never mind the ugly factor.

 

... but 95 mpg at highway speed.

 

Guess this look appeals to some folk...



To each their own I guess. The general Prius owner population think its ugly and ridiculous that I'm running 19" wheels on a lowered stiff suspension. But unlike most Prius owners, I prefer the stiffer more sporty ride and still get good gas mileage.

If you want it, get it. Who cares what anyone else thinks...its your $.

 

I've always viewed it as appealing. I can't explain why, but I'm here to admit it to the world.

 

Skirts are very retro. Many American cars from the late 1950's and early 1960's had them.

Bill the Engineer

 

and they looked bad then too.

 

I'd bet the general prius owner population actually thinks the 19" wheels look good, but they (me anyway) don't want to spring for expensive wheels and tires. now if you were to put some bama 22" chrome bling wheels with spinners on it, that would look ridiculous.

 

Yuk? I had that whole body kit on my old car. Looking for a new one

 

ok. while it does make it look different, its not an improvement. and I like to see the wheels. if I had the $ I'd definitely get some forged 5 spokes.

 

I think they could look a lot better than they do
not a lot 'retro' about this..

 

Ooooo! I'll take one of theos please!

Bill the Engineer

 

Liked!

 

Jay (The Force) had a set a few years back here is a link. REVIEW: Hybrid Effects Wheel Skirts | PriusChat

 

going back a few years, there was a period of racing saloon car development that saw the need to accommodate wider track layouts within the body of the car. But about the period when it became more obvious that rear transaxles (unit transmission and differential) were to be more popular, the rule makers began to speak in a language that said car widths had to be contained, potentially making such extreme body modifications less necessary.



That notwithstanding, designers began to blend car styles to make room for what seemed a logical way forward. And fishtailed into car bodies the necessary humps and lumps to make their cars fir better with advanced racing profiles of the day. The rally experience was going in a similar direction.



But manufacturers recognised that they had to squash this, and they were very aware that both race cars and showroom cars had to look more alike, 'win a race on Sunday, sell a car on Monday'.

With the rule makers more likely following what the car makers wanted, as opposed to actual racing car development. The outcome meant that while the car looked more like an ordinary showroom example, it required the entire inside of the car to be gutted, and extensive engineering be performed to accommodate narrower track front and rear layouts. The gap between smaller racing garages and full factory commitments became a lot larger and many just left the scene, leaving the factory teams to endure.

If the motives had been somewhat different, that is to say the rear axle widths and extreme wheels were not to change, this same type of development could be utilised in providing enough room to enclose an entire wheel eliminating the arch aperture.

I believe that the real manufacturers are about to make a historic leap, and leave the poseurs gasping in their tracks. This from Volkswagen harks back to the Mercedes C111 project car, and is said to be stalking more than 200MPG efficiency, and squeezing every known micron of technology.

 

Ah yes the VW diesel/hybrid nice ride and watch fully charged youtube ......Unless I live in Europe (I do not) and have unlimited monetary assets (not there) beyond my grasp but do like the vehicle