So I'm in my auto tech class, when we're learning about aerodynamics and how to calculate drag. So I know that the Prius has a drag coefficient of 0.25 (with the 15 inch wheels, otherwise 0.30 with the 17 inch wheels). Now I'm wondering, does anyone know what the frontal area is of the Gen3 Prius (facelifted)? That way, I can calculate just how many pounds of drag are on the car when driving. I know, I know, I'm probably overthinking it. But "Overthinking" is my middle name
When Car & Driver did their big wind tunnel test at A2 in 2014 (a test which had notable issues with its results due to the tunnel, among them the high blockage ratio, and the lack of a rolling road or wheel blocking and suction slots to approximate a moving ground and rotating tires...but I digress) they did one thing right. They used a 200mm telephoto lens at 150 feet to get an undistorted picture of each car from the front and then used CAD software to calculate an exact figure for the frontal area. The 2014 Prius is 23.9 ft^2. ETA: Also, there's no way a wheel change accounts for a 50-count increase in drag coefficient. That Cd .30 quote comes, if I remember right, from GM, which was claiming that the Volt was actually lower drag than the Prius. Unfortunately, the only way to verify anyone's numbers is to run a wind tunnel test yourself, and as demonstrated by C&D, that comes with its own set of problems.
