Next-Generation Toyota Prius Promises Improved Mileage and Unique Styling

Can I buy this 'Precept'?

 

i saw the green computer gen. pic in motor trend or car a driver a couple months ago. along with the cd lowerd they are also going to get more by using a turbo disel 4 banger along with li-on batteries witch would help bump there est. mpg to 70 - 80 it was pretty interesting considering people have been getting 40 out of the tdi beetles for a while now if not more.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(finman @ May 25 2007, 11:29 AM) [snapback]449809[/snapback]</div>

No you can't buy the Precept, it was the final version of GM's hybrid that was funded by billions of government money. GM junked it to build bigger SUV's at the turn of the century because consumers aren't interested in fuel economy.

You could buy the Tatra T77 in 1935 that had a Cd of 0.212 The Tatra seated 6 with lots of luggage space available in the front trunk. It would also go 87 mph which is pretty good for 1935! This is better than the Prius before wind-tunnels, or computer simulations and 3-D computer design.

My point is this, from an aerodynamic standpoint the Prius is little better than a standard sedan. Toyota and all the automakers know how to make an aerodynamic car, they have know how for decades, they choose not to. The raindrop is the ideal shape from an aerodynamic standpoint. For a car, you would cut this shape horizontally in half. Automakers choose not to use this shape because the outside shell of a car is styled, not aerodynamically designed and the ideal shape is not deemed to be attractive.

Grills are an ideal example. If you look at say a mid-90's Thunderbird it has a tiny horizontal slit for the air intake. This was all that was required to cool a large V-8 engine. For some reason Toyota has decided to use a grill that is about 3 times the size to cool the little 1.5L 4-cylinder engine in the Prius. Why, because large grills are popular right now. It knocks about 5% off the Cd of the car and is not needed since I'm running around in 90 degree weather with my grill 90% blocked but the stylist decided that was the look that they wanted for the front of the car.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jhinton @ May 25 2007, 04:35 PM) [snapback]450037[/snapback]</div>

I had a 1992 Infiniti Q45. It had a 4.5 liter V8; and NO grill- only a hood ornament some have described as "Elvis' belt buckle". They added a grill to the 1st-gen Q45 a few years later, and ruined the appearance of the car IMO, as well as probably degrading its aerodynamics. But the marketing wisdom was that people didn't want to pay for a luxury car, and not get a big-nice person chrome grill. Grills are very much in vogue (especially this weekend, when everyone is barbeque-ing )

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ May 24 2007, 09:06 PM) [snapback]449591[/snapback]</div>

woke up this morning, day off, expected to be in the 80's today, feeling great.... now i see this picture and i feel like crying...

JEESUS!! how can we be so stupid~!~