Chapter 1
Shaping the wind's first path
Chapter 2
The secret language of visual emotion
Chapter 3
Mastering the invisible flow
Chapter 4
Cultural signatures of global design
Ch 3 · Mastering the invisible flow
audi Sleek designs like the Tesla Model S with its 0.208 drag coefficient minimize air resistance to extend electric vehicle range.
BETA
audi Drag and sculpt the car's silhouette to discover how design moves both air and emotion.
Quiz
Which innovative 1966 race car was the first to feature a high-mounted, adjustable rear wing?
Quiz
What aerodynamic force do car spoilers and wings generate to keep tires planted on the road?
audi Automotive Aerodynamics
Just shave a tiny fraction off the clay, And watch the stubborn wind just slip away.
Quiz
Which 1980s supercar was among the first to feature active aerodynamics by lowering its suspension at speed?
Quiz
Which Italian supercar uses independent, computer-controlled active flaps to assist with cornering?
audi The Kammback Tail
We chop the tail to guide the rushing air, To trap a virtual pocket floating there.
Quiz
Which underbody component is designed to channel air smoothly out the back of a car to reduce the rear wake?
Quiz
What is the term for the turbulent, low-pressure air pocket that forms behind a moving vehicle?
Fun Fact
Active spoilers: The Bugatti Veyron's rear wing acts as an airbrake at high speeds, providing almost as much stopping power as a standard family car's brakes.
Glossary
aerodynamics (noun)
The study of the properties of moving air and the interaction between such air and solid bodies moving through it. In 1921, Edmund Rumpler designed the Tropfenwagen, pioneering the use of streamlined silhouettes to reduce wind resistance.
The study of the properties of moving air and the interaction between such air and solid bodies moving through it. In 1921, Edmund Rumpler designed the Tropfenwagen, pioneering the use of streamlined silhouettes to reduce wind resistance.