aero dramatics of our elans

[el-saturn]

good morning europe!! do W E have any information regarding CV, differences when you lower "everything" etc... - windtunnel data??? just curious and maybe it has been withheld? ...... goin for some american breakfast (no tomatoes and mushrooms etc..) sandy 36 4982

[nomad]

I'm thinking Cd, Sandy!

Kurt.

[el-saturn]

thanks kurt - can u mail me a copy cheers and greetings from the alps sandy

[nomad]

Sorry, Sandy, I'm pretty new to the Lotus fraternity. I'm sure there are folks on here that know coefficient of drag for the Elan but not me. Anything in the archives? I believe the Elite was .29???

Kurt.

[Bombay Racing Green]

Hi Sandy,

Just browsing through a Car Life magazine test report of the Europa from March 1967 (Brooklands books Lotus Europa gold portfolio 1966-1975, page 13). It states that:

"Lotus says that the drag coefficient is only 0.30 compared with the 0.35 for the Elan, even though it does not have the latter car's retractable headlights".

It's the only reference I've come across regarding the Cd of the Elan.

Hope it helps,

Pete

[el-saturn]

thanks pete - i was hoping to get deeper: ride height must change things quit substantially!?............. however i can and am only in the position to change the suspension (TTR ) and won't consider the body! cheers sandy

[stevebroad]

I wrote to Lotus way back in the 70s asking about the Elan's Cd and they replied that they didn't have that information.

[msd1107]

I cannot point to an exact reference, but, during the years, it appears that references to the Elan CD have been around .34-.35. However, nobody said that the figure was for a DHC or FHC. .35 for a DHC is relatively improbable.

It is buried in the mists of my mind, but I remember doing simulations, that indicated the FHC Elan with 115 BHP could exceed 130 MPH. Some road tests of the FHC with 3.55 ratio got up there, so maybe that is good correlation.

Cheers,

David
1968 36/7988

[HAIRY]

Many year ago I purchased a glass fiber air dam that was designed to fit under the air intake of an Elan, but I never fitted it as I did not want to spoil the originality / lines of my car. It was an approximation of that fitted to some original Europas.

Did the air dam fitted to Europas have any effect and if so what?