THE AIR HASN'T CHANGED in the 100-plus years since the beginning of the automotive era. Well, okay, it now smells generally less like a typhoid ward or horse manure. But air acts as it always has when you jam an object through it. Ever notice that the vehicles intended to skirt the air's resistance share some fundamental traits? A low, rounded front end. A plunging roofline that leads to a taffy-pulled, tapered rear end that ends abruptly. And, of course, ugly wheels, either on display or covered by spats. That's the work of generations of aerodynamicists toiling over equations and wind-tunnel experimentation. It's work that was gleefully interrupted beginning in the second half of the 20th century. This era, the tail end of which we are in now, is defined by powerful internal-combustion engines fed by cheap fuel available at nearly every street corner. So put away your weird prewar Tatras and streamliners; we're going to drive this damn barn ('58 Imperial, Hummer H2, etc.) defiantly through the air.
Mercedes-Benz, which has produced its own stately but wasteful machines over the years, has a different view of the future. Called the Vision EQXX, it's an electric four-door-sedan concept that employs a radically efficient aerodynamic form. In recognition that the energy of current electric batteries quickly depletes and takes a long time to replenish, there's no room to sacrifice slickness to indulge style. With a highly efficient drivetrain and a light curb weight (for an EV), the EQXX managed a trip from Stuttgart, Germany, to Silverstone, England, fully 747 miles, on a single charge. Its absurdly low 0.17 drag coefficient was critical in making that happen.
We asked longtime Mercedes aerodynamicist Alexander Wäschle to walk us through the EQXX's more notable aero achievements.
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MR. CALIFORNIA
MEET THE MAN WHO PUT THE STATE ON THE MAP AS THE LEADER IN THE FIGHT AGAINST VEHICLE EMISSIONS.
RESIDENT ALIEN
THE CZINGER 21C LOOKS LIKE IT ARRIVED FROM A DISTANT PLANET. INSTEAD, IT COMES FROM CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS KIND OF THE SAME THING.
FUNNY FACE
THE CURIOUS CASE OF CALIFORNIA-DIAL WATCHES.
THE PROBLEM WITH ROBERT WILLIAMS
TOWARD THE END of our third interview, Robert Williams gives me some advice about overcoming creative blocks. âPhrase it as a problem,â he says. â
Quiet Riot
In the Ioniq 5 N, Hyundai makes the case that an EV can tamp down racetrack noise without sacrificing capability.
The Sound and the Fury
A legal feud over booming decibels put California's most historic roadracing circuit in jeopardy.
HOLLYWOOD'S GREATEST STUNT DRIVER
CAREY LOFTIN WAS THE KING OF THE SCIENTIFIC WILD-ASS GUESS
OFFLINE
THIS BURBANK BOOKSTORE IS A REPOSITORY FOR THE WORLD OF AUTOMOTIVE INFORMATION NOT ON YOUR PHONE.
THE COURSE OF HISTORY
The West Coast tracks where modern racing was born.
TANK WARFARE
WHAT IF THE WHOLE CAR WERE A GAS TANK?