Zoomi Life

One of the greatest factors in fuel economy (whether it be gasoline, diesel, or electric) is the drag coefficient of the vehicle itself.  The worse the drag, the higher the coefficient number, and the less economical the vehicle will be.

Basically, the more drag there is, the more energy that’s required to propel the vehicle.  Gives “what a drag” a whole new meaning.

Anyway, as car manufacturers work to keep some style in their vehicles while still maximizing the drag coefficient, they participate in a quiet battle for supremacy over each other’s design.  Lighter materials, better technology, higher performance, and now drag are all a part of the overall battle strategy for vehicle design today.

Amazingly, the current battlefield master general in the drag wars (I like to call it “The Rocky Horror II”) is Mercedes.  What?  Mercedes?

Yep, they’ve beat out both Toyota and Honda, who held the Rocky Horror II title in tandem with the .25 coefficient of the Prius and Insight.  Mercedes has upped the ante (or dropped the coeff, depending on how you prefer to phrase it) with the release of the new coefficient of drag numbers for the E-Class coupe: bottoming out at .24.

The car is the latest in Mercedes’ BlueEFFICIENCY line of vehicles that have been consistently increasing their efficiency for several years through better engine design, thrifty design elements, and now better aerodynamics.

So who will be next to challenge Mercedes for the Rocky Horror II title of Drag Master?

Source: EcoModder