It's A Drag: Does Wind-Tunnel-Vision Kill Car Design?

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Do you think that cars have lost their soul? Nina Tortosa, General Motors aerodynamicist for the Voltec/E-Flex programs, says that cars look more and more alike because “we all have to abide by the same laws of physics. It doesn’t matter if we don’t like them,” Nina Tortosa told WardsAuto.

Mere mortals have to contend with two certainties – death and taxes. Car designers are faced with a third one: Cd, or the drag coefficient.


When I was in advertising, countless engineers tried to explain the drag coefficient (a.k.a. “Cw-Beiwert” – we were in Germany) to me, until one found an ingenious solution: “You want a low one.”

They also told me the secret why the final car never looks like that flashy design study. The wind tunnel, or now rather the drag simulator is the big equalizer. “It’s a drag,” complained one designer to me, “those damned aerodynamics kill all my ideas.”

Joe Dehner, chief of Dodge and Ram Design at Chrysler, had the same experience: “We, as designers in the late ’80s and early ’90s, were in an organic phase, but aerodynamicists didn’t want organic lines,” he told WardsAuto. “We would take it to the wind tunnel and they would put corners on (it), and (we) would say, ‘You’re ruining my design.’”

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • Ttacgreg Ttacgreg on Jun 21, 2011

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  • M 1 M 1 on Jun 21, 2011

    I don't know what the Italia's CD is, but I suspect it's good, and it's still sporting homewrecker good-looks. The obvious solution is to make everything mid-engine. Problem solved. I will post my forwarding address for royalty checks later this afternoon.

  • The Oracle Well, we’re 3-4 years in with the Telluride and right around the time the long term durability issues start to really take hold. This is sad.
  • CoastieLenn No idea why, but nothing about a 4Runner excites me post-2004. To me, they're peak "try-hard", even above the Wrangler and Gladiator.
  • AZFelix A well earned anniversary.Can they also attend to the Mach-E?
  • Jalop1991 The intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged due to suspected improper assembly by the supplier. Over time, partial engagement can cause damage to the intermediate shaft splines. Damaged shaft splines may result in unintended vehicle movement while in Park if the parking brake is not engagedGee, my Chrysler van automatically engages the parking brake when we put it in Park. Do you mean to tell me that the idjits at Kia, and the idjit buyers, couldn't figure out wanting this in THEIR MOST EXPENSIVE VEHICLE????
  • Dukeisduke I've been waiting to see if they were going to do something special for the 60th Anniversary. I was four years old when the Mustang was introduced. I can remember that one of our neighbors bought a '65 coupe (they were all titled as '65 models, even the '64-1/2 cars), and it's the first one I can remember seeing. In the '90s I knew an older gentleman that owned a '64-1/2 model coupe with the 260 V8.
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