Whatever it is, it's pretty bad. maybe .40 or something.

 

I think it is in the mid to upper .3's (.37?). I read the first generation Z's are about .45 . Not very good compared to a modern car. The G35 sedan is either .26 or .28 .

 

Anybody got stats for s30 (stock 240-280z) vs. s30zg (g nose) coefficients while were on the topic?

 

go to http//hybridz.org and do a search on the CD they discussed it last week

 

hehehe yeah the drag coeffecient is how you identify cars these days... it is the result of convergent evolution:

All manufacturers are contrained by the same strength of materials, manufacturing techniques, engine effeciency, emissions. modelling formulas, costs... etc, Ultimately there is one perfect ratio of these...Thus manufactures are all heading towards the same design.

(new materials and manufacturing methods and ideas is always causing this "ideal" design to change.. thank goodness.)

Since wind resistance is a big factor in performance, you will now see cars designed to minimize it thus they will all start looking the same.

From my work with rockets a few years ago, "boat tail" designs were among the most efficient for wind resistance. A larger front tapering to the end...think of a fish/whale.

btw did you look at an Audi TTT and Nissan 350?

 

If I remember correctly, the cd for a 280zx is .38. The 70-78 cd was .43.


When saying that cars are going to look the same, thats happened years ago. I'm 36, and can pick out and name any car on the road today. There are all kinds of ways for me to tell the difference between cars, even though they are quite similar. But throw me in a car show, with cars from the 1940's and older, and I cant tell a Buick from a Ford or a Chevy from a Mercedes, unless I can read it on the car. So to me, cars have always, and will always look the same, generally speaking.

 

SCCAZ83 is spot on target.
The ZX was a big improvement for the time, just not as good as modern cars today. But remember, a Cd of 0.38 was fantastic when compared to the other cars of 1979...

 

here are the real CD figures

This is not a guess, this is published data:
1979 0.39
1975 - 78 0.43

Keep in mind the coefficient of drag is a ratio of the drag compared to a flat plate of the same frontal area. The frontal area of the early Z's is small compared to many modern cars. So for example purposes, a Z car with 20 square feet (just a guess) of frontal area with a CD of .39 will have less wind drag than another car with a CD of 0.35 and 25 feet of frontal area.

 

interesting point, gboone. That's something that never crossed my mind.

 

Re: here are the real CD figures

excelleny info. now will someone measure frontal area?

 

......i think they'd be alot better if they were driven backwards.... ....s