Aerodynamics - an observation

[Audidothat]

Whilst driving, if I want to have the drivers window by more than a qtr I have to also open the window behind otherwise I experience buffeting like no other 4 door saloon car I have owned before. Anyone else experience the same.

Trouble is, doing so then makes the rear seatbelt slap against the seat!!!!

Must be the shape of the car and perhaps a wide B pillar?

Just a couple of owner observations!

[paulrstaylor]

Try opposing corners

[snapdragon]

I agree but have seen on other cars just as bad, but my rear seatbelt doesn't flap, just more of a turbulance.

[PsYcHe]

Yup.. I had this in my '8s. Even worse I found if only a rear window was open.

The A7 doesn't seem to have the issue.

[Norretal]

Originally Posted by Audidothat

Whilst driving, if I want to have the drivers window by more than a qtr I have to also open the window behind otherwise I experience buffeting like no other 4 door saloon car I have owned before. Anyone else experience the same.

Trouble is, doing so then makes the rear seatbelt slap against the seat!!!!

Must be the shape of the car and perhaps a wide B pillar?

Just a couple of owner observations!

My D3 is terrible with the drivers window down, much worse than the D2 ever was.........those curved lines come at a price

[Audidothat]

Originally Posted by Norretal

My D3 is terrible with the drivers window down, much worse than the D2 ever was.........those curved lines come at a price

Yes, currently at £1:20 a litre X 80 litres X 2 times a week, LOL!

[1781cc]

Originally Posted by Audidothat

Yes, currently at £1:20 a litre X 80 litres X 2 times a week, LOL!

that'll be the engine not the windows!

[moltuae]

Originally Posted by 1781cc

that'll be the engine not the windows!

I used to own one of the most aerodynamic production cars ever made, the Citroen XM (with a drag coefficient of 0.28). You could open the driver's window fully in that car at 80mph and get very little buffeting or wind in your face. Of course, being French, there was a good chance the window mechanism would break at any time, so it was always a gamble whether the window would come back up!

While the XM was very aerodynamic though, I'm not sure that had much to do with it. I think it was more of a design thing .... it had front quarter glass/'lights' which seemed to prevent the air from rushing in.

[ainarssems]

What a strange concept - driving with window open

[Audidothat]

Originally Posted by moltuae

I used to own one of the most aerodynamic production cars ever made, the Citroen XM (with a drag coefficient of 0.28). You could open the driver's window fully in that car at 80mph and get very little buffeting or wind in your face. Of course, being French, there was a good chance the window mechanism would break at any time, so it was always a gamble whether the window would come back up!

While the XM was very aerodynamic though, I'm not sure that had much to do with it. I think it was more of a design thing .... it had front quarter glass/'lights' which seemed to prevent the air from rushing in.

I remember going on a road trip in a .....Vauxhall Calibra.....which was like that, very little wind intrusion into the cabin at speed, not quite sure why that has stuck with me! LOL

It was the 4x4 version, ok but not as nice as the Audi Coupe Quattro 20v I owned at the time!