Aerodynamic Drag Coefficient for 99-03 Protege

Teamer

Member
Does anyone know the drag coefficient for the 3rd Gen Protege?

I was looking but could not find it.

Perhaps someone has a sales brochure that has it in the specs section (in the back).

I am trying to lower the drag by adding spoilers, belly pans, etc to reduce drag and increase fuel economy.

And yes, I've already replaced the spark plugs, air filter, pumped the tires to increase fuel economy.

Thanks!
Teamer
 
Would be an interesting tidbit of information to know but honestly it's not that simple. Without going into details the car's overall drag is a function of it's velocity to an extent so it's coefficient would change depending on its speed. Now the parasite (skin friction, etc.) drag is solely a function of the car's structure, aerodynamics, etc. I can say for a fact that adding any spoiler will only increase drag. Simply put, more surface area equals more drag. Belly pans are an interesting idea - I've never heard of anyone doing this on a Protege but theoretically it would work because there would technically be less surface area for air to come in contact with. Honestly though, I really don't think it's going to make a big difference overall.

On another note I really want to take the P5 into a wind tunnel but I'm sure Langley, VT, etc. won't let me :(
 
Hmm, it keeps saying you have to log in. I'm not a member there so... Either way, interesting information; I wonder how they came up with that. But wow, 0.3 is rediculously high by aircraft standards.
 
You should really register on that site- I think it's free for that level of access. Lots of good info on the BJ series. LOTS of good technical info.
 
Hmm, it keeps saying you have to log in. I'm not a member there so... Either way, interesting information; I wonder how they came up with that. But wow, 0.3 is rediculously high by aircraft standards.

the protege is a far cry from an aircraft.

and, the drag coefficient is a constant, whereas total drag is dependent on velocity, frontal area, and the drag coefficient. (among a few other things)

to the original poster: good luck in trying to effectively reduce the drag of your your car in an attempt to increase your fuel economy. a few thing you car try is adding a modest chin spoiler (to lower the front bumper closer to the ground) with a couple of "turbulators" added to the underside of it to decrease the under car drag. remove your side mirrors, install skinnier tires, lighter weight wheels, remove any 'unnecessary' weight from the vehicle.

what you might do, is look at the changes honda made between the regular honda civic and the hybrid civic, which are some of the thing i mentioned above.

i should also tell you that while your intentions are good, you'll see your best improvments in fuel ecomony by changing out your right foot for one that weighs considerably less than the one you have.
 
Hmm, it keeps saying you have to log in. I'm not a member there so... Either way, interesting information; I wonder how they came up with that. But wow, 0.3 is rediculously high by aircraft standards.

It's not a plane... You could expect that..

A Plane does not have a radiator..., Mirrors..., Rims..., Wipers...,
 
No real gain by changing aero - it is pretty good already. Especially at reasonable hwy speeds (less than 100MPH).

No aero change would be as effective on MPG than.... slowing down. Drive the minimum safe speed for conditions.

The only aero change i could recommend would be to lower it. Or do the roof 'thingys'* like a Mitsu Evo. Pans add weight and the underside is pretty clean now. No way would the cost of a custom pan pay for itself in fuel savings...

*Vortex generators and very effective for an auto application to reduce vacuum at the rear window.
 
Obviously the Protege is not a plane! I was just making a comment, geez. I'm just used to seeing total drag coefficients of like 0.02 etc that's all. Yes, I know there are many types of drag - I just didn't want to go into the various types like skin friction, pressure, induced, and wave (LOL, not like a Protege will ever encounter this) drag! I suppose the drag coefficient being referred to here is C_D0 in which case is mostly a function of the car's size/shape/structure/weight.

EDIT: I just realized I said the total drag and drag coefficient change with speed in the same sentence above. I must have been on crack yesterday (or just a long day at work) because obviously I didn't mean to say the drag coefficient changes with velocity (silly)
 
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0.32 is actually not bad for a cheap car... newer expensive cars only can strive for 0.28 or less... back when the 3rd gen rx7 came out it had 0.32 too... so it's still pretty respectable
 
I'm pretty sure the base model (non Mazdaspeed) without skirts and wing and etcetera is around 0.29.... (the Ford version is quoted at that) that's thanks to a clean body and some pretty small wing mirrors.

The be-winged "sports" versions, the MP3 and Mazdaspeed Protege hover between 0.32 and 0.33 due to the extra body kit.

You want extra fuel economy from drag reduction? Try to make a flat underbody panel for your engine bay, and a tunnel for your bumper that keeps air from building up inside the bumper. You could cut slots in the bumper, but it'd look ridiculous... :D
 
If you go onto those extreme gas saver forums, they actually recommend adding body kits- like side skirts and front lips to keep air from going under the car. But I think when they suggest these, they are talking about extreme body kits that extend almost all the way to the ground.
 
Body kits only work if they are wind-tunnel designed and scrape the ground. Such kits would be shaved off by road obstacles in a week on a daily driver.

Most common fiberglass kits do nothing but add weight and drag. They're ornate, have flaps, vents and all manner of turbulence-inducing addenda. A smooth body saves fuel. If it didn't, the Prius would be sporting one b*tchin' set of skirts... :lol:

You can try various smaller aerodynamic devices. Vortex generators (work on trucks, but on cars, it's a big ???), underbody flaps (in front of the wheels, to push air away from the wheel-wells, which act as big parachutes) and plates to block off the rear bumper area all help to some extent.

You can use Vortex Generators at any edge that will affect airflow over the rest of the body... the wing mirrors, the corner at the headlights, etcetera... you can check to see their effect by taping small streamers (or whatever they're called) to the side of the car and observing how wind flows over it at speed both with and without the vortex generators. The rear edge of the roof is also a good place to work at... Mitsubishi placed the Evo's generators here to guide air down to the wing, you're doing it to push air away from the trunk.

As for underbody work, you might need a pressure meter to check it... or you could do the mythbuster thing and build a fuel-flow meter to check how your modifications are affecting your gas consumption at constant throttle and speed. One surprising result of that Mythbusters episode was the effect of a net on a pick-ups fuel economy... having an open bed and a net on a common single cab was actually more effective than having a cab cover. I suppose it has to do with vortex generation and flow, but then, whatever works, works.
 
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