Prius' Curved Roof has a Name!

Hate to be a deflater BUT Mazda (and others before them) used it over 10 years ago. For example the 1993 RX-7.

Must be feeling negative today. Sooo...

World Class - ever traveled the world? MOST of it is pretty rough. So is "World Class" rough?

Yup, I think that term is the stupidest I've ever heard, and it's used often.

But thanks for that Tideland.

 

they didnt invent it either though.

These things are widely known, not often reproduced. The depressions in the roof are to excite what is known as vortilon flow, used to maintain a thinner boundary layer and adhesion over the aft part of the roof. Without that, the rear would be higher.

With a lower rear section and a lesser lower suction bubble is dragged behind. This effect continues in the wake the car leaves and is a modification to the principle invented by aerodynamicist Wunibald Kamm in the 1930's
http://homepage.mac.com/christopher.z/hobby/80-AMXitems/Information/production/KammbackStory.html

I note they dont mention that the headlights are shaped to distress the flow around the mirrors

 

The 1963 - 1971 Mercedes SL (230, 250 and 280 versions) is a prominent example of a car with an optional removable pagoda roof.
Mercedes-Benz W113 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

does it really matter who came up with it first? It's a fugly roof design given an equally fugly name "Pagoda"...doesn't even look like a freakin Pagoda!

 

Well said!!!!!

 

Function over form...
The only thing more stupid is having something on there that adds no function but is just for looks, like a spoiler!
I think the pagoda roof is a thing of beauty. Perhaps you have to have some education in engineering to realise it.

 

I have a friend who purchased a Kia Rio...with a spoiler on the trunk.

It was hillarious.

However, function did apply itself, as it quickly became the trunk protection and opening and closing lever.

By the way, the spoiler was sold "from the dealer-new", I couldn't believe KIA would even offer a spoiler on a RIO.

Also, if you read the fine print, it says it's called "Pagoda Roof" named after Myanmar Towers-and is the indented shape that reduces the visual frontal profile of the vehicle. If that is the case? There are a LOT of Pagoda roofs out there...

 

I quite like the roof, but I'm not so keen on the name. I guess 'double bubble' was taken.

The earliest 'roof bump' I remember - not that it was the first, by any means - was added to a racing car in the sixties to accommodate a particularly tall driver. I think it was Dan Gurney driving the GT40 at LeMans, but I could be wrong.

 

Yeah, but technically if the Pagoda names refers to an indentation? Then the they aren't refering to the aerodynamic curve...they are refering to an indentation.

If you read the notes at the bottom, it says the Pagoda Roof is called the Pagoda Roof because of indentation..not curvature...

So if that is the case, I'm not convinced it's correct to say The Prius has a Pagoda Roof.

 

I don't need a lesson in engineering to see that the prius roof design looks like they consulted with Jerry's Kids and possibly Corkie

 

the curve with indentations is an aerodynamic feature

there is no other major reason for the indentations to exist other than reason aerodynamic, same needs to be said of the curve, and the kamm back. They are a composite solution to reducing drag while maintaining a form that is 'usable' within its volume.

the term 'roof' is often applied to aerofoils, as in laminar rooftop, and features such as these indentations, their cause and effect, have been recognised for decades.

Mostly first researched in wing intersects where wing panels join at different angles, such aircraft examples as Stuka dive bombers and Vought Corsairs, but I do recall aero research in the late 80's that discussed using the features on Gen II cars that was published pretty widely in magazines such as Car & Driver, Fast Lane etc ...

 

0.27 Cd is impressively low.