© 2024 New Atlas
Automotive

DeltaWing shows latest evolution of its GT road car

By C.C. Weiss
October 05, 2015
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
View 5 Images
The DeltaWing street-legal GT concept makes a debut
This GT race car concept chassis serves as the foundation for the road car's architecture
DeltaWing's GT race car concept chassis
DeltaWing displayed its wares at the Petit Le Mans Powered by Mazda in Road Atlanta last week
The DeltaWing street-legal GT concept makes a debut
The GT was designed to offer better aerodynamics, lighter weight and up to 74 mpg highway
View gallery - 5 images

That said, the GT isn't about sexy, clean looks, anyway. That narrow front track and sharp front-end are aimed at increasing aerodynamics, cutting weight and boosting efficiency. Currently, the car has an estimated drag coefficient of 0.26, and DeltaWing earlier cited an independent engineering analysis in estimating 74 mpg highway and 57 mpg combined EPA ratings for a 138-hp 1.4-liter four cylinder-equipped, four-seat GT. For that kind of fuel economy, maybe you can forgive its strange look. Or maybe not.

DeltaWing isn't so much interested in selling cars at this point as it is in supplying its architecture to existing automakers to help meet the model year 2025 CAFE standard of 54.5 mpg. That means that the look of any production car will be finalized by the manufacturer, so there's hope for something much smoother than DeltaWing's in-house design.

The GT was designed to offer better aerodynamics, lighter weight and up to 74 mpg highway

That said, the GT isn't about sexy, clean looks, anyway. That narrow front track and sharp front-end are aimed at increasing aerodynamics, cutting weight and boosting efficiency. Currently, the car has an estimated drag coefficient of 0.26, and DeltaWing earlier cited an independent engineering analysis in estimating 74 mpg highway and 57 mpg combined EPA ratings for a 138-hp 1.4-liter four cylinder-equipped, four-seat GT. For that kind of fuel economy, maybe you can forgive its strange look. Or maybe not.

DeltaWing isn't so much interested in selling cars at this point as it is in supplying its architecture to existing automakers to help meet the model year 2025 CAFE standard of 54.5 mpg. That means that the look of any production car will be finalized by the manufacturer, so there's hope for something much smoother than DeltaWing's in-house design.

DeltaWing's platform is designed to accept transverse engine powertrains, all-electric drives and hybrid set-ups. DeltaWing envisions reducing gasoline vehicle emissions by 42 percent and adding range to electric, fuel cell and diesel-powered vehicles.

This GT race car concept chassis serves as the foundation for the road car's architecture

DeltaWing plans to begin testing its GT race car prototype and will incorporate results into the development of two- and four-passenger road car designs.

Source: DeltaWing

View gallery - 5 images
Automotive
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
C.C. Weiss
Chris joined the New Atlas team in 2011 and now serves as the automotive and campers editor, traveling extensively to gather the latest news on cars, outdoor sports gear and other innovations designed to help people experience and enjoy the greater world around them.
8 comments
andyfreeze
From an uninformed, untrained engineering type like me, its a fail. From its cd to its looks. Misses the mark. Its a drag racer in disguise. Its plain UGLY. I would think it would struggle on any high speed curve.Just on rudementary analysis of what has gone before, a narrow front track is not a recipy for great handling, notice how "trikes" havent really caught on but concepts like T-rex do it with ease. As for cd of 0.26, Its not really ground breaking. The Aptera just about nailed it.
Tom Lee Mullins
I think that is really nice.
Glen Jacobsen
1) It is beautiful as it sits. 2) As for handling and turns, it seems to do fairly well at Road Atlanta http://www.deltawingracing.com/ 3) Yes, those really are clean, sexy looks as shown....
jerryd
Bad article with little more than hype. 'That narrow front track and sharp front-end are aimed at increasing aerodynamics, cutting weight and boosting efficiency' There is little true in this. Aero wise the front should be wider and the back more narrow, more frontal area. Nor is .25cd very good. And because of the narrow front track the rear track has to be wider just where it needs to be smaller for aero. And leads to bad packaging, longer car, not less. I like different kind of cars and build, drive 3wh cars and the Deltawing is ok but not what they are hyping.
Ian Bruce
It looks like Dick Dastardly's daily driver. I didn't know Wacky Races was still a thing.
EH
The teardrop shape is the most aerodynamic, but you have to put the tail in the back. I think this thing actually has a better drag coefficient going backwards. Certainly the handing will be more stable.
Martin Hone
Details talk about a 4 -seater, but images are of a single seat. And with 138hp, why the massive, draggy tyres on the rear ?
DeltaWingTech
It is very common to conclude the design does not handle, and just as common to equate it to visually similar designs that have been unstable. The difference is three wheels vs. four wheels, and the DeltaWing design's rearward weight bias. Many cite trikes and the Reliant Robin as proof the concept doesn't work, but those are three-wheel configurations rather than four, and those designs have most of the weight at the front. The DeltaWing race car works on the idea of greatly reduced overall mass with 70 percent of the weight at the rear. With 70 percent of the weight over and behind the rear wheels, 70 percent of everything else -- contact patch and braking for example -- is at the rear. With the rear weight bias and a long front, the design is extremely stable. The DeltaWing race car has proved the design's efficiency, speed and handling on both high-speed road racing and tight city courses. The race team has faced durability challenges, but very few handling or performance issues. We believe we can apply what we are learning on the race track to road cars.
Most Viewed