When designers meet engineers, the battle over a supercar can be more bloody than Braveheart. All great cars are a compromise between incredible looks and brutal performance. It comes down to bold managers to fight the bean counters so that we don’t have to drive boring cars. In the old days it was settled with fists. Louis Chevrolet jumped across the boardroom table and beat Albert Champion nearly to death. Henry Ford bought Lincoln from Henry Leland, and then literally had him and his desk tossed into the street. Thankfully, Colin Chapman never allowed problems to evolve that far. His brand carries on with the same tenacity as they finalize their first electric hypercar. So let’s look at the Lotus Evija design vs aerodynamics and how they benefit the driver.
Lotus Evija Test Laps Reveal Shocking Results
Trade secrets are heavily guarded, especially when it comes to aerodynamics. As this clip mentions, aerodynamic drag uses 90% of the battery’s power at high speeds. Therefore, the Evija has multiple moving surfaces above and below. But one word changed my perceptions of what they have accomplished. Instead of a buttress on the Ford GT or the air ducts of the Aventador SVJ, Lotus mentions their quarter-panels are Venturi ducts.
Perhaps a slip of the tongue, this one word could possibly change the hypercar industry. A Venturi is a constriction that speeds up airflow to accomplish work. It is how the SR-71 Blackbird has been the fastest plane for six decades. It is ironic that such an old principle could be put to work on such an advanced car, so this is probably the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what the Lotus Evija will have onboard.
