[bigred11]

As gas prices increases, I think the demand for hybrids will increase, however the insight as it looks now, is ugly, mainly due to the rear covering of the wheels.

I quickly photoshopped a "concept" of what honda could make... I apologize for the crappy quality as I finished them in 20 min.


http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f204/ ... ptcopy.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f204/ ... arcopy.jpg

Let me know what you think...

[Moderator edit] Please don't use all caps in the topic

 

[HafNHaf]

i think it looks good either way. more mainstream without the spats, but if i wanted mainstream i would have bought an accord.

 

[IamIan]

I love and prefer the Insight the way it looks now.

In fact if I had things my way I would have front wheel skirts have a solar cell covered body panels photelectric power glass for windows be plug in have a ~15 Mile EV only range.

But to each there own.

Most who want a convensional looking car will just get a civic or something.

 

[goat961]

some people have actually done that.

search "crx mod" and you should find a white insight w/o skirts.

cool looking, but kinda destroys the natural line of the car

 

[b1shmu63]

Reminds me of my CRX and another car, perhaps a Supra?

That said, an Insight without rear covers is like a Zebra without stripes...just another small horse.

I have always liked cars and aeroplanes with smooth flowing lines. The covers are functional, futuristic, and distinctive.

If I were going to change the style I'd throw on a couple of NACA ducts ahead of the rear wheels, put the radiator in the rear, improve the airflow at the front of the car, install a power moon roof with high efficiency solar panels, and put 3 louvered plates for solar panels in the rear glass.

 

[moses]

I only agree with you about 1000%

I love the looks of "your" car, and the white CRX/Insight mod. Maybe I'm closed-minded but I don't care if it would cost .1 mpg, I'd rather have the open rear wheels.

 

[jl47]

Hi,

There's more to it than just taking off the skirts. Having the air flow can also cool some brake/motor parts which if left open might now run hotter. It's my experience that the car was made exactly the way it was designed, and changing it will throw out of sync other things.

If you really wanted, you could make the rear panels out of clear plexiglass with a non-stick surface on the inside. SHouldn't be a difficult project.

 

[psuinsight]

I find the rear wheel well covers to be quite cool 8)
Gives the Insight a very futuristic retro look :lol:
The Honda salesman called it the George Jetson car
And the covers are integral to the smooth aerodynamics of the car.

 

[grnmachine]

The rear skirts were the main visual thing that attracted me to this car in the first place. That and the crazy green color! In my ongoing unscientific polling of those who stop me to chat about the car, 70% love the color, 30% hate it, no middle ground. The rear skirts are what make our cars so unique.

Anyone ever thought about going the opposite direction on this--putting skirts on the FRONT wheels??! Can you photoshop THAT?!

 

[boogetyboogety]

Front spats? Too Nash Metropolitan... :roll: The front wheels would have to be too far in for turns to happen... or the spats would have to bulge out :shock:

But my ongoing Flux Capacitor project would turn the wheels into levitators so the front end wheel openings could also be enclosed (just when I start to make progress on the FC, however, I invariably run out of adult beverages, and the next morning I have to start from scratch...)

 

[IamIan]

Front Spats / Wheel skirts / wheel covers... are on my long list for thing I eventually want to do with the Insight.

Yes They would have to come out a bit so as to not get in the way of the tires when turning and such...

I want to do it
1> I think it would put a bit more punch in the insights already punchy design...

2> Since also on my long list is to apply solar electric pannels to the body of the car the moe surface area I can get the better ... and the wheel skirts / pats / covers .... will give just a bit more

3> If done with a little care it shouldn't hurt the cd of the car and might actually help it.

But it is on my long list.... on my short list for now that I have MIMA and FAS ... next to work on the Grid Charging add on... but realisticly the soonest I could forsee me being ready to do that woudl be next year.

Oh well.... Fun to dream .. plan ... and watch the progress of others.

 

[Dougie]

I don't know about front spats, but a better underbody pan might be useful. When thinking about ways to improve the car, one thing to consider is the compromises that the engineers had to make to make it practical. For example, there is clearance around the tires for mud, snow, and even tire chains. But turbulence around the wheels is a significant contributor to drag.

So if you never drive in mud or snow, the clearance around the tires could be considerably less. A body pan mod that makes it fit tighter around the front wheels might make a measureable difference...

 

[Double-Trinity]

Front spats? Too Nash Metropolitan... Rolling Eyes The front wheels would have to be too far in for turns to happen... or the spats would have to bulge out Shock

One way they could do a front wheel-well cover would be to have the actual cover be spring-loaded, and attached with various hinges, so that it would be shut completely when driving straight. Push-rods attached to the steering mechanism could actully push the front, or the back of the cover outward depending on which way the wheel needs to turn, so that it always cleared the wheel.

However, the front-wheel well on most FWD cars is where the engine bay is ventilated, and brake heat might become a problem as well. This might be offset by using a spoked rim though, which should still come out ahead of a flat rim with an open wheel well far as drag is concerned. If you wanted to show off the wheels, the covers could be clear, or even tinted plexiglass.

 

[boogetyboogety]

One way they could do a front wheel-well cover would be to have the actual cover be spring-loaded, and attached with various hinges, so that it would be shut completely when driving straight.

Ingenious... I had not thought of that approach. Maybe even attached to the steering parts and wheels themselves, sort of like a cycle fender, or more specifically, half of one, facing outwards, covering the wheel and matching the body contours of the car... am I making any sense? I don't know about aesthetics, but as far as engineering it, of course it could be done.

You just brought back some nightmares for me, though, mentioning front drivers ventilating the engine bay out the wheel wells... back in the mid '60s I had an MG1100 (think Austin American, or Mini Cooper) with the radiator in the left wheel well... instead of in the front of the car where God himself intended it to be. Normally it worked, but any 90 MPH crusing that lasted longer than, oh, five minutes, would make the engine overheat, and I mean NOW. Between the positive ground system (!), the electrical gremlins, the overheating, and the other 2,386 little issues I had with the car, many was the day I nearly plunged a Phillips screwdriver in my eye rather than deal with the little bugger. But when it worked (both days), oh. it sure was a fun little car. I am soooooo grateful for Japanese reliability, nowadays even English cars are mostly reliable...

 

[b1shmu63]

Covering the front wheels would probably cause the engine yo run hotter which would not necessarily be bad. In the winter however the mechanism might freeze up and mess with the steering. The air from the engine area would now need to flow primarily under the car which would create undesirable lift at high speeds.