Designers and aerodynamicists worked closely together to develop a hatch back shaped vehicle, which sets a course for c(D) in its segment. The low height of the shoulder on the A-pillar accompanied by optimised A-pillar geometry also contributes to the good aerodynamics. Flow losses at the front wheel arches have been reduced substantially with the aid of innovative serrated wheel spoilers at front and rear - patent pending -, slots in the wheel arches and optimised wheel trims. These measures result in improved wind flow around the wheel arches. Equally comprehensive measures have been undertaken to design the underbody along aerodynamic lines. The main floor panel features extensive cladding up to the rear wheel arch, followed by additional cladding of the rear axle. The rear silencer has also undergone aerodynamic optimisation. Only by having a deep understanding of the air flow at a certain area at the vehicle, each single part could be optimised in detail. For this nowadays intensive CFD-work is indispensable.
The New B-Class: Aerodynamic Challenges of the Mercedes-Benz front-wheel-drive architecture
2012
18 Seiten, 9 Bilder
Conference paper
English
The New Front Wheel Drive CVT AUTOTRONIC from Mercedes Benz
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2005
|First drive: 2007 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Automotive engineering | 2006
|First drive: 2005 Mercedes-Benz M-class
Automotive engineering | 2005
|First drive: 2010 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Automotive engineering | 2009
|