I don’t know about anywhere else in the country, but here in CT, I paid $4.03 for a gallon of gas a few days ago. And by the time you read this post I’ll be filling up again for, if I’m lucky, $4.11. $4.11 a gallon!!
It’s partially my fault for driving the type of car I drive. But I can’t help it. I like driving a sports car. Just for the sheer enjoyment a sports car brings me, I’m willing to make a sacrifice…such as getting only 18 or 19 mpg’s. But with these gas prices, I wonder how much longer I can go without taking drastic measures.
Get rid of my car? No way! Not unless it’s to upgrade to something even faster and more aggressive..but that normally equals even worse gas mileage. I suppose I could look for something a little more efficient…but don’t even speak to me about a hybrid! I’m certainly not ready to go that route. But thanks to the MythBusters, there may be a solution!
Pictured above is what was a relatively pedestrian Ford Taurus. Until the MythBusters got hold of it that is. It then became, well, one hell of a drive!
The question was, could the effect dimples have on a golf ball be the same on an automobile? Leave it to the MythBusters to find out! And find out they did…That Ford Taurus pictured above, when coated in a smooth coat of clay, achieved a respectable 26 MPG. However, when golf ball dimples were carved into the outer layer of clay, that MPG rating certainly did change, increasing to 29 MPG! So all I have to do is get myself some clay, use a little bit of golf ball technology and BAM! I get to have all the exhilaration I normally have in my daily commute, and actually increase my gas mileage!
Of course, this episode does beg the question, when will we see the Titleist edition of a Buick? Or the Cadillac Taylor Made Series?
You can get a look at the segment of the MythBusters episode here.
Swing ’til you’re happy!
I was thinking about this the other day–damn mythbusters stole my idea! The dimples on a golf ball reduce the surface area which reduces the friction of air passing over it. Makes it more aerodynamic. There’s no reason why this wouldn’t work for a car.
I saw that show a couple of times, Chris… but there’s still room for improvement. They didn’t check out different dimple shapes, number or arrangement. Given the shape possibilities for cars (balls do need to be round, after all), it might be possible to use different combos on different cars to get even better mileage.
BTW, my ’99 Miata gets around 30 mpg. You just have the wrong sports car!
Golf ball at the last moment of our body moves just enough to keep the golf club to make good contact with the ball. Lost to follow with our hands and our golf ball flies off into the rough. We are there for seriously considering our club wrap around the trunk of a tree wondering what we are doing wrong. Ultimately, we could not try harder to hit our golf ball straight and far.