Yahoo Autos Volkswagen's most aerodynamic car is a record-breaking prototype made in 1980
The most aerodynamic car ever to wear a Volkswagen emblem on its nose isn't the newest Golf GTI or an ID-badged electric model. It's a forward-thinking prototype named Aerodynamic Research Volkswagen (ARVW) developed and built in 1980 in response to the oil shortages that rocked the global economy in the 1970s.
Volkswagen initiated the project because it wanted to learn more about aerodynamics and fuel efficiency. Starting with a blank slate, its engineers designed an aluminum frame and topped it with a body made from fiberglass and carbon in order to keep weight in check. The single-seater stretched 196 inches long, 43.3 inches wide, and 33 inches tall, dimensions that created a silhouette much closer to a race car's than to a Passat's.
Making the ARVW as sleek as possible required mounting the headlights behind Plexiglas covers. There were no mirrors — they would have created drag — but a pair of winglets sticking out from the front end and two big fins out back were added to keep the prototype steady and on four wheels at triple-digit speeds. Its low, elongated body boasted a drag coefficient of 0.15. To add context, the Porsche Taycan Turbo's drag coefficient checks in at 0.22.
