Body Kits, Aerodynamics and MGP
 

One of the rationalizations I used with my wife for getting my 2000 Boxster was that I needed a car to make the run from Virginia to Florida (1,500 miles round trip) to help take care of my mom who lives down south. We only have one other car a Subaru Forester and if I did not act fast on my Boxster purchase two months ago I would be making the trip in a Toyota Camray!

Anyway, I have made the trip twice in the last two months (thats 3K already). Because I dont have that much time for the visits, I drive straight through, takes me about 12 hours one-way. On one of those trips I went through a tank of gas with steady driving on 95 South. I kept my speed pretty consistantly at 75 mph and had the top down even though it was hot in the mid 90's. I was very pleased that I got 29.7 mpg on that tank of gas.

Anyway, this is my question, do any of the body kits do anything to help the aerodynamics enough to improve milage on those long distance runs? I suspect the best thing I could do to improve aerodynamics is to put the top up, but I cannt seem to make myself put the top up when the sun is out. Also, has anyone compared the milage they get on long trips with the top up and down.

Ed

2000 2.7L Arctic Silver/Black
50K
Intake, Chip, Exhaust

Actually, I have been monitoring this quite closely because I am absolutely amazed at how fuel efficient the Box is on the highway. Here are the numbers I came up with:

Top Up: 75 mph = 28.0
Top Up: 95 mph = 29.4

I know some of you are raising your eybrows....I live in the desert. The roads are deserted. Anyway, up to 100mph with the top up the gas mileage actually goes up. No wind condition of course.

Top Down: 75 mph = 26.5
Top Down: 95 mph = 25.0

No explanation needed.

I do not have any aerokits so I can't answer that question.

How about Top Down: 145 mph?

I tried that on the track and it won't go that fast with the top down. First of all, it you are not smart enough to take the windstop out you will break the brackets (I wasn't smart enough). Secondly, the top speed on a straight box is around 159 I think...I barely got to 150 mph. I actually looked at the gas mileage at 150 and it was down around 12 mpg. This is all based on a straight 987.

That's great MPG's Rail26 and Edevlin! I am only getting about 25 MPG with top down driving on the highway. I don't do much top up driving.

I wish I could get 28-30.

Maybe that's the result of the 19" wheels and 3.2 engine. I was thinking that my mileage would improve after 5,000 miles...but I have not seen it yet.

Oh well, I did not buy the car for good gas mileage anyway. And it beats the crap out of my 2005 Explorer 4X4, which is the daily driver (with company expensed gas!!).

141 top down on the way to san diego and the wind deflector stayed on :)