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The Aerocivic<\/a> apparently has a distant relative from Canada. Darin Cosgrove, founder of Ecomodder.com<\/a>, has added a boat tail to the back of his 1998 Pontiac Firefly (which is what the Geo Metro was called up north). According to Wired<\/a>, the modified bodywork was constructed from cardboard, aluminum and duct tape, and it joins a series of previous aero mods including rear wheel skirts and a bellypan.<\/p>\n Cosgrove estimates that his most recent modifications improve the Firefly hatchback’s coefficient of drag from 0.34 to 0.23. While the aerodynamic improvement is an estimate, the fuel mileage benefits are very real and have been calculated at 64 miles per gallon – a 15.1 percent improvement at 56 miles per hour (90 kmh).<\/p>\n So, it’s not exactly the most practical way to improve your fuel mileage – access to the rear hatch is, shall we say, limited, and the extra 4.5 feet at the aft end surely makes low-speed maneuvering a bit more difficult – but it does go to show how important aerodynamics are to overall fuel efficiency. Click here<\/a> for a full description of the modifications and click past the break<\/a> for a video.<\/p>\n [Source: Ecomodder.com<\/a> via Wired<\/a>]<\/p>\n Continue reading Enterprising DIYer adds boat tail to Pontiac Firefly to boost mileage<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Enterprising DIYer adds boat tail to Pontiac Firefly to boost mileage<\/a> originally appeared on Autoblog Green<\/a> on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds<\/a>.<\/p>\n Read<\/a> | Permalink<\/a> | Email this<\/a> | Comments<\/a> <\/p>\n Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/h6>\n