Underside - Interesting to me only?

[EB2429]

Hi

Perhaps its only me, but I find the underside of cars almost as interest as the painted parts. I was surprised to find the lack of alloy on the underside having noticed how light the car is compared to other cars in the same bracket and previous Golfs. I assumed it was due to front alloy subframe but it mainly due to techniques in the panel design and basic materials that are out of site. (battery cover etc). BMW all seem to have alloy front subframes but still tip the scales higher than the Golf.

Anyway I took a couple of shot of the underside and noticed the way they are trying to manipulate the airflow under the car. As you can see they have put the usual front airflow deflectors to move air around the very turbulent rotating wheel, they have also put a gap for airflow to the front caliper and discs which is a good feature. Also noticed along with the side splitters they have a front skirt set back and under the car but with a gap on one side. My guess is this is to aid cooling to something on the (UK) passenger side, is this for the Diff pump or???

Anyway i guess i will be alone in finding little underbody air flow manipulation interesting but though i would post anyway.

 

[bludragon06]

Its interesting to me as well. I don't have the car yet but still like to see different things they do to aid in cooling off the parts that get hot. You are not alone.

 

[gogolf1]

I don't like all those plastic parts/covers underside - they hardly protect anything but it is super easy to damage them.

 

[CurbKiller]

Those panels are not there to protect much like a skid plate but rather to do what the OP has stated, channel airflow.

I did however notice that at least on the German car configurator you are now able to order dedicated underbody skid plates! Must be handy in conjunction to the raised suspension one can order here.

 

[gogolf1]

Yes I understand but nevertheless I don't like it
(Maybe GTD needs those airflow channels, but I don't think it is necessary in case of tiny 1.4 122 TSI )

...And this new skid plate for golf is also made from plastic... it looks solid, but is is very thick 1,5-2 cm? Hope you don't loose on the skid plate what you gain thanks to the raised suspension. ;D

PS. in Poland we can't order raised suspension (rough road package), and this is completely illogical because you have much better roads than we do...

 

[Sandman GTI]

I like to look under cars as a measure of engineering details. You could tell what companies had engineers that cared about a total design of the car and not just the top side. Now due to milage more companies are paying attention to underside of car. Some are engineering improvements and some are just smooth plastic covers. I liked the Ford Fusion rear suspension as it is heavy gauge cast aluminum. I also like how the Vw R had a cast aluminum suspension compared to GTI. If I could make one change to GTI it would be to change suspension more like the R. Once I have my GTI one mod I would like to make is an upgraded aluminum oil pan with 1 liter more fluid and also has cooling fins that look good also. Thanks for bringing up topic. Post more pictures for discussion please!

 

[GeoBog]

Has anyone got a close-up picture of the GTI's oil pan? Is it true that it is made of plastic? I find that very risky especially with a car low as the GTI and also without a metallic skid plate to protect it. I have a metallic skid plate on my Megane and it has saved me in a lot of situations when I banged it on different obstacles.

Can a metallic skid plate be installed on the GTI?

 

[EB2429]

yes it I plastic, but this shouldn't be an issue, steel and alloy pans are soft too

 

[TheSwede]

Both GTI an R have plastic oil pan. See pic below:

http://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showpost.php?p=48001&postcount=5

As EB2429 says, can't be a problem....

/peter

 

[DainBramaged]

I think it's interesting too. They market the Golf as being fuel efficient across the range and reducing the drag under the car is great attention to detail as well as helping with consumption. In regards to the plastic...I've noticed that the induction manifold is also made from plastic. While it was a bit of surprise, all these new fancy compounds they have nowadays obviously seem to offer a great compromise of weight and strength. Also I don't think the under tray is meant to protect. Not long ago most cars had nothing on the underside, therefor had no protection and were fine (although the oil pan may have been reinforced). I'm guessing the increased use of plastic (calling it plastic is probably a bit of an injustice) is one of the may ways they have managed to make the Mk7 100KG lighter while having more tech.

Edit: My mistake. I knew my car had an under-tray so just presumed it also had the deflectors on it. Even if the cars lower down the range (like mine) just have an under-tray, it will still help with fuel economy as it stops the air rushing up into the engine bay and causing drag. A nice smooth bottom (hehe) will help loads with airflow even if it does have to deal with the turbulent air coming off the tyres.

 

[GeoBog]

As long as you don't hit a speed bump or any other obstacle. Then it becomes a problem. I'll get a metal skid plate when I'll find one.

 

[gogolf1]

^^
+1

 

[Gignomeus]

As long as you don't hit a speed bump or any other obstacle. Then it becomes a problem. I'll get a metal skid plate when I'll find one.

Protecting your Golf: a 4 step guide

1) Park in the recesses of car parks, as far away from other vehicles as possible.

2) Only perform food shopping etc at off peak times to avoid full car parks. (see above).

3) Identify all speed bumps within your city and devise routes that avoid the need to traverse them.

4) In the preservation of your Golf, lethal force is authorised

 

[EB2429]

Glad to see its not just me interested in the underside

The car in the 1st pics is a GTI + PP, will be interesting too see if they use the same parts throughout the range or absorb some cost and make them model specific. Will the Eco versions provide smoother under body panels and sacrifice the cooling of the brakes etc?

I like the engine undertrays these days(unless you drop something), but the engine undertray seems a pretty efficient design of allowing heat to exit the engine bay in a reasonably controlled manner. Its a better solution to air hitting all those odd shapes on the bottom of the engine and creating turbulance/lift. They can release/drag the air out via exit gaps after the undertray finishes and further flow air along the exhaust tunnel.

Like sandman and others say its interesting what manufacturers do underneath the car to improve airflow which for years was a very neglected area. The one thing that does let the car down, and it does bug me a little is the lack of any noticeable smooth panels behind the rear axle. The lower black trim panel, below the rear bumper doesn't do anything (why is it called a diffuser when it isn't?) and it would have been nice to see even a small element of design at the rear to reduce lift and lower the rear wake imo.

Will see if i can get any more pics up tomorrow

 

[gogolf1]

5) don't drive - just look