The Real P5 ?

[Ekh]

We have all seen the P5 pictures that came from the announcement, but while we discussed the ability to get straight news from the Shreveport Times, this picture appeared on the Elio Motors Facebook page almost unnoticed.

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Take a good look at what you see and don't see...........
What looks like fully shrouded openings by the front wheels..........
The modified left side rocker panel to hide the exhaust before it exits..........
The carefully detailed Elio emblem but no pins on the hood.........
Compare it to some of the early CAD drawings of the P5.........

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Looks like the upper picture is a lot more refined than this earlier version.......

Is the smoked glass standard?

 

[Ekh]

Good call, William. It does look like a newer revision.

The widened rocker to run the exhaust down the right side makes a lot of sense; I wasn't sure how they were going to stuff the pipe under the chassis.

And the exhaust pipe will keep your coffee warm, too! All that heat has to go somewhere.

 

[Ekh]

At the LA invitation only event, I asked Paul Elio about the absence of hood latches and he indicated the cad drawing was not fully detailed. I googled images of the P5 and they show a raised area in the rocker panel area for the exhaust but nothing as significant as this drawing. Is the exhaust pipe fully enclosed building up heat? I preferred the clean lines of the P4, but maybe that is not realistic.

Certainly this is the first time the front suspension is shown enclosed. I don't think I like it. I, being a gearhead, like the appearance of the suspension parts. I think coil-over-shocks would look good. I think diagonally placed would look even better. All this is done in the name of mileage. At my age I want to enjoy the life I have left by having a good sporty looking vehicle. The h*ll with sensible mileage. Being happy is more important to me.

I feel your pain, but it's about 84 mpg

 

[WilliamH]

Is the smoked glass standard?

Don't know about that, but I definitely plan to have all of my side windows tinted. This time of year it is seldom below mid-90s during mid-day where I live.

 

[Critter]

Don't know about that, but I definitely plan to have all of my side windows tinted. This time of year it is seldom below mid-90s during mid-day where I live.

Also why I choose theWhite color. May not be the best looking, but cooler in the summer.

 

[Ekh]

Good call, William. It does look like a newer revision.

The widened rocker to run the exhaust down the right side makes a lot of sense; I wasn't sure how they were going to stuff the pipe under the chassis. They may also need to mostly enclose the underside for aerodynamics/economy and that would make sticking the pipe underneath hard. Shrouding the suspension openings is also a good idea aerodynamically.

I think you guys are right, and that the side-mounted (not just side-exiting) exhaust implies an underbody tray -- which will be good for economy, protection of the car, AND for sound reduction. $30 or so well-spent by Elio, IMO

 

[Neal]

Good call, William. It does look like a newer revision.

The widened rocker to run the exhaust down the right side makes a lot of sense; I wasn't sure how they were going to stuff the pipe under the chassis. They may also need to mostly enclose the underside for aerodynamics/economy and that would make sticking the pipe underneath hard. Shrouding the suspension openings is also a good idea aerodynamically.

This was my thought as well. They have stated that they have already achieved 81MPG and are trying very hard to get to the 84. Tweaks like this are probably attempts to make it just a tad more aerodynamic to get those extra few MPGs

 

[Reid3400]

Insetting the side windows and the side panels is not a good aerodynamic move. Neither is making a sharp break at the windshield pillar.

 

[Jeff Porter]

We have all seen the P5 pictures that came from the announcement, but while we discussed the ability to get straight news from the Shreveport Times, this picture appeared on the Elio Motors Facebook page almost unnoticed.

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Good points and great discussion William. I agree with MSmith5150, we probably shouldn't put too much speculation into these early drawings.

I'll attach the picture of the P4 that I took in late July, and while things will change with the P5, I haven't seen/heard of any changes for the connections of the wheel to the body, someone fill us in if you've heard of any changes.

A cover fitting over the various rods would indeed be quite an engineering feat. Maybe it can be done as the above picture shows, I dunno...

 

[Gas-Powered Awesome]

And the exhaust pipe will keep your coffee warm, too! All that heat has to go somewhere.

Not sure how. It appears to be entirely outside the body in a shell running down the side of the vehicle.

If you have a car made in the last 10-15 years, the exhaust pipe from the much higher-horsepower engine likely runs directly under your cup holders now. Have you noticed excessive heat there?

Insetting the side windows and the side panels is not a good aerodynamic move. Neither is making a sharp break at the windshield pillar.

I'm not going to second-guess Elio's engineers since they know more about what works aerodynamically than I do. Do you know more than they do?