Fancy Metro (Mirage #1) :: 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage SE (Garage entry)

[Eggman]

Hey MetroMPG do you think you'll cover the undercarriage?

[MetroMPG]

Yes, AND the overcarriage!

The Mirage is actually going to be relatively easy to do more underbody streamlining because the existing plastic aero panels and the plastic rocker skirts can serve as mounting points. I don't like drilling into metal to do mods -- that's just an invitation for rust.

[MetroMPG]

FYI, I never got a response from my e-mail to the original owner. That said, I know it wasn't her primary e-mail address, so who knows how often it gets checked.

Last attempt: I'm going to send an actual snail mail letter.

[MetroMPG]

C.A.D. = Cardboard Aided Design

[Fummins]

Looks like someone needs a roll of duct tape for christmas!

[MetroMPG]

Tuck tape is the best!

I wish they made it in black.

[Fummins]

But grey would blend in. Red does give it the race car look.

[MetroMPG]

(Also note the high-quality seam tape job.

For people who bother to do grille blocking: seal around your lights! Some manufacturers (eg. Mercedes) make a point of sealing these areas with gaskets for improved aero.)



Another downside of the Mirage's Cadillac-soft suspension: you're gonna scrape your air dam on a lot more dips & bumps than on a car with same front clearance but firmer suspenders.

[Pryme]

How much mileage increases have you seen?

[MetroMPG]

I can't tell you exactly. All I can say is:

- So far each tank has been slightly better than the previous tank (I'm just about to do my 3rd measured fill-up). But that's influenced by weather & driving style too.

- The current tank will be my best yet, going by the trip odometer reading when the fuel gauge got down to the last bar. I have in place all the mods I tested here:

Thread: Mirage aero mods for better fuel economy: 4.5% improvement @ 90 km/h / 56 mph

^ But some of the above mods are more extensive this time, eg. deeper air dam; larger Kammback; both (instead of just 1) exterior mirrors replaced with inside-mounted convex mirrors.

- Plus there are additional mods not included in the above group: higher PSI; full wheel discs; rear wheel skirts; rocker skirts; radio antenna delete (relocated inside); ignition kill switch; resistive heater disabled; warm air intake.

So, definitely the gains are more than 4.5%. How much higher is anyone's guess without A-B-A testing, but I wouldn't expect much more than about 10% total.