Looks can be deceiving, especially when you’re talking about late-model trucks. With each successive update, trucks have gotten bigger, bolder, and chunkier. At first glance, it would seem that the trucks are also getting less aerodynamic. Visually, the 2015 Ford F-150 is much blockier and sharper-edged than its more rounded 2014 predecessor, but thanks to some clever computer modeling and wind tunnel testing, the new F-150 is actually the sleekest yet.
Among some of the methods and techniques Ford engineers used to decrease the new F-150’s drag coefficient are strategic sculpting of the grille and frontal area. Although the 2015 F-150’s grille is undeniably vertical, stylists and engineers were able to taper and angle the outer edges to decrease drag. Other details employed to help the truck slip through the air are a flush-mounted windshield, a tailgate design that acts like a spoiler to reduce turbulence behind the cab and bed, and the bed’s outer fenders being narrower than the cab, with a trim piece between the cab and the box to prevent air getting trapped between the two. Even the taillights were designed to allow a clean air “break.” While the new F-150 may be one of the boldest-looking yet, it’s also the most technologically sophisticated to date, and that includes the intense work that went into its styling and aerodynamics.
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