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Guide to Proportion in Vehicle Design
This view shows a basic “package” for a four-passenger vehicle. Your designs should be capable
of housing passengers of average proportions
within a safe and protective body envelope. Note
the steering position, extension of the legs and
the various dimensions of the overall package.
It is not necessary to capture all the measured
dynamics as shown here in this drawing, however, a good design will take these elements into
consideration.
The sports car proportions are very low overall
and tend to have longer wheelbases to support
a more sporty profile and emphasize the length
of the vehicle. The windshield leans back at a
steeper angle and the body cross sections tend
to be lower overall. Due to the typical high performance engines, fuel economy is often sacrificed
for speed and acceleration overall.
The wheel (which includes the tire) is a great tool
to understand the overall proportions of the car
you are designing. In this drawing the wheel is
used to show a very small wheelbase (the distance between the center of front and rear tires)
as well as the overall height of the car. This is
considered a Micro or Mini car, tall in height, but
short in overall length. Micro cars are fuel efficient, easy to park, but lack cargo and passenger
capacity. Short wheelbase cars will generally have
a stiffer ride.
The midsized car has a longer wheelbase and
can house four passengers comfortably. Midsized
cars are generally good average vehicles offering
stability for long drives, good cargo capacity, and
comfort. However, due to their heavier platform,
they are not as fuel efficient as smaller cars.