Turning A Car Into A Golf Ball For Improved Fuel Economy… Say What?

According to aftermarket company Fastskinz, a vehicle’s fuel economy can be improved by transforming it into a big, oddly-shaped golf ball.

Operating on the premise that in the same way a golf ball’s dimpled surface improves its aerodynamic efficiency, a perforated vinyl layer applied to a vehicle will reduce wind resistance and similarly improve its aerodynamics. Fastskinz claims its perforated vinyl wrap will improve fuel economy by up to 20 percent.

But is there a smell of snake oil about this?

US magazine Popular Mechanics took up the challenge of testing the Fastskinz product using two identical 2009 Ford Flexes - one wrapped, one not - and unsurprisingly, the results were near identical. No real improvement in fuel economy, nothing to see here.

Surprising, really, that the PM lads didn’t use a Golf for their tests…

[via Popular Mechanics]