Stock cars don't have
doors; in fact, they aren't exactly built like cars. Believe it or not, the
entire frame of a stock car is one big roll cage. Aside from protecting the
driver in case the car begins tumbling, the roll cage is built to withstand
high-speed impact. Due to its enveloping design, the stock car had to do away
with conventional access.
Some fans believe a
door doesn't serve any significant purpose in stock car racing. In fact, a
car door may come off during the race, putting the safety of other racers at
risk. Coupes, however, aren't racecars but normally limit the number of doors
to a pair, as opposed to the sedan's two pairs. Is it aerodynamics at work?
When two Toyota
AE85/86 variants— one two-door and one hatchback— were compared, it was found
out that the hatchback was more aerodynamic. The three-door variant's drag
coefficient was at 0.35, 0.02 points lower than the two-door one. Neither
variant provided more elbow room than the other.
The two-door design
may have stemmed from the coupe's smaller size. With normally less than 33
cubic feet, there may not be enough room to fit extra doors. However,
manufacturers have broken this convention by designing "two-door
sedans," with an interior volume of more than 33 cubic feet. More or less,
they're just the same.
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