Service flap Aesthetics and aerodynamics

JHB

Member
Greece
Hi everybody. I have a TDI90 with the later fake grille style service flap, and to be honest I prefer the look of the earlier smooth flap. It was a bit funky and innovative. Whereas the later one looks like a standard radiator grille (a fake one to boot) I then thought about the aerodynamics, surely the earlier flap with its smooth shiny surface is much better than the later one where the grille must cause all sorts of turbulent air at the front of the car. At the design stage Audi when to incredible lengths to optimise airflow, so why did they change the service flap on later cars? I'm sure many of you won't agree with me, but I'd love to here your opinions
 
Personal preference on that one I'm afraid. Certain colours suit the slatted flap and others the plain flap. Aerodynamically probably very little difference. Pretty much the same between the two wiper arm styles.
My Azure Blue with votex kit looks a lot better with the slatted flap.

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Personal preference on that one I'm afraid. Certain colours suit the slatted flap and others the plain flap. Aerodynamically probably very little difference. Pretty much the same between the two wiper arm styles.
My Azure Blue with votex kit looks a lot better with the slatted flap.

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Graham,

You’ve got to stop flaunting pictures of your stunning Azure Blue A2 with Votex.

I’m going to have to inform the other driver in the house that we can no longer afford the new bath as I’m having my Votex kit painted.

I must agree that the slatted flat looks really good on there. Currently have the smooth type but may we’ll go for the swap!

Kind regards,

Tom
 
Also think the chrome trim around the windows suits.

Tom as you know the flaps are interchangeable. The only difference is the direction the bolts are fitted. If the slatted ones were indeed slats then you could argue to fit those for the summer and the flat smooth one for the winter. As the service flap and the wiper arm were the only facelift items shows just how good the design stood up and were probably only needed to keep the "family look" for later Audis.


Add to my earlier post about the car colours.. I think silver and black look better with the smooth flap and all Colour Storms look better with the slatted flap.
 
Defintely agree on the slatted flap for the Storms ?
You can add the other light colours to the list for the smooth flap in my opinion - Crystal Blue, Island Green etc.
 
As the service flap and the wiper arm were the only facelift items shows just how good the design stood up and were probably only needed to keep the "family look" for later Audis.
I can add that also the washer jets were changed around 2003
 
I think even the Crystal Blue looks best with the slats, but I like the ‘purist’ approach of the smooth flap as an original design philosophy
 

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At the design stage Audi when to incredible lengths to optimise airflow, so why did they change the service flap on later cars?
Audi were very disappointed by the slow sales of the A2. What they thought would be a big hit was not a commercial success at all. There are various reasons for this, including the price and the fact that Audi didn't advertise the A2's aluminium body enough. Audi were also concerned that the A2's avant-garde aesthetics were part of the problem. So, without going to the expense of a full facelift, Audi decided to try to make the A2 look a little more 'normal' by just changing the service flap. The replacement 'fake slats' were supposed to make the A2 look like a bit more like every other car on the road at the time. I don't believe the change had any great effect on sales.

surely the earlier flap with its smooth shiny surface is much better than the later one where the grille must cause all sorts of turbulent air at the front of the car.
You'd imagine so, but it actually makes no difference. Cars like the A2, with a large, rounded front, don't actually 'path cut' through the air in front of them as you might imagine. Instead, they push along a static cushion of air that sits against the nose of the car. It is this static cushion of air that does the 'path cutting'. Consequently, there isn't much air flowing over the service flap, meaning the fake slats don't create drag.

...to be honest I prefer the look of the earlier smooth flap. ... but I'd love to here your opinions
I am 100% with you. The original smooth service flap is, to my mind, by far the nicer option. It's how the A2 was meant to be. The avant-garde, minimalist, ultra-modern, Bauhaus-esque appearance is, to my eye, greatly compromised by the 'fake slats' look. Although there are many beautiful A2s with the slatted front grille, they could all, in my opinion, be improved by being returned to the aesthetic that the designers originally intended.

Cheers,

Tom
 
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