Aerodynamics is one of the biggest things car companies have to keep in mind for automotive design, speed, handling, and fuel efficiency.
For nearly 100 years, automotive engineers have thought to model cars so that they can cut through wind better.
Now, we have production cars with extremely low drag coefficients, road cars that can travel over 700 miles on a full tank, and race cars that can corner at over 200 MPH. It's likely none of these feats would be possible if it wasn't for the aerodynamic testing capabilities automotive manufacturers have access to today.
Good aerodynamics leads to great fuel mileage.
The better a car can cut through air, the less power will be needed to propel the car, which also leads to less fuel being used. Engineers refer to this resistance aerodynamic drag.
Though it's no longer in production, the VW XL-1 is capable of getting an insane 261 MPG primarily because of how drag-free it is.
Downforce is also a big reason behind aerodynamic testing.
Downforce is the force that keeps cars pushed to the ground allowing them to corner better. Body pieces like diffusers and spoilers are often used to create downforce.
More downforce being produced allows cars to corner at higher speeds.
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