Car manufacturers rank among the most versatile due to the ever-evolving needs of motorists and their own need to become the best in the business.
The competition, often, is to produce the most reliable, efficient, fastest and aesthetically appealing car, depending on the category of the vehicle.
German manufacturer BMW introduced the shark fin in 2006 to their design models, which was later adopted by other players in the automobile industry.
Kenyans.co.ke researched the functions of the fin and came up with the following uses:
Radio antennae
The tail fin found on the hood of the vehicle is the radio antennae. As opposed to the straight lengthy rod mounted on the side of the driver's door, front or boot of cars, manufacturers opted for a shorter one.
Inside the fin, the metal wire that receives radio waves is coiled into a smaller size. This was to avoid the damage and frequency disruptions encounters with the swinging of the conventional aerial.
Signal receptors
Modern cars come with better features to improve driver experience. These include navigation tools such as GPS and Bluetooth connectivity.
The signal receptors are also enclosed in the aerodynamic fin and which is then mounted on the car. This offers stable and uninterrupted transmission of cellular data to and from satellites.
Reduce Air Drag
When a car moves at a high speed, the air flows along the surface of the car forming a vortex at the back of the car causing resistance.
While the level of resistance is very minimal, the shark fin reduces it by cutting it down before it forms. Experts claim that the fin can reduce fuel consumption by up to three per cent.
Aesthetics
The fin is part of the vehicle's design component. It is more aesthetically appealing than the swinging antennas initially mounted on cars.
It gives cars a sleek, sporty design. The fin can be purchased from a local car spare parts dealership and can be mounted with the help of an experienced mechanic.
