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Door staff@engadget.com (Mariella Moon) - 17 Oct 2026
Way back in 1970, American racing drivers Jim Hall and Hap Sharp entered the Can-Am Championship series with a car that looked like a box with wheels. It was called the Chaparral 2J, a prototype powered by modified 7.6-liter Chevrolet V8 engine. According to Revs Institute Automedia, the vehicle's suction technology started as the "Suspension Test Vehicle" project at Chevrolet, until Hall asked its developer Don Gates to join his team.
The Chaparral 2J's suction system had two fans adapted from a military tank engine. It had a "skirt" made from transparent polycarbonate sheets that created an enclosed area underneath the car. That allowed the fans to generate 1.25 g to 1.5 g of suction as the fans pulled in air from that enclosed space. To note, Tesla says the Roadster is capable of generating up to 2 gs of downforce.
Wikipedia
Then there was the Brabham BT46, also known as the "Fan Car," which was an F1 racing car designed by South African-British racer Gordon Murray for the 1978 season. It designers installed a fan on the vehicle and claimed it was mainly for cooling to satisfy F1 regulations, but they took inspiration from the Chaparral 2J and Tyrrell 008, another F1 car with a fan that ultimately didn't work out.
Specifically, the BT46 had a series of clutches that connected to a large single fan at the rear. It had skirts, just like the Chaparral 2J, that covered the gaps between the bottom of the car and the ground. This allowed the fan to extract air from beneath the car, creating a suction. In BT46's case, the faster the vehicle, the stronger the suction effect. The Brabham BT46 only raced once at the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix and won the event.
The Chaparral 2J's suction system had two fans adapted from a military tank engine. It had a "skirt" made from transparent polycarbonate sheets that created an enclosed area underneath the car. That allowed the fans to generate 1.25 g to 1.5 g of suction as the fans pulled in air from that enclosed space. To note, Tesla says the Roadster is capable of generating up to 2 gs of downforce.
Wikipedia
Then there was the Brabham BT46, also known as the "Fan Car," which was an F1 racing car designed by South African-British racer Gordon Murray for the 1978 season. It designers installed a fan on the vehicle and claimed it was mainly for cooling to satisfy F1 regulations, but they took inspiration from the Chaparral 2J and Tyrrell 008, another F1 car with a fan that ultimately didn't work out.
Specifically, the BT46 had a series of clutches that connected to a large single fan at the rear. It had skirts, just like the Chaparral 2J, that covered the gaps between the bottom of the car and the ground. This allowed the fan to extract air from beneath the car, creating a suction. In BT46's case, the faster the vehicle, the stronger the suction effect. The Brabham BT46 only raced once at the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix and won the event.