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There is no single settled ranking of the world’s most aerodynamic cars: record cars, production models and concepts are often compared using different evidence. Among the figures available, Volkswagen’s 2026 Mission Efficiency concept has the lowest cited drag coefficient, at 0.158, while Lucid reports 0.197 for specified 2025 Air trims. Those numbers do not by themselves establish which car has the least total aerodynamic resistance or the best real-world range.
What a drag coefficient tells you—and what it leaves out
A car’s drag coefficient, or Cd, is a dimensionless measure of aerodynamic drag relative to a reference area. A lower Cd indicates a more aerodynamically efficient shape under the relevant measurement conditions, but it is not a complete measure of the force resisting the car’s motion. Frontal area also matters: a larger car can have more total aerodynamic resistance than a smaller one with a higher Cd. A useful comparison therefore needs the coefficient and, where available, frontal area or drag area, as well as the vehicle’s category and configuration.
That distinction matters especially when comparing a purpose-built record machine with a road car or a concept. Manufacturer figures are useful, but they should be treated as claims for the named vehicle and configuration—not as results from one consistent test of every car ever built.
Historical streamliners: two Mercedes-Benz cars, two different jobs
W 125 record car
Mercedes-Benz describes the W 125 record car as a purpose-built machine with a body prepared in a wind tunnel. On 28 January 1938, Rudolf Caracciola reached 432.7 km/h on the A5 between Darmstadt and Frankfurt during a public-road record run, according to the company’s historical account. Mercedes-Benz’s 2025 overview gives the W 125 a Cd of 0.17, while its historical account gives the record version a specific value of 0.16. These are differing manufacturer-reported figures; the sources do not establish that they refer to precisely the same configuration, so they should not be silently merged. Mercedes-Benz Group: 1938 record drive; Mercedes-Benz Group: aerodynamics overview.
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540 K Streamliner
The 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540 K Streamliner is a separate vehicle, not another name for the W 125 record car. Mercedes-Benz reports a Cd of 0.36 for the 540 K Streamliner and describes its flowing aluminium body, low silhouette and clad underbody as elements of its aerodynamic design. Its figure is substantially higher than the W 125’s reported values, but the difference should not be read as a direct measure of total drag: comparable frontal-area figures are not provided here, and the cars had different purposes. Mercedes-Benz Group: 540 K Streamliner.
Production cars with very low reported Cd
Production-car figures offer a more relevant comparison for shoppers, but specifications still vary by model year, market, trim and wheels. The figures below are manufacturer-reported, not a common independent test ranking.
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| Vehicle | Reported Cd | Category and qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz W124 | 0.29 | Mercedes-Benz’s 2025 overview describes it as the first production car to fall below 0.30. |
| Mercedes-Benz CLA | 0.22 | Mercedes-Benz reports this for the CLA introduced in 2013. |
| Mercedes-Benz EQS | As low as 0.20 | Manufacturer claim in the 2021 model-launch source; the cited figure is not specified here by wheel or variant. |
| Lucid Air Pure, Touring and Grand Touring | 0.197 | Lucid’s 2025 specifications list this with 19-inch wheels. |
| Tesla Model S | 0.23 on current Ireland/UK pages; 0.208 on the Netherlands page | Tesla’s regional specification pages differ. The values should be understood in their respective market and page context, not treated as one universal figure. |
Sources: Mercedes-Benz Group’s 2025 aerodynamics overview; Mercedes-Benz EQS model-launch information; Lucid Air Pure 2025 specifications, Touring 2025 specifications and Grand Touring 2025 specifications; Tesla’s Ireland, UK and Netherlands Model S pages.
The lowest cited figure belongs to a concept, not a production car
Volkswagen reports a Cd of 0.158 and a frontal area of 2.08 m² for its 2026 Mission Efficiency concept. The combination is more informative than Cd alone, but it still does not provide a like-for-like independent comparison with the road cars above. Mission Efficiency is a concept, not a series-production model.
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Volkswagen describes a long teardrop profile, tapered rear, closed rear wheels, active cooling flaps and clad underbody as aerodynamic features. Those details illustrate how far a design can be shaped around reducing air resistance, but the concept’s coefficient should not be presented as a production-car specification. Volkswagen: Mission Efficiency concept.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Does a lower Cd mean more driving range?
Reducing aerodynamic drag can help efficiency, particularly during sustained higher-speed driving, but Cd alone cannot predict an individual vehicle’s range. Frontal area, speed, weather, tires, vehicle load and powertrain efficiency also affect energy use.
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Mercedes-Benz estimates that a 0.01 reduction in Cd increases long-distance range by about 2.5 percent. Its 2025 overview illustrates that estimate using annual mileage of 15,000 km and claims 375 km of additional distance in that example. This is the manufacturer’s estimate, not a universal result or a guarantee for every car and driving pattern. Mercedes-Benz Group: aerodynamics overview.
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