Curves of steel: Sleek, slick and aerodynamic

Phoenix Art Museum's exhibit explores the influence of streamlining and aerodynamics on car design throughout the 20th century. Exhibit to run April 1 to June 3, 2007.

By Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNNMoney.com staff writer

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1986 Oldsmobile Aerotech

The Oldsmobile Aerotech's 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine produced an astonishing 800 horsepower. In 1987, race driver A.J Foyt set two separate land speed records in two different versions of the Aerotech.

Built on a modified GM Indy Car chassis, the Aerotech was designed by Ed Welburn, now GM's global head of design. The Aerotech is less than 2 feet tall and rides less than an inch from the ground. The car's underbody includes a tunnel carved out to provide added downforce. Underbody sections can be adjusted to tweak the amount and placement of downforce.

GM produced three Aerotechs to prove the capabilities of the company's Quad4 engine. Two were short-tailed (ST) versions and one was long-tailed (LT), the one shown here.

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