Should Santa upgrade for some new wheels?

High levels of drag, poor turning circle and tough to accelerate – just three of the reasons why Santa’s sleigh has been redesigned.

Engineering student at the University of Central Lancashire have come up with an aerodynamic new design for Father Christmas’ transport.

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It’s estimated Santa’s round the world trip would be three hours quicker if the new pod-like sleigh was used.

First year mechanical engineering student Reuben Taylor said: “We’ve been working on our own ultra- efficient vehicle for next year’s Shell Eco-marathon, when we realised how inefficient Santa’s sleigh actually is.”

The UCLan team’s new sleigh design

Senior engineering lecturer Tony Broad said: “The first thing that stood out to us was the really high levels of drag. There’s a big area where turbulent air circles around the sleigh and recirculates behind it, and that makes it harder for him to move forward. Do you know how much Christmas Spirit he must waste each year?”

The new sleigh would have a carbon fibre body, aluminium runners and a very different shape to the traditional sleigh.

Blog Preston approached Santa for comment, but was informed he was too busy to respond due to the time of year.

What do you make of the sleigh? Should Santa upgrade? Let us know in the comments below