Mercedes Benz SL Gets Carbon Fiber Diet For 2012
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What passes for light weight today is amazingly high, like the 2011 Mustang. If a car manages to be less than 3,000 pounds, it’s either down to size or amazingly engineered weight savings. But normal cars are now reaching more than two tons, which means some drastic changes need to be done.
Automobile has done some investigating and is reporting that Mercedes Benz is going to get their weight-loss plans rolling by offering the 2012 SLs with a large amount of carbon fiber composite parts. Toray Industries, a Japanese textile company, is the largest carbon fiber manufacturer in the world and will be Daimler’s partner in this endeavor.
The article does not have any details of which parts will be replaced with the material. They do point to the SLs rather heavy folding roof. Replacing these folding roof sections with carbon fiber could reduce the weight of the hydraulic system that raises or lowers the top. Another added benefit of the carbon fiber roof would lower the center of gravity and help increase the car’s handling characteristics.
There is no word on how much this weight reduction program will cost either, but Automobile predicts that it will cost more. Their assumptions have evidence with the current BMW M3. The Sedan version of the M3 weights 55 pounds more than the carbon-fiber-roofed coupe. The sedan is 3000 dollars cheaper than the coupe, however, and most people point to the roof as reason for it.
Carbon fiber continues to be one of the best ways to reduce weight and until production can increase, will probably remain one of the most expensive.
Follow the link below for the full article.
[Source: Automobile]
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