weight reduction
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A leaked dealer guide reveals important Mustang information.
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Coming Soon To A Car Near You: Plastic WindowsIf you wear glasses to correct your vision, chances are good you already know the benefits of polycarbonate lenses over glass ones. Not only are polycarbonate lenses significantly lighter, they’re also much more impact-resistant than glass. Polycarbonate windows have been used in racing cars...
Kurt Ernst -
World's First 'One-Piece' Carbon Fiber Wheels Now Available In U.S.
A few weeks back we told you about the revolutionary one-piece carbon fiber wheels developed by Australia’s Carbon Revolution. Built first for the Porsche 911, the 19x8.5 (front) and 19x12 (rear) wheels save some ten pounds of unsprung weight per corner, delivering noticeable gains in...
Kurt Ernst -
Lotus Helping Automakers Develop Lightweight Platforms
Lotus founder Colin Chapman was perhaps best known for his ability to “add lightness” to purpose-built race cars. Legend has it that Chapman would only stop removing bracing from a race car chassis when he approached (or sometimes exceeded) the point of structural failure. Lotus may not...
Kurt Ernst -
2013 Cadillac ATS: Why It's Lighter Than The BMW 3-Series
With a curb weight of less than 3,400 pounds, the 2013 Cadillac ATS is the lightest sport sedan in this class, and it has a perfect 50/50 weight balance.
Bengt Halvorson -
Aero Aluminum Alloy To Compete With Composites, Due In Cars?
Low weight is the golden goose of automotive technology. Everyone wants it because it brings about improvements in virtually all areas - performance, economy, handling - but engineering a car with lower weight than the one that preceeded it is difficult to do. Customers want safer, quieter and...
Antony Ingram -
As enthusiasts, we've all decried the incessant bulking-up of our favorite vehicles over the years. Adding the necessary safety and emissions equipment to meet regulatory requirements has led to a massive increase in the average weight of most cars over the past 30 years. But a new aluminum and foam sandwich material may help solve the problem. Consisting of ARPRO, a propylene-based foam, sandwiched between two thin sheets of aluminum, the material is light yet also strong due to its three-ply construction. It's also cheaper than carbon fiber and can be completely recycled. Sounds like the...
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Porsche's $1,700 Starter Battery Option For Boxster Spyder, 911 GT3
Perhaps only Porsche, with its long legacy of pricey options, could consider charging $1,700 for a starter battery. To be fair, this isn't just any old 12-Volt lead-acid starter battery. It's a lightweight, lithium-ion pack with a similar form factor and the same mounts as a standard battery. It's...
John Voelcker
