Yeah, I think it's mostly saftey stuff that's packing the weight on. Door beams, stong passenger compartments (survival cells), bumper beams, the crumple-zone stuff, yada yada yada.
Steel is cheap. Aluminum and composite materials are expensive.MagicMT said:So.. wouldn't it be more cost effective to make cars lighter (less materials?) but also stronger?
Nope. Look at Ferrari and Lamborghini. Thier cars are made out of lots of carbon fiber, aluminum, kevlar, all sorts of strong, light stuff, to keep the weight down. They are still pretty heavy cars (new Lambo Murcielago: curb weight-4020lbsMagicMT said:So.. wouldn't it be more cost effective to make cars lighter (less materials?) but also stronger?
How did you calculate that? (the 1.5x part)ImprezaMan said:Take the WRX for example, it is roughly 100 kilograms heavier than the gc8 chassis but if you roll the car it can withstand like 1.5 times its own weight when upside down. That's where the extra weight is usually gonna go, into strengthening the chassis.