Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnnyQuest
Actually, I think it is useful as well as very interesting. In addition to the BMW having all the power-operated (heavy) things you mention, it has a steel body. The whole point of a plastic body is to reduce weight and why Lotus and the Corvette have continued to use plastic despite its inherent problems. If there is no weight savings by using plactic why bother? It seems that you get all the negatives (difficulty to maintain fit and smoothness, difficulty to avoid creaks and groans, etc), without the benefits.
The weight comparison to the Cayman is even more profound. The Cayman weighs a little less than that Evora and again does so without a plastic body.
For 2011 the Cayman and Boxster will be completely redesigned. In addition to getting more power and better handling, the 2011 Camyan/Boxster are expected to be lighter by at least 150 - 200 lbs.
I honestly can not understand how the Evora can weigh as much as it does. I was convinced that the production numbers wold undercut the estimates. I just can't see how the Evora can weigh 3,000 lbs. It makes no sense.
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...weight per area means nothing.
There is weight savings by using the plastic body... plastic weighs less than steel.
Like you said, the whole point of the "plastic" body is to reduce weight. That means overall weight, not weigh/in^2. It does that. The weight of the Evora would be more if they used steel. Consequently, power/weight would go down and performance would suffer.
I could make a vehicle out of little more than a jet engine and the lb/in^2 would be very high, but so would the power/weight, which is what is important.
Conversely I could put a set of wheels on a pinwheel and achieve a very low lb/in^2. ...I'd rather have the 'heavier' jet engine.