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Old 01-14-2010, 07:44 PM   #29 (permalink)
RobertSmalls
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Buffalo, NY, USA
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Prius C - '12 Toyota Prius C
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I love this car, though its very good aero is more important to its success than its light weight. I'm sure a production version would use cheaper materials, resulting in a heavier car, forcing a larger engine.

One great thing about weight reduction, is that it allows more weight reduction. A smaller, lighter engine can motivate a lighter car, a lighter frame provides the same stiffness as a heavier frame on a heavier car, a smaller gas tank provides the same range, etc.

I would love to see these six gram lug nuts.

Having read about those >1lb brakes (rotors, presumably), I couldn't resist running a calculation. Assume your brakes need to be able to do a panic stop from top speed on a warm day without boiling your brake fluid. Assume that the top speed of the Very Light Car is 75mph, and that its braking system has a thermal mass of 2kg and the same specific heat as cast iron. Thus the mass of the vehicle, its occupants, and its cargo is not more than 315lb.

Uh huh.

Maybe they have aluminium brake rotors with cast iron linings, and a 630lb car?
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