|
Colin Chapman (Lotus founder) used to say "add lightness". But that was in the days before power everything, four-wheel-drive, safety 'cages', 20-inch wheels, air conditioning, etc. etc. etc. Almost every modern vehicle is "too heavy" -- the question being: What is a "correct" weight? The Escalade weighs 7,000 pounds and is a Consumer Reports Best Buy. The X6 could probably be quite easily reduced by 1,000 pounds as long as most parts were made of carbon fiber and nobody minded paying $250,000 for one.
The problem with weight is that it is geometric: as the car gets heavier it needs tougher suspension pieces which themselves are heavier; a bigger engine to move it around, also heavier; bigger, heavier wheels with bigger, heavier tires to safely support all that weight; and so on. As I said, all these problems can be easily solved with lots of (a) carbon fiber, (b) titanium, and (c) dollars. Either that or we all drive round in smart cars looking like dweebs.
|