The Power of Lightweight

freaks out there will probably dream of driving acan be just as fast as any other super car. Car
super vehicles such as the Lamborghinis or themakers are now playing around with the
Ferraris. To them, those are the only automobilepower-to-weight ratio, creating normal vehicles
that can get them from zero to hundreds ofthat can be pitted against popular cars. Weight
miles per hour as fast as they could changereduced race cars have always been popular ever
gears; to a top speed of not being able to besince the early years of automotive racing. Colin
captured by the speed cameras along theChapman’s Caterham Seven is a good
highway. Yes, these cars have always been theexample of small, nimble, and yet powerful race
common yet popular image on most pin upcar on track. With its lightweight heritage, Lotus
posters for these cars, with their monstrous V8cars have spearheaded the lightweight super
or V12 engine that produces the lightning-like fastautos with their Lotus Elise, which is both
image in your mind. But today there are newlightweight powerful, and well balanced in handling.
toys in the market that might just change yourRecent models of Lotus Elise such as the
‘super automobile is king’ mindsetsupercharged version with a Toyota power plant,
that you have always had..which promises a 0 to 62mph run in just 4.3
Super automobiles depend on the high poweredseconds. Lighter super vehicles to be noted
engine to propel the car. A simple rule: give highernowadays are the Ariel Atom, the Caterham
power to a car and the car will move faster. ThisR500, and the KTM X-Bow. These
leads to super cars with V12 engines with ratings‘toys’ are relatively small and light
of over 500bhp. One such super car today is thecompared to other super cars by nearly half the
infamous Bugatti Veyron that incorporates twosize and weight. Born from the racing legacy,
engines producing near 1000bhp. This gives thethese super lightweights uses ultra lightweight
acceleration of the car from 0 to 62mph in justmaterials such as Carbon Fiber, Titanium, and
2.5 seconds and a top speed of 253mph. OtherMagnesium. With their small and nimble body, they
similar super cars production like the Koenigseggalso outperform other super cars slightly in terms
CCX also hone an 800+ bhp engine resulting in anof handling.
astonishingly fast machine.Does this mean that speed freaks can get a fast
Another scientific rule came into the carride at a relatively cheap price because of the little
manufacturing scene lately. On contrary toamount of materials used? But do consider the
increasing the power output of an engine, whyidea that you are paying for a car without proper
not reducing the weight of a sports car? This hasdoors and a windscreen that every other super
been a proven theory on the race tracks asautomobile has. There is also the factor of the
Formula 1 cars are actually very light if comparedsuper car’s ‘oomph’
to their size and footprint. The lighter the car is,status to show off to the public. Worry not; there
even with a moderate powered engine, the caris the Lamborghini LP560-4, which is light too.