Quote:
Originally Posted by brufleth
The Lotus Elise does it but last I knew they had to get some pretty difficult exceptions for it to be sold in the US (because of bumper/safety issues) and the Lotus also costs about twice as much as the Miata.
I agree with you. Making cars that light is tough these days if you want them to be street legal.
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If they want to build a sport car that relies on power to weight ratio, instead on just power, they can do it. Not only the structural metal that makes up the chassis accounts for the weight of the whole car. The powertrain makes up a really big chunk of that weight. When car makers build sports car around a high power engine they compromise the weight. a higher power engine alone is usually heavier since it needs stiffer block/rods/crankshat. Also, the powertrain cooling system needs to be big enough to cope with the additional energy that it needs to dissipate. Add the stronger/heavier drivetrain needed to cope with the additional torque. And let's not forget the stiffer structure needed to cope with the higher output from the engine. All of this additional weight will require stronger/heavier suspension components too... so the weight keeps adding on...... without mentioning all of the electronics and unnecessary amenities that people want in their cars.
See, not only government safety requirements affect the weight. Yes, it is part of it, but the main reason is following the market "needs".