Quote:
Originally Posted by serialk11r
I think it depends on car, when you have a sports car with the need for a rigid chassis a larger body could probably add weight pretty fast
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A rigid chassis does not necessarily means a larger one. The rigidity is related to the design (i.e. moment of inertia and other engineering stuff) and the materials used, not the size. I didn't mentioned it but also Finite Element Analysis (i.e. the use of computer to analyze structures/components), materials science and manufacturing have come a long way and improved every year. This means that they can use better materials and lees of them to make stiffer structures that comply with government requirements. Although this usually comes attached to higher prices... anyhow, it is all a balance between available technology and cost.