Quote:
Originally Posted by rennlistuser3
I'm following reviews of the new 911 992 (I love 911s and always considering one) and I am so saddened that now the 911 is no longer a car I would want to buy because of how heavy it's gotten, yet reviews are not even mentioning this.
|
Weight is no longer a "priority" in the grand spec sheet of things.
- Today, people are all about AA & ACP (weight of the car is the furthest thing from their minds)
- Today, people are all about autonomous (safety) driving aides
- Today, people are about looking at fuel economy and CVTs
- Today, automakers think everyone wants to haul around 7 or more people.
Weight is but a by-product of all of our advancements in automotive tech, and this applies to economy cars, sports cars, GT cars, super cars, etc. Yes, some generations of cars/trucks are lighter than their predecessor in the 100s of pounds, but still heavy nonetheless.
Carbon fiber is cheaper than a decade ago; however, it is still expensive (thanks airline industry) and is not the end-all-be-all material of choice for public road cars.
Aluminum is great, and is being used more and more in cars and trucks, but it is still considered expensive and is used mainly in high-profit margin vehicles (yes, there are notable exceptions).
People like to be in metal zen capsules and want the harshness of the outside world to stay outside. This adds weight.
Weight is no longer a priority. Sure, it might be a concern, but shiney fake exhaust tips are more important because they are shiney and add to the design element of the car.
On the flip side, people may see weight as a "safety" think and people gravitate to the SUV/Truck to be more "safe" - more mass -> more safe.
I applaud the safety our modern cars have today and the advancements in the internal combustion engine which are becoming more and more efficient.
You would think that we would all be driving around in fiberglass or plastic bodied cars by now, but it just isn't so. Steel, or metal for that matter, has advantages, and with those advantages, comes a little bit of weight.
It doesn't help that every car category is growing in size too.
How heavy are motorcycles these days? Are they lighter, heavier, or about the same as a decade ago? I know the trend is more smaller displacement bikes, but they can still be kinda heavy.