Quote:
Originally Posted by Tcoat
That is one part of the equation yes. Could probably write a book on all the aspects involved.
The R&D costs would not be significant at all but the materials costs would be huge. Steel is dirt cheap and requires very little to form it. Aluminum is considerably more expensive and carbon is quite labour intensive to work. When looking at the volumes required to mass produce your standard consumer car the costs would simply be prohibitive. As cool as an aluminum and carbon tubed 86 may sound the $100,000 base price would not make it worth while. The cars that do make extensive use of these materials cost what they do beyond the badge no matter what people my say.
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BMW i3; 44k USD and a carbon tub, 7 years ago! It can be done, but they would probably have to spend next to nothing on the powertrain development.