I know the Aluminum body was to save weight back in the day but the ZO6 is made out of fiberglass (like Vettes have been for years) and is lighter than the NSX. This in spite of a much bigger engine and wheel and tire package. Also would it be easier to repair than Aluminum? After all these years I don't hear any complaints about the vette's fiberglass body so I guess all the kinks have been worked out.
Should the next NSX be made out Fiberglass instead of Aluminum?
- Thread starter Marvin Lee
- Start date
YES
and I think fiberglass body makes the production cost cheaper.
and I think they should make a limited edition of those cars in transparent see tru "colorless" =P
but on the other hand
fiberglass=CHEAP car like
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the art of chasing down my friend's white 3000gt at com. ave
NSXCA # 1690 "Sabrina"
and I think fiberglass body makes the production cost cheaper.
and I think they should make a limited edition of those cars in transparent see tru "colorless" =P
but on the other hand
fiberglass=CHEAP car like
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the art of chasing down my friend's white 3000gt at com. ave
NSXCA # 1690 "Sabrina"
The primary reason for Vette's lighter weight is the front-mid engine/rear transaxle design. It's inherently lighter than the mid-engine design.
A NSX with fiberglass/carbon exterior body panels would be lighter, but not amazingly lighter than the aluminum panels.
-Jim
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1992 NSX Red/Blk 5 spd #0330
1991 NSX Blk/Blk Auto #3070 (Sold)
1974 Vette 454 4 spd Wht/Blk
1976 Honda Accord 5 spd, 3 door Blue/Blue
1977 Honda Accord - Custom - Under Construction
1986 Chevy Suburban
http://homepage.mac.com/jimanders/PhotoAlbum1.html
A NSX with fiberglass/carbon exterior body panels would be lighter, but not amazingly lighter than the aluminum panels.
-Jim
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1992 NSX Red/Blk 5 spd #0330
1991 NSX Blk/Blk Auto #3070 (Sold)
1974 Vette 454 4 spd Wht/Blk
1976 Honda Accord 5 spd, 3 door Blue/Blue
1977 Honda Accord - Custom - Under Construction
1986 Chevy Suburban
http://homepage.mac.com/jimanders/PhotoAlbum1.html
CellophaNSX.
Marvin, if you want fiberglass, go buy a vette with a steel frame. I prefer the corrosion resistant body & frame. The NSX is a unibody construction, so making the body out of fiberglass would lose the structural integrity. Vettes get their structural integrity from being a steel frame design. The light weight fiberglass just sits on top of it, but provides no strength.
Making the body panels out of fiberglass would greatly weaken the stiffness of the NSX body. Heck, just having the Targa top reduces the stiffness of the car vs the coupe.
Making the body panels out of fiberglass would greatly weaken the stiffness of the NSX body. Heck, just having the Targa top reduces the stiffness of the car vs the coupe.
No, please don't make the next NSX with a fiberglass body. I think it would detract from the inherent value of the car.
In my opinion, however, aluminium, composite-material, carbon-fiber, steel would be fine.
In my opinion, however, aluminium, composite-material, carbon-fiber, steel would be fine.
fiberglass body kit would be fine
bumpers skirts spoilers valances
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the art of chasing down my friend's white 3000gt at com. ave
NSXCA # 1690 "Sabrina"
bumpers skirts spoilers valances
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the art of chasing down my friend's white 3000gt at com. ave
NSXCA # 1690 "Sabrina"
they should make a NSX display car like that in every dealership or museum
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the art of chasing down my friend's white 3000gt at com. ave
NSXCA # 1690 "Sabrina"
The current C5 is not made of fiberglass.
It has some sheet moulded compound with most of the body panels made of a flexible material similiar to those found on the Saturn.
Even a great deal of the inner structure is made of a type of sheet moulded compound.
The result is a less expensive solution than aluminum. I like the idea.
Plastics, epoxy,ceramic etc. build materials are, in my opinion, the high tech materials you'll see more of in the future for automobile construction.
Lighter, stronger, more temperature stability,and potentially higher molecular density than metal. More of these materials are being put in all cars every year as the materials are developed.
Don't want to get you all excited but the C5 is a very high tech car. IOANSX.(I own a NSX)
Joe Lomoriello
It has some sheet moulded compound with most of the body panels made of a flexible material similiar to those found on the Saturn.
Even a great deal of the inner structure is made of a type of sheet moulded compound.
The result is a less expensive solution than aluminum. I like the idea.
Plastics, epoxy,ceramic etc. build materials are, in my opinion, the high tech materials you'll see more of in the future for automobile construction.
Lighter, stronger, more temperature stability,and potentially higher molecular density than metal. More of these materials are being put in all cars every year as the materials are developed.
Don't want to get you all excited but the C5 is a very high tech car. IOANSX.(I own a NSX)
Joe Lomoriello
You left out: more resistant to corrosion, and more resistant to deformation from moderate force blows (e.g. shopping carts in parking lots).
The NSX weighs more, because the engineered framing is at a race level of rigidity. This design was revolutionary in 1989 when the first ones were made. Most vehicles would require hundreds of pounds in overhead loop style cages, to be as stiff. The corvette also has a well-engineered frame that was designed 10 years later. As for the aluminum panels; they don’t offer much support to the structure of the design. Real time Racing replaces all of the panels with a fiber-based copy to reduce weight. (As does the rest of the GT2 competition)
Great idea, then everyone will think you drive a Fiero!
Kevin
Not only is a C5 made out of plastic, it's also made out of balsa wood. I'll take aluminum and titanium over plastic and balsa anytime.
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Russ
'91 black/black
>>The NSX is a unibody construction, so making the body out of fiberglass would lose the structural integrity.
Not necessarily. Lotus built a fiberglass unibody some years ago. It was light and stiff even if it didn't last too long ...
Not necessarily. Lotus built a fiberglass unibody some years ago. It was light and stiff even if it didn't last too long ...
I believe the C5 floor panels have some balsa inside of them.
Actually, this is a very high tech approach and it's one of the reasons that even with a big honkin v8 and a steel substructure that the C5 is about the same weight as our beloved aluminum bodied NSX.
The Z06 weighs less.
-Jim
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1992 NSX Red/Blk 5 spd #0330
1991 NSX Blk/Blk Auto #3070 (Sold)
1974 Vette 454 4 spd Wht/Blk
1976 Honda Accord 5 spd, 3 door Blue/Blue
1977 Honda Accord - Custom - Under Construction
1986 Chevy Suburban
http://homepage.mac.com/jimanders/PhotoAlbum1.html
Actually, this is a very high tech approach and it's one of the reasons that even with a big honkin v8 and a steel substructure that the C5 is about the same weight as our beloved aluminum bodied NSX.
The Z06 weighs less.
-Jim
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1992 NSX Red/Blk 5 spd #0330
1991 NSX Blk/Blk Auto #3070 (Sold)
1974 Vette 454 4 spd Wht/Blk
1976 Honda Accord 5 spd, 3 door Blue/Blue
1977 Honda Accord - Custom - Under Construction
1986 Chevy Suburban
http://homepage.mac.com/jimanders/PhotoAlbum1.html
The F1 has a frame and cockpit that is all composite (Woven sheets of whatever; Carbon, Kevlar, Glass, or mixed). This is the best design for strength and weight reduction, but it’s labor intensive. The new wave of composite panels are injection molded. Their lower cost, but tooling is outrageous.
A British car that didn't last too long??? Now, there's a first!
Actually, the NSX is closer in weight to the Z06 than to the non-Z06 C5. But all of these models are within the same 100 pound range, so weight differences among them are relatively insignificant. For example, the difference between the NSX and either C5 is less than the weight of half a tank of gas.
Per Edmunds:
2002 NSX-T: 3153 pounds
2003 Z06: 3116 pounds
2003 C5 Hatchback: 3214 pounds
2003 C5 Convertible: 3210 pounds
According to the sources which have been quoted many times before (I think it's in the FAQ), the NSX's frame only weighs 462 lbs, with doors, hood and trunk installed. That sounds pretty light to me.
Anyone ever seen a weight figure for the C5's frame from a reliable source? I did a search and was unable to find anything. I suspect that even though it's a much newer design, it's steel frame probably weighs just as much, if not more. And then you have to add the weight of the plastic bodypanels on top of that, which is probably another 100-200 lbs. (It's amazing how fast the weight of plastic can add up...)
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