The Power of Lightweight By Brenda Williams At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Speed freaks out there will probably dream of driving a super vehicles such as the Lamborghinis or the Ferraris. To them, those are the only automobile that can get them from zero to hundreds of miles per hour as fast as they could change gears; to a top speed of not being able to be captured by the speed cameras along the highway. Yes, these cars have always been the common yet popular image on most pin up posters for these cars, with their monstrous V8 or V12 engine that produces the lightning-like fast image in your mind. But today there are new toys in the market that might just change your ‘super automobile is king’ mindset that you have always had..

Super automobiles depend on the high powered engine to propel the car. A simple rule: give higher power to a car and the car will move faster. This leads to super cars with V12 engines with ratings of over 500bhp. One such super car today is the infamous Bugatti Veyron that incorporates two engines producing near 1000bhp. This gives the acceleration of the car from 0 to 62mph in just 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 253mph. Other similar super cars production like the Koenigsegg CCX also hone an 800+ bhp engine resulting in an astonishingly fast machine.

Another scientific rule came into the car manufacturing scene lately. On contrary to increasing the power output of an engine, why not reducing the weight of a sports car? This has been a proven theory on the race tracks as Formula 1 cars are actually very light if compared to their size and footprint. The lighter the car is, even with a moderate powered engine, the car can be just as fast as any other super car. Car makers are now playing around with the power-to-weight ratio, creating normal vehicles that can be pitted against popular cars. Weight reduced race cars have always been popular ever since the early years of automotive racing. Colin Chapman’s Caterham Seven is a good example of small, nimble, and yet powerful race car on track. With its lightweight heritage, Lotus cars have spearheaded the lightweight super autos with their Lotus Elise, which is both lightweight powerful, and well balanced in handling. Recent models of Lotus Elise such as the supercharged version with a Toyota power plant, which promises a 0 to 62mph run in just 4.3 seconds. Lighter super vehicles to be noted nowadays are the Ariel Atom, the Caterham R500, and the KTM X-Bow. These ‘toys’ are relatively small and light compared to other super cars by nearly half the size and weight. Born from the racing legacy, these super lightweights uses ultra lightweight materials such as Carbon Fiber, Titanium, and Magnesium. With their small and nimble body, they also outperform other super cars slightly in terms of handling.

Does this mean that speed freaks can get a fast ride at a relatively cheap price because of the little amount of materials used? But do consider the idea that you are paying for a car without proper doors and a windscreen that every other super automobile has. There is also the factor of the super car’s ‘oomph’ status to show off to the public. Worry not; there is the Lamborghini LP560-4, which is light too.

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