So who heres got the lightest car?
Discussion
Hi there , first post from a long time lurker and have been prowling through the other links off the gassing station into kit cars and lotus and such, and was just wondering who heres got the lightest car?
Ive seen some pretty impressive home builds from kit car threads so someone on here must have the lightest of the lightest?
oh , and another thing , it needs to be road legal
Ive seen some pretty impressive home builds from kit car threads so someone on here must have the lightest of the lightest?
oh , and another thing , it needs to be road legal
Edited by psn on Sunday 31st August 09:32
Ravell said:
I'm guessing whoever on here owns a Peel P50! 
..... perhaps the OP needs to suggest a minimum BHP/Ton figure to rule out the venerable peel .... (perhaps a fugure of 5 may be suitable)I know there are a few Busa / Fireblade powered westies and furies out there, probably one of them ... so who has the most CF on thier kit
This is a really interesting question. Question is where do you draw the line at what is a car, you can get beach buggys or those offroad thingy majigs with numberplates which will be under 400kg.
If it is to be a performance car though designers need to consider some basic safety features, otherwise why not make the chassis from plastic or really flimsy metal which would totally kill you in a crash.
Also your will want a reasonably powerful engine for a fast car which tent to be heavier than slower ones because they need more cooling etc unless you go motorbike engine.
I was reading an article on the MEV Rocket (kitcar, looks similar to the Atom) and the writer compared to looks but concluded that if you strip our everyone possible bit of weight from a mid engined car then the result will always be the same.
MEV Rocket weights 480kg with a Ford Sigma engine so i imagine if you put a light bike engine and gearbox in instead, replaced a few more parts with lightweights ones (battery, alternator, exhaust, fueltank, seats, brakes, wheels) then you might scrape in at under 400kg, cant see many performance cars beating that with 2 seats and fully road legal.
If it is to be a performance car though designers need to consider some basic safety features, otherwise why not make the chassis from plastic or really flimsy metal which would totally kill you in a crash.
Also your will want a reasonably powerful engine for a fast car which tent to be heavier than slower ones because they need more cooling etc unless you go motorbike engine.
I was reading an article on the MEV Rocket (kitcar, looks similar to the Atom) and the writer compared to looks but concluded that if you strip our everyone possible bit of weight from a mid engined car then the result will always be the same.
MEV Rocket weights 480kg with a Ford Sigma engine so i imagine if you put a light bike engine and gearbox in instead, replaced a few more parts with lightweights ones (battery, alternator, exhaust, fueltank, seats, brakes, wheels) then you might scrape in at under 400kg, cant see many performance cars beating that with 2 seats and fully road legal.
psn said:
Greg_D said:
320kg blackbird powered single seater!
Do i win?
Greg
Ive changed it now , is it road legal?Do i win?
Greg
it may weigh more in a while if i decide to fit the S/C. but at the mo it is quick enough.
Greg
Greg_D said:
psn said:
Greg_D said:
320kg blackbird powered single seater!
Do i win?
Greg
Ive changed it now , is it road legal?Do i win?
Greg
it may weigh more in a while if i decide to fit the S/C. but at the mo it is quick enough.
Greg
Sounds excellent.(Alex from P5's)
IIRC Richard Meaden's (Evo editor) Caterham Fireblade weighed in at 369kg. That had a lot of expensive customer made Reverie carbon. And I think was the lightest Caterham ever.
I know someone with an R1 engined Cat which was 385kg dry. Am hoping for about the same in my Gixxer powered car.
Other Lotus Seven inspired cars may struggle to get down to this sort of weight without a lot of expensive stuff, as they tend to have proper axles and suspension
I know someone with an R1 engined Cat which was 385kg dry. Am hoping for about the same in my Gixxer powered car.
Other Lotus Seven inspired cars may struggle to get down to this sort of weight without a lot of expensive stuff, as they tend to have proper axles and suspension
Edited by Noger on Sunday 31st August 10:07
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