Weight

anthonyyule · Post by **anthonyyule** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:16 pm

Just a quick one.

Set the scene - S2 Exige. Performance Pack.

Standard Exhaust - 13.2Kg
Stage 2 Exhaust - 8.2Kg
Saving - 5Kg

Upgraded Stereo - 7Kg
Standard Stereo - 3kg
Saving/ Deficit - 4Kg

Can I "Really" feel the difference between the 2 exhausts (from a weight saving point of view), or from the additional weight added by a new stereo?

Fascinated really. Had considered changing for a 2ubular, and would like to know if the extra 3Kg saving or so would make my car "noticably" faster and more responsive??

jamie · Post by **jamie** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:20 pm

I would say no but these things add up !

Post by **Shug** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:24 pm

Yup - it's more a case of Stereo - 2GK, sound deadening 4KG, etc, etc.

As Jamie says, these things have a nasty habit of adding up. The race cars are a case in point - Andy's early S1 needed ballasted up to the legal weight and he took practically nothing out of it - there are no real 'spec' differences in the creature comforts mine has, but you can bet your ass it'll be heavier as it's a late S1.

You probably wouldn't feel a weight difference till you got near the 50KG mark, but it's more about the car's ethos. That matters to some (me included) no matter how pompous it sounds.

hardrockjock · Post by **hardrockjock** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:30 pm

What was it Chapman said about "just add lightness"?

Post by **Shug** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:35 pm

Oh, and of course saving 3KG would not make a blind bit of difference in itself - would sound quicker and might also release a couple of ponies from the engine though

mckeann · Post by **mckeann** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:43 pm

That little weight loss will be hard to feel, but it all adds up as i am finding out. Some of the cars i am racing against have 80kg less than me, which is like carrying a passenger all the time.

That makes a huge difference.

Post by **Shug** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 7:44 pm

mckeann wrote:That little weight loss will be hard to feel, but it all adds up as i am finding out. Some of the cars i am racing against have 80kg less than me, which is like carrying a passenger all the time.

That makes a huge difference.

How much is in a fried breakfast?

j2 lot · Post by **j2 lot** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 8:29 pm

a good cr@p before you race - sorted !!

BiggestNizzy · Post by **BiggestNizzy** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 8:46 pm

I think with weight you have to take an overall view

Will you be able to notice the 150g saved when you fit those carbon fibre window winders ?

No.

Will the car go faster ?

yes It will.

I doubt you will notice the difference but these thing "add up" so to speak

mckeann wrote:That little weight loss will be hard to feel, but it all adds up as i am finding out. Some of the cars i am racing against have 80kg less than me, which is like carrying a passenger all the time.

That makes a huge difference.

10Kg = 1hp

rossybee · Post by **rossybee** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 8:51 pm

Hence the reason the Snot has a thin blanking plate where a heater and all its associated guts would reside

Shame the driver is a fat bandito

GregR · Post by **GregR** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 10:42 pm

do what you need to do

tut · Post by **tut** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 11:24 pm

Steve Butts got his S1 down to 615kgs. Without any carbon fibre bodywork.

Work that one out.

tut

robin · Post by **robin** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 7:55 am

The class A cars are ~200BHP/1000Kg. So 1 kg is .2 BHP in terms of power to weight. Of course the car will have less momentum and so is easier to brake/turn, and it's hard to quantify how much of a difference that makes (for the F1 guys, 50kg of fuel makes a difference of a few 10ths per lap).

Provided you don't need any creature comforts it's easy-ish to remove about 40kg from a completely standard S1 - I picked up an old MMC disk that was lying around last night and was surprised to discover how light it was - so fitting MMC and lightweight wheels would make a noticeable difference to acceleration & handling.

Cheers,
Robin

tut · Post by **tut** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 8:04 am

Robin

MMC disk is 6lbs, steel disk is 12lbs, so half the weight, and a saving in unsprung weight of 11kgs for four.

tut