Quote:
Originally Posted by diddiyo
so what you're saying is there is no way to make a car lighter without making it less safe/durable etc?! just because chevy didn't find a way to do it with the camaro doesn't mean that nobody else won't be able to do it either.
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Oh, it could be made safer, more durable, and lighter. Its just going to cost more.
Engineers design to a set of specs. The methodology is essentially the same all around the world, for every industry. The density is ~ 7.8 g/cc, depending on alloy. The modulus of rigidity for aluminum does not change when crossing the pacific ocean. 1 hp still does 33000 ftlbs of work in a minute. None of these things change. Nissan had a different set of requirements than GM had. Light weight was critical for Nissan. GM focused on safety and rigidity. If GM wanted to make the car lighter, they would have. It wouldn't be as strong. Or if it was just as strong, it would cost more.
There is no free lunch. Compromise must always be made.