i found this somewhere. very interesting. READ.
Many people buy carbon fiber parts for their cars, such as: hoods, trunk lids, fenders, bumpers and such, having the impression that they are actually reducing the weight of the car. The truth of the matter is; yes, there is weight reduction being made, but very minimal weight is being reduced, not to mention, in the wrong fashion. Replacing individual parts with carbon fiber parts, in hopes of reducing weight to become faster and lighter, is a lost cause. The weight lost, when replacing the parts with carbon fiber pieces, is extremely unpractical for the amount one paid, compared to the amount of weight lost. Furthermore, a car is aerodynamically designed, not only by style and structure, but by weight ratio and balance. Replacing individual parts at random, will not improve on weight reduction in the correct manner; if anything, it would cause the car to become unbalanced. Formula one race cars, fighter planes, and such, are designed and constructed using technologically measured and balanced pieces of panel which fit together snug and evenly to create a full aerodynamic unit, then wind-tunnel tested to reassure its aerodynamic structure. Therefore, does bolting on body panel pieces made of carbon fiber, actually sound like one would improve on performance? Personally, I think not.
On a side note, gutting out one’s interior, does not improve on weight reduction dramatically either; the most one would shave off of a quarter-mile time would be something in the range of 0.1-0.2 seconds at most, which isn’t worth much. If one were to correctly reduce the weight of the car, using carbon fiber, one would have an entire unit-body created as a whole piece, to sit on a tube chassis, with plexi-glass windows, and no interior what so ever. The exterior unit-body would be checked and balanced for aerodynamic symmetry and a balanced weight, to ensure maximum performance.
Having said that, carbon fiber aftermarket parts for the general car, is nothing more than a show piece. As popular as it has become, the use of carbon fiber is nothing more than a fad or trend in the mainstream of things, and frankly has been played out. People are now just applying carbon fiber parts to their cars in anyway possible, just because it looks “cool”. There is nothing wrong with that, “To each their own”, the thing that becoming annoying and bothersome, is that fact that some of these people have no common sense or sense of style. The use of carbon fiber, is just like the use of paint; keep the lines flowing, use a good sense in judgment with color coordination, and use carbon fiber as a textured accent to the car; not as a separate color of its own.
Many people buy carbon fiber parts for their cars, such as: hoods, trunk lids, fenders, bumpers and such, having the impression that they are actually reducing the weight of the car. The truth of the matter is; yes, there is weight reduction being made, but very minimal weight is being reduced, not to mention, in the wrong fashion. Replacing individual parts with carbon fiber parts, in hopes of reducing weight to become faster and lighter, is a lost cause. The weight lost, when replacing the parts with carbon fiber pieces, is extremely unpractical for the amount one paid, compared to the amount of weight lost. Furthermore, a car is aerodynamically designed, not only by style and structure, but by weight ratio and balance. Replacing individual parts at random, will not improve on weight reduction in the correct manner; if anything, it would cause the car to become unbalanced. Formula one race cars, fighter planes, and such, are designed and constructed using technologically measured and balanced pieces of panel which fit together snug and evenly to create a full aerodynamic unit, then wind-tunnel tested to reassure its aerodynamic structure. Therefore, does bolting on body panel pieces made of carbon fiber, actually sound like one would improve on performance? Personally, I think not.
On a side note, gutting out one’s interior, does not improve on weight reduction dramatically either; the most one would shave off of a quarter-mile time would be something in the range of 0.1-0.2 seconds at most, which isn’t worth much. If one were to correctly reduce the weight of the car, using carbon fiber, one would have an entire unit-body created as a whole piece, to sit on a tube chassis, with plexi-glass windows, and no interior what so ever. The exterior unit-body would be checked and balanced for aerodynamic symmetry and a balanced weight, to ensure maximum performance.
Having said that, carbon fiber aftermarket parts for the general car, is nothing more than a show piece. As popular as it has become, the use of carbon fiber is nothing more than a fad or trend in the mainstream of things, and frankly has been played out. People are now just applying carbon fiber parts to their cars in anyway possible, just because it looks “cool”. There is nothing wrong with that, “To each their own”, the thing that becoming annoying and bothersome, is that fact that some of these people have no common sense or sense of style. The use of carbon fiber, is just like the use of paint; keep the lines flowing, use a good sense in judgment with color coordination, and use carbon fiber as a textured accent to the car; not as a separate color of its own.
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