Lightweight Sports Cars...the "truth" behind it?
Let's do some weight (car with full fuel tank, weight MEASURED, not factory claims) comparison of current (sports) cars to open your eyes a little bit:
Mercedes SLK 350: 1488 kg
Porsche Boxster S: 1406 kg
VW Golf GTi (new): 1390 kg
BMW M3: 1565 kg
Mercedes CLS 55 AMG: 1958 kg
Mercedes SLK 55 AMG: 1566 kg
BMW M5 (new): 1844 kg
Porsche Carrera S (my car with PCCB & 20 mm option): 1463 kg
Porsche GT3 RS: 1373 kg
Porsche GT2 (483 HP): 1449 kg
Lamborghini Gallardo: 1613 kg
Lamborghini Murcielago: 1820 kg
BMW M3 CSL: 1421 kg
Honda S2000: 1275 kg
BMW Z4 3.0: 1396 kg
Mini Cooper S Works: 1212 kg
Ferrari Challenge Stradale: 1387 kg
Ferrari F360 Modena: 1464 kg
Subaru Impreza WRX STi: 1487 kg
Audi TT 1.8 quattro: 1461 kg
Mercedes SL 55 AMG: 1968 kg
Porsche 997 Carrera: 1476 kg
Nissan 350Z: 1526 kg
Mercedes C 55 AMG: 1680 kg
Now tell me from these numbers: who builds lightweight cars nowadays?
Of course I could have included Lotus, Caterham, Donkervoort, etc. in this comparison but I don't consider them serious competitors since they demand a lot of compromises but the performance gain isn't that impressive as it might be induced by their weight figures. Sorry.