Grant:
wedouglas:

The world has spoken time and time again, and people don't want 800kg cars with 250hp, they want 1500kg cars with 600hp. There is no replacement for power when it comes to cars. They just cannot be made light enough to where you can cut power that much.

I would guess that you have spent very little time in such a car, particularly at a racetrack.  My little 911 has specs like that and regularly laps much more powerful (and heavier) cars like GT3, ZR1. etc.  And cost of brakes and tires is a small fraction.  Don't knock it til you've tried it...


I'm talking street cars. I don't doubt that really light, cheap cars are great for track use, but when it comes to 99% of users, they want power because the lightness isn't very useful on public roads. Unless you take the chance of using an entire public road to yourself and crossing into the oncoming lane, I don't think there are many roads where having a super light car really makes much of a difference.

Even in the event that a lighter car is able to pretty much match the higher power, heavier car, people still go for the powerful car. Outside of a race track, I think people would rather make up for the lightness with power rather than make up for the power with lightness.

If they people wanted these cars, Ferrari and Porche and everyone and their brother would be making them. I'm sure Ferrari would love to sell you an even more barebones car with even higher margins. But they aren't. The market has spoken. Everyone talks about how light and fun a Lotus is, yet Lotus is about to go out of business.