Quote:
Ferdie said:
Regarding aluminium chassis:
the amount of energy needed to built these chassis are much higher than on regular steel versions. The rigidity doesn't have to be worse, though production and repair because of the different welding options is quite an issue.
Companies like Audi and Jaguar might be able to handle the costs of research, Porsche probably doesn't. RC commented on the amount of research done on the 997, and I think the same. Porsche is a small company and cannot allow itself to use tons of money on issues like that. Not even Lotus is able to keep the weight as low as they pretent it to be - including A/C and power windows the weight of the current Elise/Exige is much higher than that of its predecessors!



I'm afraid I don't agree with you there. Porsche may be small (though not as small as before anymore) but its the most profitable in the world, they don't sell low end economic cars precisely, the don't even sponsor factory racing anymore and the can't develop an aluminum chasis with nowadays technology available? while the really small companies like Ferrari, Lotus, Lambo, or Aston Martin can, and though these owned by bigger companies, they are not bottomless pits, they are owned to make money too so they must be run with profits in mind. So obvoiusly the reason must be elsewere.