Weight savings vs performance - makes sense?

[Ahbengdriver]

I read everywhere about people doing what little possible to reduce weight with a view to enhance performance. However does the power to weight ratio that comes with these modifications really become meaningful and practical?

Some things done and aimed at reducing weight that I ve read include:
- getting rid of spare tyre, use RFTs
- Change to carbon fibre bonnet
- use forged rims. Now this one is tricky. Does wheel weight have more impact than body weight?
- use light tyres eg PS2
- empty the boot area


But if I reduce my tyre/rim weight using forged rims, PS2 and also change my bonnet to CF and lets say the weight is reduced by 20kg overall. However, if I load my boot with things like golf bags, bowling balls, etc. and gain back 20kg, then isnt it back to square one or literally in beng language "LPPL" ?

 

[satinGHOST|r!der]

Re: Weight savings vs performance - makes sense?

I read everywhere about people doing what little possible to reduce weight with a view to enhance performance. However does the power to weight ratio that comes with these modifications really become meaningful and practical?

Some things done and aimed at reducing weight that I ve read include:
- getting rid of spare tyre, use RFTs
- Change to carbon fibre bonnet
- use forged rims. Now this one is tricky. Does wheel weight have more impact than body weight?
- use light tyres eg PS2
- empty the boot area


But if I reduce my tyre/rim weight using forged rims, PS2 and also change my bonnet to CF and lets say the weight is reduced by 20kg overall. However, if I load my boot with things like golf bags, bowling balls, etc. and gain back 20kg, then isnt it back to square one or literally in beng language "LPPL" ?

My hiadee, i think you should sell of your e90 and get a lotus. No worry. Car very light and will be even lighter if you do the above. Sure can play pai-gia with TP and still be good citizen.

 

[shaaz]

Re: Weight savings vs performance - makes sense?

I read everywhere about people doing what little possible to reduce weight with a view to enhance performance. However does the power to weight ratio that comes with these modifications really become meaningful and practical?

Some things done and aimed at reducing weight that I ve read include:
- getting rid of spare tyre, use RFTs
- Change to carbon fibre bonnet
- use forged rims. Now this one is tricky. Does wheel weight have more impact than body weight?
- use light tyres eg PS2
- empty the boot area


But if I reduce my tyre/rim weight using forged rims, PS2 and also change my bonnet to CF and lets say the weight is reduced by 20kg overall. However, if I load my boot with things like golf bags, bowling balls, etc. and gain back 20kg, then isnt it back to square one or literally in beng language "LPPL" ?

It's called Power To Weight Ratio.

E.G Honda Civic 200bhp/400kg = hell fast.

I dun think you can shave that much with all that above mentioned tho, getting light forged rims does make ALOT of diff.. tons of it... your seats alone weighs a bomb, trust me...

Is it practical??.. different strokes for different folks ya?... like wat u said, if ure going to put ur bowling balls and golf bags and stuff .. then why wld u be thinking of performance??.. i mean it dosent make sense already to be gunning with all that in ..

So far the ones i've seen do abit of weight shaving are usally performance orientated, it makes more of a diff on Track, where shaving 30secs to 1 min or more is something to smile abt.

 

[VolanteDB9]

Re: Weight savings vs performance - makes sense?

one more thing...BMW claims 50-50 weight distribution of most of our cars...
not counting the LPPL golf bags bowling balls.....is it affected significantly once there are more people in the car other than the driver?

 

[Mockngbrd]

Re: Weight savings vs performance - makes sense?

.is it affected significantly once there are more people in the car other than the driver?

yes.. of cos... i can feel the diff. when theres more den me sitting inside. even more so when there are passengers in the back...maybe cos my car is small....

the only weight saving thing i did was i threw out my spare tyre

 

[shaaz]

Re: Weight savings vs performance - makes sense?

Yup, alot of diff when u have a guy in the car with you, thats extra weight of say 70kg??!...

 

[chickenbackside]

Re: Weight savings vs performance - makes sense?

On the street, it's barely notceable. Every few seconds you gotta slow down, maximum 90 kmh how to know what performance gain you've gained by cutting a bit of weight? And yes, unsprung weight (rims, tyres, brakes...) have bigger impact on the car's performance.

On the track, it's a different story. Every bit counts. You'd want to take out everything. The seats, the ICE, the dashboard, change the glass to perspex...etc.

So it really depends on what you're doing with your car and how much comfort you're willing to sacrifice.

Shaaz, 20kg is quite achievable lah. 1 CF bonnet will already save you more than that.

 

[louis]

Re: Weight savings vs performance - makes sense?

another advantage of the carbon fibre bonnet is that it helps you save weight upfront, which is otherwise pretty hard to do. it also helps lower your car's CG, which is again beneficial to the car's carnering and handling.

getting rid of spare tyre, subs and using light weight batteries etc help shave off weight from the back only. this might unbalance your car. correct me if i'm wrong but i believe that some weight at the back would also help with traction for RWD cars

also unsprung weight savings are probably more noticeable than sprung weight. so saving 10kg by using lighter rims and tires would yield better performance gains than saving 10kg by getting rid of your passenger seat.