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How can saving a few pounds possibly be important or noticeable in performance?

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Old Sep 7, 2003 | 10:14 AM
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LostWaffle's Avatar
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Default How can saving a few pounds possibly be important or noticeable in performance?

Thank you to those that helped me fix my muffler. It also sparked a new question for me. I've read many posts about lighter exhausts, lighter batteries, carbon fiber parts, titanimum parts, and other stuff. I'm assuming that some people out there want to make the car lighter, which will make it faster and possibly handle better depending on where the weight is lost.

How can the weight savings of a few pounds, say 25-50 pounds, make a noticeable improvement in the way the car performs? Can someone explain why big $$$ is spend on minimal weight savings?
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Old Sep 7, 2003 | 10:27 AM
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Every loss of 100lbs is the equivilant of approximately a 50hp gain in acceleration and reduced braking distances. Just as every gain of 100lbs is the approximate loss of 50hp and gain of braking distances. Your question is really common sense if you just take the time yourself to think about it instead of having it spoon-fed to you by someone else on the forum. Did you have someone else taking all your tests for you in college?
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Old Sep 7, 2003 | 10:33 AM
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well, if you are doing the spoon feeding, that will be one big fat baby...

100lbs = 50 hp?

who fed you?

keith
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Old Sep 7, 2003 | 10:35 AM
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Originally posted by Big Ben
Every loss of 100lbs is the equivilant of approximately a 50hp gain in acceleration and reduced braking distances. Just as every gain of 100lbs is the approximate loss of 50hp and gain of braking distances. Your question is really common sense if you just take the time yourself to think about it instead of having it spoon-fed to you by someone else on the forum. Did you have someone else taking all your tests for you in college?
I think it's more like every 100 lbs. saved = 5-10hp gain. I'm pretty sure it's nowhere near 50.
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Old Sep 7, 2003 | 10:45 AM
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I can't see this ratio being anywhere near the equivalent 50 HP.

As for shedding weight. If you want a slight demonstration, take out your spare, the tool kit, and anything you have in the trunk. Then go do some spirited driving. See if you notice a difference in the handling characteristics.
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Old Sep 7, 2003 | 10:53 AM
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Originally posted by 2003spa2000
As for shedding weight. If you want a slight demonstration, take out your spare, the tool kit, and anything you have in the trunk. Then go do some spirited driving. See if you notice a difference in the handling characteristics.
^ best answer yet.
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Old Sep 7, 2003 | 10:56 AM
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another example...

go go-karting with some friends. with the carts being almost identical, watch how much faster, on average, the little light weight boys barely shaving yet are compared to us full grown men that sport a little padding around the middle....

keith
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Old Sep 7, 2003 | 11:08 AM
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Look at the lotus Elise with the ITR engine and 194-195 hp. Look how fast that thing is. Also, look how light it is. A motorcycle...Look how fast it is with 130 hp or so. I have a friend that has a DSR race car, motorcycle engine with 175 hp, 0-60 in 2.6 seconds...Unfortunatley I do not remember how much it weighs, way less then 1,000 pounds, but I will have to ask him.

ALSO, I saw in a magazine where they took some shitty car like an OLD accord or something, and stripped it of EVERYTHING, nothing left but the frame, motor, and other essetial parts to the car. I think they shaved about 3 seconds off the quarter mile. Wish I still had that magazine...
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Old Sep 7, 2003 | 11:20 AM
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1. Calculate power to weight ratio for stock S2000
2. Calculate power to weight ratio for S2000 - 50 lbs
3. Now figure out how much power you would have to add to stock S2000 to get the same ratio
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Old Sep 7, 2003 | 11:40 AM
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[QUOTE]Originally posted by LostWaffle
[B]How can the weight savings of a few pounds, say 25-50 pounds, make a noticeable improvement in the way the car performs?
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