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S60r Teaser Pics..

the underlørd

By the underlørd
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Che'_Moderator Newbie

Che'_Moderator

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I was under the impression that the shell was in MD...but I was only assuming...

whatever you can do Charles...it be nice to see the final product

Man you do not listen. It is, but thats why I am flying up there to back it up and bring it back to FL. If you want me to work on it up there, it will be done about the time that canadian actually gets a volvo.

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UberV70 Newbie

UberV70

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Titled and registered in FL

Sorry it was this post that confused me on its race car esqueness. So if its not a race car, then what is it exactly? You've probably said this before, but what are the exact goals for this car? I dont see why you would make it all CF and add that roll bar if your not gonna race it

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Che'_Moderator Newbie

Che'_Moderator

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Sorry it was this post that confused me on its race car esqueness.  So if its not a race car, then what is it exactly?  You've probably said this before, but what are the exact goals for this car?  I dont see why you would make it all CF and add that roll bar if your not gonna race it

The same reason porche does not make their car out of tungsten. Graphite does not make it a race car. Every car on the road would be graphite if it were cheap enough. As such why should Volvospeeds take on what a true sports car should be compromise? Went with the roll cage for the same reaspon as I did in the 850. UNIBODY SUCKS! Way too much flex at higher hp levels

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Che'_Moderator Newbie

Che'_Moderator

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Carbon Fiber -- the Next Big Bling

USA Today

See More Carbon Fiber

By Chris Woodyard

From entry-level Scions to super-plush Maybachs, exotic and expensive composite carbon fiber is turning into the must-have automotive fashion statement.

"Carbon fiber says luxury, sport and performance," whether used to save weight or just for high-tech looks, says Jason Hill, president of design firm Eleven in Long Beach, Calif., who has worked on Porsches and Mercedes-Benzes.

The material, a black fabric weave held together by a transparent resin, weighs one-third to one-fifth as much as similar-strength steel but is seven to 10 times as expensive, says Steve Loud, editor of Advanced Materials & Composites News.

Replacing steel in a car body with carbon fiber could cut the vehicle's weight two-thirds, according to Energy Department research. The department wants to find ways to halve the weight of a family sedan by 2010, and sees carbon fiber having a key role in that.

Slicing weight would dramatically improve fuel economy and performance, and is why carbon fiber is used in race cars and jet planes.

The material's growing popularity and attractive image mean that demand from auto buyers could speed development of cheaper, faster ways to produce the material. Meantime, its high price brings a touch of exclusivity to cars that use it. That's enough lure that automakers sometimes don't hide the industrial-looking material.

For example, BMW's M6 coupe, on sale in Europe and due in the USA next spring, has an unpainted carbon-fiber roof. Not only does it save weight and lower the car's center of gravity, "it's so beautiful to look at. It has a high-tech feel," says spokesman Rob Mitchell.

"It's a material that designers love because it has all these beautiful visual and structural properties," says Stewart Reed, transportation design chairman at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif. "We've used it on a lot of projects."

Cars on a high-fiber diet include:

Chevrolet Corvette: The $65,800 Corvette Z06, available later this year, will use carbon fiber in the front fenders, front wheelhouses and floor. Along with other lightweight materials, carbon fiber helps keep the weight of the 505-horsepower speedster down to 3,132 pounds, Chevy says.

Maybach 57S: The 604-horsepower, 172 mile-per-hour version of the $325,000 sedan will offer only two interiors: dark poplar wood or carbon fiber. "Carbon fiber is as exotic as you can get with interior trim. It reeks of performance," Maybach brand manager Wayne Killen says.

Porsche Carrera GT: The $440,000 Carrera GT, to be discontinued this year, has offered a frame that makes extensive use of carbon fiber.

Ford GT: The $140,000 GT has seat frames and a rear-deck panel of carbon fiber.

Ford also assisted in the design of carbon-fiber components for an America's Cup yacht.

Although still used mainly at the high end of the price scale, carbon fiber is gaining popularity in accessories for lower-price cars and small parts of others.

A popular accessory for Toyota's Scion low-price line of youth-oriented cars is a carbon-fiber gearshift knob — even though that small part is $49. Also hot: a $39 carbon-fiber fuel-filler door. Scion offers carbon-fiber appliqués for roof pillars, ranging in price from $75 to 189.

Cameron Hunter, 24, of Long Beach, is adding the shift knob, as well as carbon-fiber pedals on his xB. Outside, he has carbon-fiber skirting. Cost: $400. "It's probably the strongest material for the price available," he says.

Mitsubishi's Lancer Evolution rally-style high-performance car uses a carbon-fiber air spoiler. And aftermarket makers sell loads of carbon-fiber hoods and other body panels to enthusiasts.

Automakers also are using carbon fiber in concept cars. Much of the frame in the dune-buggy-like Jeep Hurricane, which made its debut last January, was made of carbon fiber, says Chrysler Group spokesman Sam Locricchio.

Car companies, chasing the image that authentic carbon fiber brings to a car, also have begun installing plastic interior trim that resembles carbon fiber in cars priced too low for the real thing.

It has begun to replace the standbys, fake wood and faux aluminum, as the trim of choice.

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