Imagine a Corvette that would float on water.
Well, maybe not the whole car, but how about at least parts of a Corvette that would float?
That was the goal for engineers at Continental Structural Plastics (CSP), the company that supplies composite body panels for the C8 Corvette and other premium vehicles.
Their efforts led to something called TCA Float – which is the first material ever to achieve a sub-1.0 specific gravity while still offering a paintable Class A surface for exposed vehicle body panels.
With Corvette engineers always searching for ways to make the car ever lighter, TCA Float’s ultra-low weight could be one answer.
While CSP didn’t specifically mention Corvette in a press release, the company did point out that the 24 body panels of an unnamed production vehicle would be 53 pounds lighter by using TCA Float instead of the current TVA Ultra Lite.
“We are constantly looking for ways to make our materials lighter, stronger, and more sustainable,” explains company vice president, Research and Development, Mike Siwajek. “TCA Float was named because our intention was to create a material so light it would literally float on water. This material provides an ultra-lightweight solution where a Class A surface is needed, but part weight is a consideration, especially for something like a removable roof panel. Ultimately, TCA Float improves upon our TCA portfolio with the same base resin chemistry that has allowed us to be the industry leader in Class A SMC for over twenty years.”
Source:
CSP via GM Authority
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If they did laminated molded sandwich panels instead of the chopped mat currently in use, they’d easily shed even more weight.
But, this comes at the expense of higher maintenance, less impact durability, higher costs, longer lead times etc, which is why you only see them employed on aircraft, race cars and some boats.
Saving weight on the C8 would be good. It is a great car, as is. But nothing wrong if it can be made better.
I don’t understand why the C8 weights more than my C7. The C8 lost the front to back torque tube and exhaust and combining the separate transmission and differential into the 1 piece transaxle all should have reduced the weight of the C8 in comparision to the C7.
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