Hi everybody I weighed my car today 1338Kgs and was suprised to find that is lighter than a Mclaren MP4 12C @1434 Kgs and a Mclaren Senna @ 1374Kgs.
How on earth have they managed to get a carbon fibre and aluminium construction heavier than our steel cars with a boat anchor of an engine and 1970's technology.
Have I missed something?
Replies sorted oldest to newest
only a Saleen S7 is slightly lighter 1300 kg
@Mike Barnby posted:How on earth have they managed to get a carbon fibre and aluminium construction heavier than our steel cars with a boat anchor of an engine and 1970's technology.
No doubt, thanks to the proverbial rigidity of the Pantera 
Maybe but it looks like Mclaren has? You can get a Pantera down to around 2,650 pounds in racing trim. That is the minimum for the class. The Shelby Mustangs in racing form are in that vicinity as well.The interesting contrast to me would be to compare that to the GT40 Mk II's with the 427's they are around 2500 pounds.
How do you do that with a steel vehicle? You do it by knowing what you are doing. Look at who worked on the design of the Pantera. Giancarlo Dilara (sorry I don't spell well) for one. Google his credentials if you don't already know.
One of the ironic things about auto technology, in some ways cars like the Pantera are the height of it in that you need every bit of modern technology just to EQUAL it's yester-tech. I think that definitely applies in the case of the Pantera.
Another? Chrysler had to build a v-10 for the Viper just to equal what Shelby did with the 427 Cobra.
Actually, that's one of the things that attracted me to the car to begin with and still keeps me interested. Now if I could still keep my wife a young supermodel, I'd really be happy. I just like ultimate's. Even my dogs are retired racing Greyhounds. This is all rather telling isn't it?
Pre-L models are 125-130 lbs lighter than L models with their big rubber coated steel front bumper and dual hydraulic rams on each end of both bumpers F & R. U.S. models also had maybe 40 lbs of chassis stiffening and splash panels as well that Euro '71s didn't have. Before I started in on lightening our '72-1/2 L, it weighed 3250 lbs with 10 gallons of fuel, and that included an aluminum intake manifold & 351-HO aluminum valve covers (as-received mods).
