CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

It is possible and has already been done. The entry level L model Acura Legend I once owned had a manual telescoping steering wheel. The higher trims had electronic telescoping and tilt steering wheels.

llamaboiz

I've also noticed the DRIVERS TOO have packed on alot more weight

sleeper408

iTrader: (6)

Yes, starting around $50K.

Nextourer

umm... any non-luxury car with tele wheel is manual adjust. You just pull in/out. Some cars have a single lever so you can tilt and adjust the reach at the same time, others have two separate levers for each mechanism.

GS69

LightWeight Aluminum-Foam Sandwich Material May Solve Porky Car Problem

As enthusiasts, we've all decried the incessant bulking-up of our favorite vehicles over the years. Adding the necessary safety and emissions equipment to meet regulatory requirements has led to a massive increase in the average weight of most cars over the past 30 years. But a new aluminum and foam sandwich material may help solve the problem.

Consisting of ARPRO, a propylene-based foam, sandwiched between two thin sheets of aluminum, the material is light yet also strong due to its three-ply construction. It's also cheaper than carbon fiber and can be completely recycled. Sounds like the perfect material, right?

It may be, though a sandwich construction will no doubt mean what would have been minor fender benders in a steel-chassis car end up requiring complete replacement of a subframe, as it won't likely be easily repairable.

The company behind the product, Inrekor, says use of the material could cut a car's weight by up to 30%. That's a significant amount of poundage--around 1,000 pounds off the average family sedan, and between 700-900 pounds off even a relatively lightweight sports car, though the gains there are likely to be smaller given existing weight-savings measures already employed.

Those of you with an eye for the obscure may be thinking, "hey, Corvettes already use a similar weight-savings approach by using balsa wood sandwiched between carbon fiber sheets in some parts of the car," and you're right. The Inrekor solution would be cheaper and (presumably) easier to mass-produce, however, relying on stamped aluminum rather than vacuum-formed or molded carbon fiber. Also, the Inrekor solution is intended more as a substitute for heavy steel structural elements rather than a body/sheetmetal replacement.

Pairing the new material's weight savings with cost savings means a new breed of lighter, cheaper sports and supercars could eventually find their way to market. That's a combination of features we can all support. We won't be holding our breath, though, as it will likely be two years before a proof-of-concept car is produced, and another 2-5 years before anything retail is built with the material given product cycles and manufacturer tooling and durability testing.

LexFather

20-30% savings is huge!

mmarshall

Well, if you examine a lot of today's vehicles compared to those in the time period you note (1990's) you will notice that weight-control HAS been an issue. True, some curb-weights and GVWR's are up, but a good part of that is simply the Government and consumer demands for more safety and convienence equipment in the vehicles. But weight-control and cost-cutting are clearly an issue when you look at the flimsy plastic trim/hardware, sheet metal, donut/temporary spare (or no spare) tires, and other features on today's vehicles (that's why, in my vehicle-reviews, I try and point out those vehicles that still do give you solidly-built hardware for the money). If many of today's vehicles had kept the more-solid, higher-quality trim/hardware that they had in the past, they would probably weigh even more than they do now.

Some vehicles, like the Acura NSX, Jaguar XJ, and Audi A8 have tried to control weight by doing an all-aluminum unibody/sheet-metal/chassis. That, to some extent, has worked, but is obviously an expensive way to do it. Aluminum costs substantially more than steel, and also requires special body-shop/accident-repair techniques.

IS-SV

Agreed, safety and lux equipment are some of biggest factors.

Despite the weight gain, safety levels, performance levels and fuel efficiency are very high in many of the desirable cars offered in the last decade.

LexusMan77

Cars are definitely getting heavier with each generation. Safety and other equipment are the reasons, but just how ridiculous can it get? For example, the LX570 weighs about 6,000 pounds....3 tons!! Considering the previous LX470 weighed about 400 pounds less.

4DGS

iTrader: (1)

Great, now cars will crumple up and be a right off every time you get nudged.

As if insurance needs a reason to put the rates up this is a great one!

ashtray

iTrader: (12)

3,516 lbs. of body on my 1997 SC3. lol

ClearP

mine too... 3500lbs, time to put this chubby girl on a diet!

IS-SV

3600 pounds on my IS350, it's okay with me.

lobuxracer

iTrader: (2)

Even my hard top Supra TT weighs 3415 on a certified scale.

While it is absolutely true cars have got a lot heavier, they've also got a whole lot more crash safety. A great deal of the chassis weight increase is the high beltlines necessary to support side impact standards and side airbags. While everyone knows I'm no fan of the airbags, I am a big proponent for improving side impact strength in a world of 6,000 lb SUVs driven by the inattentive and distracted.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

On the brighter side, not all models are gaining weight. The Porsche Cayenne just dropped 400lbs, and the 2011 Shelby dropped 100lbs