LEXUS LC500
4,280 pounds
The LC 500, which features a five-liter, 471-hp,
all aluminum V8 and a 10-speed automatic
transmission, can go from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4
seconds. It has a steel body and front and rear
steel subframes. It has steel rear fenders. The
inner panels of the doors and the trunk are made
with carbon fiber reinforced plastic. There is an
optional carbon-fiber roof, which is produced
with a high-speed resin transfer molding process
(raw carbon fiber material is inserted into a mold,
the mold is clamped, and the resin is injected)
that allows production volumes to be achieved, as
well as a visible twill weave.
There is aluminum deployed, too, as for the
hood, front fenders and doors.
In places where aluminum and steel have
to come together—as in the front suspension
towers—self-piercing rivets are used for
assembly, which is said to provide an additional
advantage of reducing weight.
The Lexus LC 500. Lexus engineers deployed a full suite
of materials, from steel to aluminum to carbon fiber.
The optional carbon-fiber roof is produced
with a high-speed resin transfer molding
process at the Lexus Motomachi plant.
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LIGHTWEIGHTING