VW: SuperlightCar project looking into 30% weight reduction for Golf shell

VW is working on reducing the weight of its cars and has established a SuperlightCar project to reduce the VW Golf shell by 30%.

VW reportedly assembled three separate five-door Golf bodyshells, one solely using steel, one using a mixture of low-cost materials and one using nothing but exotic, high-tech materials. According to Autocar in the UK, these concepts reduced the overall weight of the Golf's shell by between 20- and 41-percent, with the best combination of price and weight savings boasting a 30-percent weight reduction.

Besides the desirable weight loss program, these shells also needed to be at least as safe as a standard steel bodyshell and be viable for mass production. The first production vehicles using this innovative process are expected in 2012.

Related news: GermanCarBlog, P4MR, VW

Source: Autoblog Green

VW: SuperlightCar project looking into 30% weight reduction for Golf shell

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