Minimizing Weight of a 458

As the owner of a Stradale, my inclination is to minimize weight when I spec. out a 458. I’ll be particularly keen on excluding options that add unnecessary weight unless they construe true functionally or I just “have to have them” for aesthetic reasons. Like many of you, however, I lack clarity on the weight advantages/disadvantages of different options. I’d therefore like to be clearer about weight differentials rather than totally naive about them. Some of these options have been discussed previously, but the one’s I wonder about are the following;

1. Weight savings of optional 5 spoke wheel vs. standard wheel. For every additional pound of unsprung weight (on wheels), the rough ‘rule of thumb’ is that 6lbs more weight is added to the car. Thus, if the optional wheels were, say, 4 lbs lighter than the standard wheel the weight savings = 24lbs.
2. Weight savings of different tire brands. Same argument as above. Tires can easily vary by 1-2 lbs. And so, if just 1 lb ligther = 6lbs saved.
3. Weight of the OEM battery (probably no option). It’s 38lbs in my Stradale, replaced with an Odessey 925, saving = 19lbs.
4. Weight savings of the standard seats vs. the ones with electric motors. If the motors weighed 3lbs, excluding them would save = 6 lbs.
5. Weight savings of not having a fire extinguisher. On track days, I replace the 9lb OEM extinguisher in my Stradale with a 3 lb unit, saving = 6lbs.
6. Weight saving of not including the spare tire which, in my Stradale is about 18lbs, sits in my garage during track as well as pleasure driving, and is replaced by emergency tire inflators; savings = 18 lbs.

Ok, I’m not a purist, I do love hearing good music. However, tallying my crude estimates above yields just short of 80lbs. That’s 40% of the highly touted weight savings a Stradale provides over a 360, or a Scuderia provides over a 430. So, the weight savings are hardly insignificant, especially if one thinks of improving ‘performance at the margin’.

Any information you might have on this subject would be appreciated. Cheers!

 

Super Racing seats save further weight in comparison to the standard seats. And weight should be improved if you quit options like the front lifting system e.g.

 

If you are ever in a position to actually NEED that fire extinguisher you may find out this was a poor choice of where to loose weight.

 

How much do you weigh?

How much do your lap times improve with the lighter fire ext. and no spare?

 

Why not lose some weight yourself?

 

How much weight could one save by removing one's brain???

 

Good points you raise. Ferrari obviously devotes thousands of hours to try to minimize weight of their performance cars. You're just taking it a step further, asking what kinds of small considerations we might make when we spec out a car. Sorry to see you've received mostly brain dead responses so far.

 

hmm..where's 'Carnut'..he has done these things in the past--put some serious coin into wgt reduction in his cars...and he is the one who'd know a thing or two. And yes, Ferrari does try to minimize wgt, but within profitable price points, so switching out a few things here and there on your own would add up to reasonable wgt savings. all depends on how much money you're willing to throw at it i suppose. anyhow, good luck with the project Raw!

 

+1 LOL

Thanks for the laugh boys....

 

+1

 

carbon/kevlar seats, removal of all sound deadening, carbon/magnesium wheels and full inconel exhaust system.

going a bit further:

carbon bodypanels, may do with doors, acrylic windows, gel battery.

I've just saved you around 250lbs.

Anyways, unless you can drive your car at atleast 9/10s, all this weight saving won't do ****.

 

+1

 

I'm not expert, but have you thought about trying to sell a used 458 with many of the more popular options missing from car?

It's designed as an all-rounder. If you take away from that there might not be many people interested in having it once you're done with it.

I say that if you're that concerned with weight, wait for the Stradale/Scud version and just let the factory do all the weight savings for you. On top of all that you'll have better spring rates, stiffer structure, etc.

You'll be happier.

Just my two cents.

Cheers!

M

 

Make that 9.8/10+

That is, when you car drive a race track within 2 seconds of the lap record {HP, weight, tires}, this modest weight savings might be somewhat useful.

 

you dont' have to drive the car at those extremes to appreciate -200lbs. especially if that weight is removed from certain areas. heck i even notice a difference when a 'slightly heavier' passenger(s) is along for the ride. a friend and i used to have the same kind of car, except his was 'modded' by removing/changing 'this' or 'that'...lemme tell ya, with no tweaks to the engine, all in all we did notice the differences that the 'minor' wgt reduction made. and for me even 'a tad sharper' makes the drive that much more enjoyable. so yeah, i disagree that "...unless you drive at at least 9/10s, all this weight saving won't do ****".

 

no, the car is made that way to meet a price point. changing out things for lighter/higher quality ones doesn't necessarily mean completely stripping the car.

 

Let's address the obvious: The change in power-to-weight ratio after saving 50 pounds (that "rule of thumb" unsprung weight calculation is bunk) amounts to about 8/100ths of a pound per hp -- a few ounces.

That's imperceptible to everything but resale value.

IMO, you'd improve your lap times more if you ate a salad and started doing crunches. And I'm not being sarcastic either.

 

Would be the cheapest way to go about it.

Probably not the easiest though.

 

For sure you'll 'feel' a difference, but most drivers who drive say a 1.50 lap at a track, then lighten it by 250 lbs won't mean they'll go quicker round the lap. Maybe 2 seconds or so he'll be quicker but this is more because the car accelerates quicker on the straights etc.

Unless you really know what you're doing, investing in proper driving lessons will be a better investment.

 

+2

 

Everyone who owns a Ferrari should do this.

 

+1

 

.

Some very valid points made here.

I do agree that unless your a race-car Driver for a living, the odds are you won't fully feel the difference with MINOR weight saving techniques. You have to go MAJOR. An idea like this isn't cheap, and there's only so much the factory will do.

- Lexan every window you can - buysliding race-spec windows. Not DOT legal IIRC, but you can always pay those guys off... Remove window motor.

- Dymag carbon fiber wheels.

- Aftermarket carbon fiber body panels. Not necessarily hard to come by, but it's pricey.

- Ditch the spare

- All sound-deadening

- Carbon/Kevlar racing-seats - make passenger seat removable. Don't forget the appropriate harness.

- A/C - gone

- Radio - gone (all wiring and speakers - and CD changer)

- Carpets and leather - gone - for the most part... You "can't" tear off the dash.

- Titanium wheel nuts - every man needs good nuts

- Light-weight exhaust system

- Carbon ceramic brakes

- Braille Automotive B2015 Battery - 15lbs.

- Gut the trunk. - this really has no impact, I just wanted to say "gut the trunk."

- Look into light weight suspension tuning

- I'd see about ordering carbon fiber door panels for the interior ($$)

- CF hood with hood-clips (remove all trunk release rigging and cables)

- http://www.powerhousegym.com/trainerinsite/pages/Survey.aspx?sid=1947



A project like this will take money. With everything listed above, I'm sure to do it well would cost over $150K. But, with all this s*** out of the car, you will feel a difference. Now, I would slap a roll-cage in it and paint her matte black if it were me...

You could just go certifiable - http://www.dragstuff.com/techarticles/weight-reduction.html


_J

 

Alternatively you could just get in it and drive it...

 

...that's the big one with this car. It's already faster than a Scuderia. Wait for the ltd. edition and buy that, but the 458 is just such an amazing car on its own.

_J