This is my ride for the post-apocalypse. My one will be nuclear powered.
Jimmy Wong’s 02 Type 72 JPS special features a fully custom carbon fiber body, both on the inside and out. Not only is the outside carbon fiber, but the inside features regular carbon fiber in black and silver.
The work took six months to complete. Only a few dozen pounds were shaved off the weight, but it’s enough to make a performance difference. There’s a full flickr set of images of it, too!
Jimmy Wong’s All Raw Carbon Fiber Lotus Elise [Carbon Fiber Gear via Born RIch]
Wow. Because the Elise was so heavy to begin with.
I know. Fill it with helium, voila: flying car.
I’m not buying that until I get a rack mounted swivel cross bow.
I’m guessing this doesn’t have crumple zones.
Big deal! I could have done the same thing with a couple of cans of matte black. As for the weight: who needs a spare tire or a passenger seat anyway? ;{)
Seriously – a little ostentatious but way cool…
Just buy a motorcycle. For less than 15k you can have something that will go faster than this.
I’ll take a Donkervoort D8 GT instead please. 1400 pounds… 270hp.
Can I get it in primer gray?
Isn’t carbon fiber incredibly rigid ? Meaning that in case of impact instead of the body of the car absorbing the energy, it all goes into the driver’s body…
Knife: I’m actually going to be getting a Ducati monster at some point this year, and am sorely tempted to get it dressed down in matte black.
I have an Elise, although the only carbon fiber in mine is in the shift console. Carbon fiber isn’t that rigid (at least not in this application)–I’ve seen it cracked. I would imagine the crumple zones of the car are not affected at all. Stock these things are all fiberglass and aluminum–it would be nice if the CF was stronger (they’re pretty fragile in even the most gentle of collisions), but I doubt it makes a significant difference.
Those seats are mismatched and don’t seem to be carbon fiber (passenger side looks stock). There are CF seats for Elises, how come he didn’t use ‘em? It’s not like the stick seats have all that much padding anyhow!
It’s pretty cool anyhow.
@8 If the frame integrity of your car is dependent on your body panels, you’re fucked anyway.
Rob, don’t kill yourself on the Duc. I’ll skip the usually MSF course/gear rant because you know better already.
ATGATT.
I’d start pressing for details for on the monster, but that’s kind of non gadgety.
Look into the aprilia Mana, just for the gadgetness. Clutchless shifting (or full auto!)
I think it’s got some good looking bits, but there’s something about the handlebars and smushed in headlamp which kind of turn me off. Put a straight bar on it and I’d probably be into it more.
allowances for comfort are overrated.
I think carbon fiber has a lot of give to it, actually. It’s strong, but part of it’s strength is flexibility. It’s a cloth that’s then saturated with plastic resin and formed to hold a certain shape. The flexibility is probably dictated by the resin that’s used.
For a budget version of this, check out:
http://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=695029
He starts by making fiberglass forms but then goes on to remake the fenders, hood, nose, etc all in carbon fiber! By himself! Using a vacuum former, etc. Amazing.
Rob – if you buy a Monster and don’t paint it matte black, you’re doing yourself a disservice.
“My one will be nuclear powered.”
My one will be Mr. Fusion powered.
A Monster Dark conveniently comes in a nice matte black finish…
I’ve known since it came out how sexy the Elise was… I never knew how sexy it’d look in matte, though..!
the Tesla is an electric elise with a carbon fiber body. there’s not much special about this car.