Why are our cars so heavy? Options

[95chameleonGT]

They're small, fwd with a small engine, and aren't exactly 'luxury' so what is all the weight from? Similar year civics, with four doors, are lighter!

[Box]

They're not that heavy, the ST is around 2,400 pounds and the GT is around 2,600. The Celica is more akin to an Integra than it is a Civic, and the Integra is right around 2,500 for a RS and just short of 2,700 for a GS-R. The GS is a little over 2,600. Though the Civic EX is over 2,600 pounds, it's only the stripped down economy version CX that's just over 2,200 pounds.

If you want something really light find you a Paseo, they're just barely above 2,000 pounds.

This post has been edited by Box: Dec 29, 2017 - 9:12 PM

[richee3]

The answer can be summed up in one word: quality. We have thicker sheet metal than Civics or 240SX’s. Our dashes are heavier than the thinner dashes in other cars. The soft touch vinyl on our dashes and door panels adds extra weight but makes a much nicer interior than simply using plastic. Glass headlight lenses instead of plastic. Our seat rails are thicker than you get in a Miata. The list goes on but you get the idea. Our cars are heavier but they are built sturdier.

When Toyota designed the mkIV Supra, they went through some effort to cut weight without sacrificing quality, most notably the use of aluminum for the hood and targa top, hollow carpet fibers, hollow spoiler, and dished bolt heads. The result was a car that was bigger than the previous generation, yet weighed less. The T20 Celica got all of these same weight savings apart from the aluminum hood on anything besides the GT4 and like the Supra, came in lighter than its predecessor.

[njccmd2002]

car is made out of metal, and its heavier than cotton and air

[1994Celica]

You think 2600ib is heavy? The **** you smoking? Weight of the civic was only 100ib less and the celica is built much better. If you want to shed weight you can do so without sacrificing quality by going with lighter wheels and a gt4 front which gives you the aluminum hood. I wouldn't call our cars heavy by any means though.

[Box]

The Civic Si was actually a bit heavier than the Celica GT, the EX was at 2,500 though one place showed it as being the same as the Si. Then one place shows the CX being 2,350. So at any rate it's really not that much lighter if any, at least for the '96-00 model range. I think the 6th gen is about where it should be given the level of quality and safety. If you want to pull some weight without touching the car's comfort then look into a carbon hood, racing battery, lightweight rims, and remove the dry rotted spare tire. Coil-overs should save some weight over the factory strut and spring, depending on how you do exhaust could be some weight there to be saved. Should be able to pull 100 pounds without having to take away anything from the car in terms of comfort. Another thing if anyone makes them would be a lightweight flywheel, that's usually good for 10-15 pounds and it's all rotational mass.

Of course you can go all out and probably get a GT into the 2,300-2,400 range, but it'd be gutted and ruined as a street car. For what it's worth the power to weight ratio would go from 19.26 pounds per horsepower to 17.04 pounds per horsepower, if you went from 2,600 to 2,300. Would you notice it, sure a little but unless it's a track car I wouldn't say it's worth it. Alternatively I rather do mild weight reduction and then a 1MZ swap, the 1MZ actually loses a little weight over the 5S and you go to 200 hp. So 2,500 pounds with 200 hp would be 12.5 pounds per horsepower, now that'd be fun and put out some really respectable performance.

[bryanf]

94 ST hardtop hatch with GT brakes, 7gc wheels, Megan coilovers, front and rear strut braces, no ABS, full tank. 2543 lbs.



This post has been edited by bryanf: Apr 23, 2022 - 1:08 PM

[block]

If you can push your car, it's light. Pushed my 95 GT around with ease. May not be as easy as pushing a crx but it's light enough to push around.

[Box]

At least you're safe in the Celica though, the CR-X is an utter death trap until the last year or two of the second generation that got all of the added weight in structure that everyone complains about in forums.

[block]

Not a Honda guy so not sure what was added. My BIL had a 91 Si and that thing was light enough to push around. I think our cars are light for what they are. If you want light look at fx16 gts's

[VavAlephVav]

Also the head is aluminum but the block is cast iron. And then you have things like airbags, anti-lock brake system.

[Box]

Not a Honda guy so not sure what was added. My BIL had a 91 Si and that thing was light enough to push around. I think our cars are light for what they are. If you want light look at fx16 gts's

Crash bars in the doors for one, then some other reinforcements here and there to the body to make it safer. Ended up adding like 100-200 pounds or so, personally I rather have the safer vehicle with extra metal.

[BonzaiCelica]

Integra Type R = 2425 lbs. Japanese Spec

Celica SS3 = 2650 lbs

This post has been edited by BonzaiCelica: Jan 1, 2018 - 7:01 PM

[Box]

The American market Type R was 2,600 pounds, it must've ate some American food after getting off the boat from Japan.

[trdproven]

then our hoods are steel not aluminum unless you have the st205 hood