by cpitts » Wed May 27, 2009 10:26 pm
When it comes to weight reduction, the best performance benefit can be had by reducing the rotational mass of the in the wheels/brakes area.
Not sure what the actual figure was, but it was something like a 10:1 ratio of weight removed at the wheel comparing to weight removed from the cabin. What that means is that a good lightweight wheel/tyre package can lead to significant improvements in acceleration.
Similarly, a significant reduction in wheel/tyre/brake/shock absorber/control arms package (basically, anything involved in the up/down/forward/backward/steering activity) translates to direct improvements in handling response.
So, ultimately, 1 or 2 kg saved on the exhaust is kind of irrelevent. Esp when you consider that you may have moved to bigger rims/tyre package, adding maybe 500g-2kg per corner which translates to up to 20kg equivalent in the cabin (or under the car) space.
I try to weigh all bits I take out and put in on the cars I play with, and typically I can get away with about an equal amount in and out. Well, that was until I brought a pro level sub which weighed 14kg on its own. As I always say though, these small variations on weight are typically offset more by what's around our waist, the laptop bag in the car, sports car in the boot, etc. So it's all pretty relative really.