I have a few more things to add.

First off, the wiring is not as bad as you think. A lot of the wireing now travels along "common pipes" so to say. One of the reasons the Trailblazer had so many electrical gremlins was that it was one of the first vehicles to have an integrated electrical systems where data traveled along the same wire.

Now back to weights...how much does an airbag and supporting wiring weight? Also..I know the Mustang's ARS only added 90 lbs..but what about a nicer one like in the Camaro?

With the high beltlines you see in a lot of cars, I thing that has to do with european pedestrian crash standards..which mean more upright front bumpers. I think they then make the rear beltline higher to balance it out. That being said..It also could be to increase trunk size.

My whole point with this thread though is that...there are only three ways cars get lighter. Either take stuff out of them, make them smaller, or use expensive, lighter materials. I wonder which one people would go for?.

 

i'd go for taking stuff out.

 

Count me in for all three...

 

Smaller....then better materials...then you can leave stuff out of them.....

 

People also forget that SRA cars still have a subframe, or leave out other analogous components (halfshafts vs axles) when making lists comparing them.

 

I'm not big on small sizes. However, I'm big on hardware design and integrity so I'd rather take stuff out.

 

The problem is, you live in a "more, better, cheaper" society...

 

I vote make them smaller. My fusion is 190" long and is a roomy and practical family sedan. I don't see why an unpractical sports coupe with limited interior space has to be as long/large.

Also find inexpensive ways to reduce weight by making weight reduction a goal and priority from the very beginning. See Mazda's "gram strategy" to get an idea of what i'm talking about. Sweating the details and reducing weight in things as small the rearview mirror add up. That kind of attention to detail makes a difference and shouldn't really make the car any more expensive.

And i'd gladly give up some horses in the process. A 3500lb 350hp car can be every bit as fun and possibly even funner than a 3900lb 426hp car.

 

Corvette benefits from a similar strategy. As far as I can tell, Mazda's mainstream U.S. products (3, 6, SUVs) do not, as they weigh just as much as their competition.

 

Great post! I'm not generally one to complain about the current camaro's size. The only parts that stand out as too big to the point of bothering me are the size of the rims and the rear of the car... it's very tall! But if manufacturers pay attention to the small parts of the car, saving weight also saves money. To take the example above, a rearview mirror that uses less plastic in its mold costs less! Remove that annoying Onstar system from it, and it weighs alot less!

 

I still don't see how the Camaro is viewed as obnoxiously bigger than its competition:

 

That picture makes me think three things:

1. I'm wondering if owning a 4th gen really altered my first live viewing of the 5th gen. Because I'm in that it seems bigger than I expected class of people - though I in no way find it monstrous.

2. I have not been paying enough attention to the Mustang's size.

3. I really need to see the three of them (w/Challenger) LIVE, together.

 

Just wondering, if you've seen any in traffic or parked next to other cars yet.

 

Of course, I agree.

But I also get the sense that efforts were made to try to reduce mass on this car, that is, within the very limited parameters GM had to work with.

Long ago, I had a pharmacology professor, who while describing the actions and limits of certain drugs said, "you cannot turn a human into a chicken".

The lesson learned here, is you cannot turn a large sedan into a pony car.

 

I think when I was originally comparing them I looked up the 2010 Camaro 18" wheels vs. the 20" and it was ~1lbs. per tire.

245/45/20" Good year Eagles are 28lbs. 255/55/17 are 32lbs. and 245/45/18 are 26lbs.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.j...um%3D445VR0RSA