BETTER PARTSThe 600 -horsepower sports car ?? wooden
Essen, 27 November 2015
A fat V8 with seven-liter displacement, 600 - hp mid-engine, an empty weight of just 1134 kg, rear-wheel drive and a manual six-speed gearbox: Such data are likely many a sports car fan schlackern ears.
A car made of wood
However, all these points and data are cordially matter ( at least almost ) because the real highlight of this car is another: It is made of wood. The curtain rises on the Splinter, the ( to December 6 28 November), made its debut at the Essen Motor Show 2015th
A British World War II aircraft inspiration
Unlike conventional sports cars, which are usually made of aluminum, steel or carbon, is the Splinter to 90 per cent of wood. Responsible for the bullet from the renewable resource of the US designer Joe Harmon. The man from the state of North Carolina has been inspired by the deHavilland Mosquito, a multi-purpose aircraft made of wood. He then worked on his own design, made of wood about five years.
Monocoque, bodywork and paint
For Splinter Harmon built a monocoque made of laminated wood. The body, however, was made of lightweight balsa wood, which was then coated with a cherry veneer instead of paint. And the seats, the steering wheel and everything else? All the wood! Even the alloy wheels were covered with wood veneer.
Why wood?
But why is it a building material in which most people think of their interiors or canoes and not really a up to 390 km / h ( so at least in theory ) sports car? For the builder of the Splinter, the matter is clear: wood grows gradually consumed in the processing very little energy. Furthermore, it is biodegradable.
Legitimate doubts?
Whether the Splinter considering its vast combustor but really contributes to conserving resources? We have since then our doubts and prefer to wait for a completely compostable version with electric drive . (ml)