Mexican Media Brands
Lamborghini Targets Carbon Fiber Connecting Rods
Lamborghini SpA is developing carbon fiber engine connecting rods that it aims to put in a production vehicle early next decade.
Share
Lamborghini SpA is developing carbon fiber engine connecting rods that it aims to put in a production vehicle early next decade.
The carmaker hopes to complete the development process by the end of 2017 and have something in production “soon,” company officials tell Automotive News. The first model to get the feature could be the replacement for the Aventador supercar due in 2020 or 2021.
Carbon fiber connecting rods are expected to be as much as 50% lighter than steel units. In addition to improved fuel efficiency, the lightweight application also could boost power and acceleration.
The carbon connecting rods likely will use the forged composite technology Lamborghini introduced on the Sesto Elemento coupe in 2010. The high-heat, high-pressure process only takes a few minutes instead of about three hours for traditional resin-transfer molding and as long as 12 hours using a resin-reinforced “prepreg.”
Carbon fiber connecting rods are one of several potential applications Lamborghini is working on at its new advanced composites structures laboratory in Seattle. The 8,000-sq-ft facility, which was opened last month, joins Lamborghini's carbon fiber development center in Italy.
RELATED CONTENT
-
Choosing the Right Fasteners for Automotive
PennEngineering makes hundreds of different fasteners for the automotive industry with standard and custom products as well as automated assembly solutions. Discover how they’re used and how to select the right one. (Sponsored Content)
-
Increasing Use of Structural Adhesives in Automotive
Can you glue a car together? Frank Billotto of DuPont Transportation & Industrial discusses the major role structural adhesives can play in vehicle assembly.
-
on lots of electric trucks. . .Grand Highlander. . .atomically analyzing additive. . .geometric designs. . .Dodge Hornet. . .
EVs slowdown. . .Ram’s latest in electricity. . .the Grand Highlander is. . .additive at the atomic level. . .advanced—and retro—designs. . .the Dodge Hornet. . .Rimac in reverse. . .
