How to reduce weight?

[INFINITI Q45]

At 4000 plus pounds their must be some ways to lower the massive weight in the Q's!Im thinking light race seats, maybe replace windows with plexy glass, add a fuel cell in the trunk. Can any one think of good ideas to lower the weight???

[PopPop]

Are you going all out race or is it street? Weight helps out a lot but, the type of wt. is very important! Like rotating mass! Start with light wt. wheels and tires and it's an very good start.

[nchopp]

At 4000 plus pounds their must be some ways to lower the massive weight in the Q's!Im thinking light race seats, maybe replace windows with plexy glass, add a fuel cell in the trunk. Can any one think of good ideas to lower the weight???

It's a luxury car - not a race car. There aren't going to be many places you can lose weight, because so much of it is integral to the car. Sound-deadening, frame, body, large-ish V-8...

[midnightsliding]

well their is alot of usless sh** on the car depending on what ur goign to use it for. and fuel tank is already in the trunk its in a crapy location its too much weight that high on the car.do a coustom wiring harness if ur serious.and they way the inter is goign to look in mine when its all done one day.

[Jesda]

Depends how extreme youre going to go. At some point, it just makes more sense to put the engine in a smaller and lighter car.

[midnightsliding]

un less u like big sexy 4door whoes, and its more pimp then fast lol.

[INFINITI Q45]

I get the luxury of the Qs and enjoy that part.And also understand the view point of light car for all out performance. But often lighter components can be of higher qaulity and better performance. I dont plan on a full out race car, just a few mods. I want to build adrag race car some day.

[Jesda]

Start with a CF driveshaft and go from there.

[elwesso]

I think it might be possible to drop the weight of the Q 500 lbs without really losing any ofthe luxury features... heres what I can come up with and other notes

1. Spare tire/jack- 25lbs2. Smaller battery, but make sure it still has the same ratings as the factory one, reduce by 20lbs maybe?3. The hood really does not weigh that much for how big it is... I suppose a CF hood wouldnt really weigh much less4. Doors are about 60lbs each without regulators or glass, so id say about 80 lbs each with all the stuff in them.....5. Fender skins are REALLY light.6. Wheels. Factory wheels weigh like 24lbs each without tires... The BBS wheels in the 15 weigh about 13lbs without tires...7. Seats weigh about 80lbs each, but its mainly due to the rails and motors.. you could proabbly rig the Q seats onto a lighter frame and just adjust them manually...8. CF driveshaft would probably only net you maybe 15lbs or so.

So heres what I come up with...

25+20+160+40+40=285 lbs... and thats without really changing anything extreme on the car...

[redmanfx]

There are alot of suspension parts that weigh a ton and can be replaced with other "less heavy" parts without compromising safety.

Anything carbon fiber will save you 20% - 55% in weight, but will cost you an arm and a leg, especially a driveshaft. In the end though you can cut around 500lbs of the car and still feel safe IMO. Anything more than that you would most likely loose performance and that "Q" feel.

red

[DrewQ45]

Does it need to be street legal?

I'd say lose the exhaust and replace with straight pipe.... That should be what, around 250lbs? OEM setup is heavy!

Drew

[elwesso]

its not that heavy...

[INFINITI Q45]

The exaust systm would be a good place to lose some weight. I think a few hundred pounds would be good, I dont know if that little of a reduction could be felt on the road.Thanks for all the good ideas!!!

[one ton garage]

Only real reason to even begin to worry about dropping much weight in the Q imo is if you plan on racing/tracking it... otherwise your efforts would be compromised with a constant worry about maintaining some semblance of "comfort" or "luxury," and you won't end up losing much weight. A friend just dumped like 400lbs or so off a saturn he got for free for track use recently... and that's starting with parts that are already light weight to begin with. Dumping the heavy *** components from a Q would most likely net you even greater weight savings

[twoeightythreez]

I pulled one of these completely apart in 2007. The bare shell weighs over 1300lb, and i mean BARE, as in no glass, no doors, no powertrain, no brakes, no exhaust, no fuel system, no hood or trunk, no bumpers, no wiring, you get the point, the bare body.
There really is no way to make these light.
Just enjoy it as it is and upgrade for better handling.