Weight reduction is a mantra for automotive companies and, predictably, Audi is at the front of the pack announcing it will have cars fitted with lightweight suspension springs made from fibre-glass reinforced polymer (GFRP) on-sale by the end of this year.
Light-green in colour, the GFRP springs (developed in conjunction with an Italian suspension specialist) also differ from conventional steel springs with a lower number of coils thanks to a thicker fibre strand and slightly larger overall diameter.
However, most importantly, a GFRP suspension spring is on average 40 per-cent lighter than an equivalent steel spring.
For example, an upper mi-size vehicle sits on steel springs which each weigh 2.7kgs. The replacement GFRP spring tips the scales at just 1.6kgs – multiply that by four and you have a 4.4kgs reduction in unsprung weight.
The GFRP springs have several other advantages – they don’t corrode even after being stone-chipped and they’re not at risk from the use of strong chemical wheel cleaners. Perhaps best of all, their production process burns considerably less energy than steel springs.
As we said – trust Audi to be at the head of the line with smart stuff like this.
