Quote:
Originally Posted by DGthe3
There aren't any steel-aluminum alloys used. Its steel, or aluminum, or what ever else, for any particular body panel.
For a unibody car with a metal skin (be it steel or aluminum) it is structural and has an effect on the crash worthiness of the vehicle. The design of the Corvette space frame is similar to the chassis of a race car. There is a steel or aluminum frame underneath that gives it strength and safety. Fibreglass and carbon fibre on the Corvette is non-structural. Its purpose is to make it look nice, keep water out, and do it at minimal weight. Both metal skinned cars and ones like the Corvette or older saturns have energy absorbing crush/crumple zones within structural elements for safety
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Yup, the only thing I'll add on that is that they have to take extra care with carbon hoods because they don't crumple like a regular hood, so they have to design them to deflect up or break in half because they are stronger and more rigid then a windshield.