Ferrari Portofino's Lightweight Construction to Trickle to Other Ferraris

Ferrari used a new manufacturing process to build the new Portofino convertible that will be used on more of its cars going forward.

The process used to manufacture the aluminum-intensive structure that underpins the Portofino helped save weight and simplify the build process compared to the California convertible it replaces. For example, whereas the A-pillar on the California is made up of 21 different components, the Portofino’s consist of only two. According to Autocar, the Portofino’s chassis uses 40 percent less parts than the California’s and is also 35 percent stiffer. This innovative structure helped shed 80 kg of weight as well.

Ferrari’s chief technology officer, Michael Leiters, told Autocar the Portofino’s build process “will also be carried over for use in future models.” The automaker may also use different chassis integration techniques on its future road cars, along with different materials, to strip even more weight from them. For example, it could begin to use carbon fiber in certain areas of the chassis for a mixed material chassis that is lightweight, stiff and cost-effective.

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With Ferrari set to release its first series production hybrid model in the coming years, saving weight is going to become extremely important for the Italian brand. The automaker utilized a single piece carbon fiber monocoque for the hybrid LaFerrari hypercar, but it sounds as though Ferrari thinks it can make its cars light enough without having to utilize a carbon chassis. A carbon tub may offer the advantage of being very light, but is not as easy to work with as an aluminum structure and can’t be widely produced as easily.

[Source: Autocar]

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