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Originally Posted by z12358
Excuse my ignorance but aren't the Corvette's body panels made of plastic? I guess, that's how what looks like a large car can only weigh about 3000lbs. Looks almost like cheating. 
Seriously, if that's true how come other sports cars haven't picked up this "secret" way of shedding weight? A plastic Boxster would come out sub 2500 lbs.
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Hi,
The car isn't Plastic, it's composite GRP - Glass Reinforced Plastic - a composition of materials which, when brought together under the right conditions, form a tough, lightweight, durable laminate with countless strengths.
GRP doesn't dent, corrode, rot, or support infestation and has a high strength-to-weight ratio being several times stronger than mild steel on a weight for weight basis.
It can be
engineered (by layering and Glass Fibre orientation) to provide greater/lesser strength as required throughout the Body structure, unlike mild steel.
Also, because the Car doesn't have the same rigidity as Uni-Body construction, the Frame must be better engineered to provide this strength. So, it has a better Frame, lower Mass, lighter weight, and corrosion resistance (actually corrosion-free).
Lots of other cars have picked-up this
secret through the years. In fact, some of the Best Performers such as Lotus, TVR, Marcos, Ferrari, McLaren, Koenigsegg, Pagani, and virtually all F1, Cart, Indy and Champ Cars of the past 40 years have used this technology to great success. Porsche too
cheats with it's Urethane Bumpers and Alloy Deck Lids. The single biggest reason it is not more prevelant is cost - it is more costly (on a per unit basis) than stamping Body panels from mild steel.
No, if you're going to criticize the Corvette, Body composition and construction isn't the place to do it. It's really quite brilliant!...
Happy Motoring!... Jim'99