Mirage Carbon Bonnet / hood

[GrnBn]

Nothing you could remove with hand tools would in any way compromise the integrity of the vehicle in an accident, maybe barring you removing the air bags. Basically, the interior, stereo, and AC all exist to make you feel comfortable and make the car look nice. If you're racing it, or trying for some extreme hypermiling, gut the beast and only feel cool air when you crack a window.

[Mistah JT]

Nothing you could remove with hand tools would in any way compromise the integrity of the vehicle in an accident, maybe barring you removing the air bags. Basically, the interior, stereo, and AC all exist to make you feel comfortable and make the car look nice. If you're racing it, or trying for some extreme hypermiling, gut the beast and only feel cool air when you crack a window.

Carbon fibre is not good in an accident, it would make the 4.5 ancap rating lower. Carbon fibre usually shatters. Stock bonnet would absorb some of the force. That's why carbon fibre bonnets are illegal in Australia, car won't pass roadworthy with one.

[GrnBn]

That may be true, but notice that my comment actually references removing interior items. In regard to your point, I would play devil's advocate and point out that if you wreck hard enough to shatter your CF hood, the hood is probably the least of your concerns.

[rednwhitecooper]

The hood isn't structural. Pretty much every visible piece of the car (aside from the roof, pillars and quarter panels) is just for looks. The reason they are illegal in Australia is because of dumbass legislators who really aren't concerned with public safety.

[hank]

The hood isn't structural. Pretty much every visible piece of the car (aside from the roof, pillars and quarter panels) is just for looks. The reason they are illegal in Australia is because of dumbass legislators who really aren't concerned with public safety.

I dont agree with that statement, the hood is absolutely structural. A simple implication of this is the use of metal to construct the hood rather than fiberglass (which is quite a bit cheaper) or some other material. Why would a manufacturer voluntarily increase their production cost for something as simple as aesthetics when there are much more viable alternatives in regard to budget?

On another note however, I would run CF/fiberglass on a daily without a second thought, there isn't enough benefit in having metal panels to offset my demand in weight reduction.

[Mistah JT]

The hood isn't structural. Pretty much every visible piece of the car (aside from the roof, pillars and quarter panels) is just for looks. The reason they are illegal in Australia is because of dumbass legislators who really aren't concerned with public safety.

Have you not seen the underside of a bonnet? They are reinforced. They are designed to bend and absorb impact in an accident.
And that is why carbon hoods are illegal, they don't absorb impact, they shatter and become legal in an accident.

[oldopelguy]

How structural could it be, transmitting that "structure" to the body in a crash through that tiny latch and a two pieces of tin foil at the back?

[91cavgt]

How structural could it be, transmitting that "structure" to the body in a crash through that tiny latch and a two pieces of tin foil at the back?

It's very structural if you hit a pedestrian and they end up on your hood. A stock hood will crumple and help to lessen the impact (they are designed to do that now) to a pedestrian where a carbon fiber hood will shatter, causing more injury to the pedestrian. More than likely, this is why carbon fiber hoods are illegal in Australia.

[rednwhitecooper]

And that is why carbon hoods are illegal, they don't absorb impact, they shatter and become legal in an accident.

Oh, perfect then. It's only illegal until the accident. Sounds good to me.

[chris_top_her]

Or you can rice it up and plasti-dip/wrap your hood (plz don't)