EXOTIC MATERIALS FOR EXOTIC MASTERPIECES
WE HAVE ALL HEARD THE SAYING “YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR” RIGHT?
IT COMES TO NO SURPRISE THAT THE CAR INDUSTRY, MORE PARTICULAR THE SUPERCAR INDUSTRY USES A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MATERIALS TO BUILD ULTRA EXOTIC AND PRICEY AUTOMOBILES. THE MATERIALS USED FOR THESE MECHANICAL WORKS OF ART RANGES FROM THE MOST BASIC, COST-EFFECTIVE ONES SUCH AS STEEL, PLASTIC, RUBBER, GLASS AND OF COURSE ALUMINUM.
ALUMINUM IS A VERY POPULAR METAL WHEN IT COMES TO MANUFACTURING AUTOMOBILE PARTS, AND IS KNOWN FOR ITS LIGHTWEIGHT PROPERTIES. PLASTIC, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MATERIALS THAT ARE USED THE MOST AND NOT ONLY WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR EVERYDAY CAR, IN FACT, THE EXOTIC ONES INCLUDED, CONSIST OF SOME PROPORTION OF PLASTIC. THE REASON FOR THIS IS MOSTLY THE FACT THAT WHEN ONLY NATURAL MATERIALS ARE USED, THE COSTS CAN ESCALATE TO UNIMAGINABLE AMOUNTS.
ALTHOUGH SUPERCAR MANUFACTURERS ALSO NEED TO SEE WHERE THEY CAN SAVE ON COSTS IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS, THEY STILL HAVE PRETTY BIG BUDGETS TO INCORPORATE SOME OF THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE AND HARD TO FIND MATERIALS SUCH AS CARBON, TITANIUM, GOLD, SILVER, MAGNESIUM, KEVLAR AND OF COURSE RHODIUM. THEY MAY BE SUPER EXPENSIVE AND RARE YES, BUT THERE IS A REASON FOR THIS. THEY OFFER MUCH BETTER STRENGTH, DURABILITY AND PLAY A BIG PART IN LOWERING THE WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION OF EXOTIC CARS WHICH IS A NECESSITY IN RACING SUCH AS FORMULA ONE. THE USE OF THESE ULTRA-EXPENSIVE MATERIALS HAS ALSO BECOME MUCH SAFER, SOPHISTICATED AND BETTER BUILT THAN EVER BEFORE. THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY IS EVER-CHANGING AND THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT SOME AMAZING WORKS OF ART WILL BE CREATED IN THE YEARS TO COME.
THE MOST COMMON AND WELL-KNOWN FORM OF CARBON IS KNOWN AS CARBON FIBER; IT CONSISTS OF SMALL STRANDS OF CARBON EMBEDDED INTO A FIBROUS MAT AND SEALED BY A PLASTIC OR RESIN. IT IS MUCH STRONGER AND LIGHTER THAN STEEL AND IS ONLY USED IN THE PRODUCTION OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE CARS IN THE WORLD.
A FORM OF CARBON IS FOUNDED ON MOST CARS KNOWN AS CARBON BLACK, A COMPOUND CONTAINING TINY AMOUNTS OF MATERIAL. IT IS ALSO ADDED TO RUBBER TO STRENGTHEN IT BEFORE MAKING TIRES. CARBON BLACK IS USED TO PROTECT THE TIRE'S SURFACE FROM HEAT DAMAGE AND IT ALSO EXPLAINS WHY TIRES HAVE THEIR DISTINCT BLACK COLOR.
THE METAL WITH THE HIGHEST STRENGTH TO DENSITY RATIO OF ANY OTHER METAL IS KNOWN AS TITANIUM. ITS MOST COMMON USE IS FOR MANUFACTURING SPORT EXHAUST SYSTEMS AND IS ALSO USED TO MINIMIZE THE WEIGHT OF SUPERCARS. TITANIUM ONLY FOUND ITS WAY INTO THE AUTO INDUSTRY RECENTLY AS IT IS USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY BECAUSE OF ITS HIGH STRENGTH AND LIGHTWEIGHT PROPERTIES.
ANOTHER EXPENSIVE METAL USED IN MANUFACTURING SUPERCARS IS GOLD. THIS METAL IS NOT ONLY BEAUTIFUL TO LOOK AT BUT ALSO A VERY VERSATILE AND USEFUL METAL, GOLD IS KNOWN TO BE ONE OF THE BEST ELECTRICAL CONDUCTORS. GOLD FOIL IS OFTEN USED IN FORMULA ONE CARS SUCH AS THE MCLAREN 6LITRE V12 HYPERCAR TO LINE THE HOT PARTS OF THE ENGINE GIVEN THIS PRECIOUS METAL'S EXCELLENT HEAT DISSIPATION PROPERTIES.
THE REASON WHY GOLD IS SO EXPENSIVE IS THE FACT THAT ONLY 10% OF THIS PRECIOUS METAL IS MINED TO MANUFACTURER ANYTHING OTHER THAN BULLION. MORE THAN 80% OF GOLD IS USED FOR JEWELRY AND OTHER VALUABLES.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT COMPONENT IN THE HEATING ELEMENT OF SUPERCARS IS SILVER. OVER 36 MILLION OUNCES OF THE PRECIOUS METAL IS USED IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY EVERY YEAR. EVERY ELECTRICAL CONNECTION IN A MODERN CAR IS ACTIVATED WITH SILVER COATED CONTACTS. SILVER PLAYS A BIG ROLE WHEN IT COMES TO ASSURING YOUR SAFETY AS WELL; TO THINK IT ONLY TAKES A SILVER MEMBRANE SWITCH TO START YOUR ENGINE, OPEN YOUR ELECTRIC WINDOWS, CLOSE YOUR CAR'S TRUNK AS WELL AS ADJUSTING YOUR SEATS.
MAGNESIUM WAS THE METAL USED IN THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY BEFORE TITANIUM WAS INCORPORATED. IT IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE LIGHTEST AND EASIEST METAL TO WORK WITH. IN THE 1970S BEFORE MAGNESIUM GOT BANNED IN FORMULA ONE RACING FOR ITS HIGHLY COMBUSTIBLE NATURE, MAGNESIUM WAS THE METAL OF CHOICE DUE TO ITS WEIGHT ADVANTAGE PROPERTIES AND EASE TO WORK WITH.
KEVLAR, WHICH IS A SYNTHETIC FIBER FIVE TIMES STRONGER THAN STEEL, IS USED IN THE PRODUCTION OF BRAKE PADS, BELTS, GASKETS, AND BODY VEHICLE ARMOR AND IS VERY USEFUL IN THE F1 INDUSTRY SINCE IT MAKES A FUEL TANK PUNCTURE-RESISTANT IN CASE OF CRASHES AND ACCIDENTS.
THE MOST EXPENSIVE METAL OF ALL THE EXOTIC METALS ARE KNOWN AS RHODIUM. THIS PRECIOUS METAL IS MOSTLY USED IN THREE-WAY CATALYTIC CONVERTERS TO REDUCE A CAR'S CARBON EMISSIONS. UNLIKE SOME OF THE OTHER EXOTIC METALS, RHODIUM IS NOT ONLY FOUND IN HIGH-END VEHICLES. MANUFACTURERS OFTEN USE CHEAPER ALTERNATIVES TO BRING DOWN THE COST, USUALLY ONE ELEMENT OF THE PLATINUM ALLOY IS USED.
OVER THE LAST FEW DECADES AS TECHNOLOGY AND MANKIND BECAME MORE EVOLVED, THE USE OF EXOTIC MATERIALS HAVE NOT ONLY BEEN INCORPORATED IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY, BUT ALSO INTO THE MANUFACTURING, PRODUCING AND DESIGNING OF ULTRA-HIGH-END LUXURIOUS MASTERPIECES.
HIGH-TECH MATERIALS SUCH AS TITANIUM AND CARBON FIBER AS WELL AS TRADITIONAL MATERIALS LIKE GOLD, ALUMINUM ALLOY AND SURGICAL STAINLESS STEEL ARE USED IN MANUFACTURING SUPER VELOCE'S TIMELESS MASTERPIECES. ONLY THE FINEST MATERIALS MONEY CAN BUY ARE USED WITH NO EXCEPTIONS MADE. EACH MECHANICAL WORK OF ART IS INDIVIDUALLY HANDCRAFTED TO PERFECTION. NOT ONLY ARE THEY EXQUISITELY BEAUTIFUL TO LOOK AT, BUT TO THINK WHAT GOES INTO CREATING SUPER VELOCE'S COFFEE MACHINES IS TRULY MINDBLOWING. ESPRESSO VELOCE'S ARE NOT ONLY MADE TO BE USED AS COFFEE MAKERS, BUT THEY ARE MADE TO INSPIRE, TO ENTICE AND JUST LIKE SUPERCARS, THEY ARE INVESTMENTS MADE TO BE PASSED DOWN FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT. YOU TRULY GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR WHEN IT COMES TO SUPER VELOCE'S PRODUCTS, BUT WITHOUT A DOUBT, IT IS WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD.