At a price tag of £2.1 million, the Icona Vulcano Titanium features a titanium body that was hammered by hand. As the first titanium car, the Icona also happens to feature some impressive features under the hood, sporting a 1,000 horsepower engine. But that simply won’t cut the price tag, as this impressive hunk of metal seems to have a hard time finding an owner willing to part with their cash. For car manufacturers, a bit more finesse is required and titanium is used far more sparingly to create sheer driving pleasure.
3D Printing And Titanium Pair Up
McLaren seems to be the testing ground for many of the titanium-printed nicks and nacks in the automotive industry. McLaren Automotive rallies behind items such as the 3D-printed titanium toolkit, which weighs around 45% lighter than standard toolkits. The 3D-printed titanium wheel cores offer great strength at a reduced weight in the hybrid McLaren P1 sports car. The reason titanium appeals to car manufacturers, is that it is far more durable than stainless steel, stronger than aluminum, and lightweight. It’s also not affected by corrosion or weather damage, which is a must in this industry.
The Fusion Of Metal And Glass
One of the best innovations of our generation is possibly the ability to weld metal directly to glass. For the automotive industry, this is a massive boon as it allows seamless integration between metal and glass for smoother lines and a more aerodynamic approach. This design concept will allow metal applications such as a single titanium sheet to provide strength and rigidity without it being compromised by too many stress points. This is particularly handy in the racing industry which relies heavily on aerodynamics. The welding is done with a laser which uses short pulses to fuse metal and glass, which means that there is no undue stress on either.
Lightweight And Hardy Essential For The Cars Of The Future
Tesla is often regarded as the car manufacturer of the future and despite a delay in the production line, there are a couple of hundred thousand motorists lucky enough to have theirs in hand. Tesla is also looking at building cars that are tough and durable and for its new pickup, some neat features are in store. According to Chief Executive Elon Musk, the pickup is set to have tons of titanium and will be regarded as a Bladerunner, futuristic-type truck.
For drivers, the pleasure of the drive is partly knowing that their car is made of some of the finest materials on the planet. It doesn’t get much finer in the automotive industry than titanium.
