ENGINEERING CONSIDERATIONS ON THE CFRP SUBFRAME OF THE MURCIELAGO ROADSTER

摘要

When modern saloon cars are re-engineered as convertibles (or roadsters) it is typical for them to lose 50 percent or more of the body's torsional rigidity. Consequently the vehicles rarely handle quite as crisply, nor do they ride as well as the coupes from which they derived. This, in turn, greatly affects the handling characteristics, noise and vibration, and crash performance of the vehicle. While these considerations apply to every topless car, they are particularly evident in the case of high performance vehicles, as in the case of the new Murcielago Roadster. To compensate for this loss, new structural members were introduced, while existing ones were reinforced. An all-new carbon/epoxy composite tubular sub-frame was introduced in the engine bay, and its engineering development is here discussed in detail. Improved component design is achieved through an Integrated Product Development, which consists in a concurrent development of design, analysis and manufacturing requirements.