A body for two

The union of the expertise of Future Fibres and Persico in the field of composite fibres and the manufacturing of precision equipment has led to the development of a composite material body prototype reinforced with carbon fibre for the new RP-one sports car, presented at JEC Europe 2013 (Paris, March 12-14). The vehicle, approved for road travel, will be built by RPx Automotive starting in December 2013 and belongs to a new generation of high performance vehicles with the principal characteristic of light weight, as opposed to engine power. The entire structure of the body incorporates the dashboard and the door module giving the vehicle additional rigidity although it weighs only 55 kg.
"Our collaboration with Persico for the RP-one racing car - set for launch soon - demonstrates the advantages of integrating the capacity for creating a mould with the expertise of composite materials. Our joint experience in the sector of composites for the nautical industry has enabled us to develop a cost-effective production process for high precision, limited series automobile composites. We continue to identify important new applications for our technologies and lightweight fibres, particularly in the light of the demand for sustainable solutions," Torbjörn Linderson, Product Manager for Future Fibres, said. The two companies, in fact, in 2010, set up the joint venture Future Spars, with manufacturing facility close to the Future Fibres facilities in Valencia, dedicated to the production of moulds, rigging, carbon hulls and masts for super yachts and competition vessels.