RS2 dimensions

[DickyC]

Think estate cars.

The new Mini Clubman is:
3937mm long x 1683mm wide x 1426mm high

The RS2 is:
4510mm long x 1695mm wide x 1386mm high

So, the RS2 is 573mm longer, 12mm wider and 40mm lower than the new Mini Clubman. For those of us who think in old money, that's one foot ten inches longer, half an inch wider and an inch and a half lower. Quite a lot longer, more or less the same width and quite a bit lower.

Now that's a surprise, isn't it?

The Mini weighs in at 1675 kg max versus the RS2's 2100 kg. If you took out 425 kg of unsightly fat, the old bus would be as nimble as a Mini. No wonder Porsche wouldn't let Audi RS2ify the Coupe.

Hold on, I can feel a new project coming on.

[Rob20vurq]

my book says 1595 Kg ready to drive. 2100 is gross weight (fully laden)

[DickyC]

my book says 1595 Kg ready to drive. 2100 is gross weight (fully laden)

Better still.

I don't know what the ready to drive weight for the new Mini Clubman is, but the unladen weight is 1280kg, say 1300 in round figures with water and fuel.

Only 295kg to lose from the RS2. That's less than six hundredweight.

LIGHTWEIGHT RS2 PROJECT

Plan A: do not sully a decent RS2 with weight reduction scheme but buy a weather beaten S2 Avant and practice on that.

Oh, yes! An RS2 as chuckable as a Mini. Don't stop me, I'm going to do it.

[VaudiGR]

mine weighs 1780 with a 3/4 full and all juices in,as well as me as a driver(weigh 80Kg)

if you want to do a weight reduction on an rs2 then front arches and hood are already made from germany as fibre glass,you have to do the same on rear arches as well but manufacture them.Then keep the door cards for obvious reasons and then the problem is with the windows which are many and heavy.

Other than that,you rip all of carpets,interior etc ...but then you are not left with much of a car,are you?

[DickyC]

Yes, I was imagining reconstructing much of the car. Taking the front and rear bumpers, for example, taking moulds from them and recreating them in thinner fibreglass or carbon fibre.

Martyn from VagParts told me he ran a hotted-up - but stripped-down - S2 Avant at one time and saved 300lbs by removing the underseal and much of the interior. The opportunities for weight reduction are greater on the RS2 with the extras; the powered roof and the electric front seats and so on.

If it's a project and I practice on an S2 or Audi 80 Avant then not much harm is done. When the technique is perfected, I could transfer the bits to a dodgy RS2; a stolen recovered left hooker or something. It would make a great street legal track day car

[VaudiGR]

indeed!

[DickyC]

The Mini weighs in at 1675 kg max versus the RS2's 2100 kg.

my book says 1595 Kg ready to drive. 2100 is gross weight (fully laden)

Yes, the more I think about it, two tonnes was a bit much. The RS2 would be a cross between an Audi 80 and an armoured personnel carrier - not the ideal track day combination. A track day in a Rolls Royce Silver Cloud, anyone? I thought not.

The other mistake I made was proposing to practice on a les exotic Audi 80 variant and then transmogrify the bits on to a dodgy RS2 to complete the project. When my initial enthusiasm had given way to the cold light of thinking straight, I see it would be cheaper to buy the dodgy RS2 to begin with and work on that. Some of the displaced bits could be sold to add to the pot. Thanks for not pointing that out, you know how sensitive I am.

By "work on," I mean to borrow that lovely expression from the aircraft industry, "simplicate and add lightness." Colin Chapman liked that one. Instead of adding power, I'm going to remove weight.

There will now be a lengthy pause while I amass funds for Project Lightweight RS2, which really ought to be a new thread.

In the meantime, any thoughts will be most welcome. Contacts for the lighter bits such as Vasaudigreece suggested would be a start. I've been amassing parts for the RS2 anyway, so it's no hardship. Thanks.

[DickyC]

A home-modified RS2 track day car.

Oh, yes, I can see it all...