Zone Gadget

The World's First Wooden Supercar "The Splinter Car"

Joe Harmon and his team from North Carolina State University have made the world's first wooden supercar "The Splinter car".

Designer Joe Harmon, who is head of the project, said:

"Wood is a truly amazing material to work with."

"It has a higher strength-to-weight ratio than aluminium or steel, and it possesses a versatility that makes many different types of construction techniques possible.

"The look, feel, and smell of a natural material like wood is not seen elsewhere and cannot be faked, and the satisfaction involved in making something from a piece of wood is awesome.

"This is a supercar designed to push boundaries and prove the potential of wood as a material."

Here are the specifications:

LAYOUT
Mid-engine, rear-drive

CHASSIS
Laminated wood veneer Monocoque

BRAKES
F 14.0in drilled, slotted, vented rotors with 6 piston calipers R 12.0in drilled, slotted, vented rotors

WHEELS
3 piece- forged rims, laminated wood center section
F 19in X 10in
R 20in X 13in

TIRES
Michelin Pilot Sport 2
F 265/35ZR19
R 335/30ZR20
STEERING
Sweet Mfg Integrated Servo 12:1 Rack and Pinion

FRONT SUSPENSION
Unequal length upper and lower laminated wood A-arms
Transversely mounted laminated wood leaf spring
Adjustable remote reservoir tube shocks
Laminated wood anti-roll bar

REAR SUSPENSION
Laminatesd wood trailing arms
Transversely mounted laminated wood leaf spring

ENGINE
Aluminum block and heads
32V DOHC reverse-flow cylinder heads
4.6L displacement
Twin Roots-type superchargers
4 air-to-water intercoolers
Projected 600 bhp

DRIVETRAIN
6 speed manual transaxle
Getrag limited-slip differential