Wearing the same name as the company which developed it, the impossible to pronounce Inrekor promises to be just as strong as steel (or other current car construction materials), 30 percent lighter and, to the delight of Greenpeace, 100 percent recyclable.
The material is in fact an ultra-lightweight structure which comprises a propylene-based foam called ARPRO, tucked in between thin sheets of aluminum. The material can be used for the chassis of the car, but also for some body parts.
According to Autocar, the material has been presented to the world in-use, as it was utilized for the construction of a Porsche 356 Speedster kit car, built in association with Chesil Motor Company. The result was a vehicle which is 15 percent lighter than the same car constructed by using conventional materials.
To give us an even better idea of what the material means, Inrekor also presented a chassis of a four-seat car, which would usually weigh 300 kg (661 pounds). By using the new material, the same results were obtained with only a fraction of that weight, or 160 kg (352 pounds).
Those who worry about the safety of the new material should be calmed down by the test conducted by Warwick Manufacturing Group and MIRA. According to their findings, the material is strong enough to achieve the five star Euro NCAP rating.
What's really interesting is that the company announced its product will be experienced first hand soon, as a contract with a car manufacturer has already been signed. Of course, the name of that manufacturer was not revealed.
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