Panoz Auto Development has produced the Panoz Roadster, a retro-looking, state-of-the-art automobile for several years. It has a Ford Special Vehicles Team modular V8 drivetrain and adhesive-bonded superformed aluminum and magnesium alloy skin. It was the world’s first aluminum-intensive vehicle. Panoz is now producing its new Esperant¿which features several new engineering ideas.
When visitors enter the Esperant¿ssembly building, the first thing they notice on the assembly line is the gleaming extruded aluminum chassis components. The second thing they notice is the absence of a welder. Panoz bonds the chassis together with a structural adhesive. With adhesive, stress is better distributed throughout the entire contact between the rails and corner nodes. This stiffens the chassis and minimizes flex.