Mexican team designs new ‘impact-proof’ car

The vehicle is made of 'metal foam,' a zinc, aluminum and silver alloy

Mexico News Daily

Mexico is set to boost its presence in the global car market with the presentation of a luxury sports car made of highly resistant “impact-proof” material later this year.

The Inferno Exotic Car was made entirely in Mexico by a team of young entrepreneurs, scientists, designers and engineers and is the product of five years’ work. The new vehicle will be available in December and is being endorsed by the Mexican automotive firm LTM Hot Spot.
It is made of a patented new material known as “metal foam,” an alloy of zinc, aluminum and silver developed by scientists at the Puebla campus of the Technological Institute of Monterrey.

The ground-breaking new material is extremely resistant to impact, and can be stretched to at least 100 times its original size without losing its original properties. The parts can be replaced, reused and even repaired up to 10 times.
“We believe that this material is suitable for manufacturing luxury sports cars,” said LTM spokesman Manuel Llaguno, while promoting the Inferno’s forthcoming presentation at the Sante Fe Automotive Expo between December 3 and 6.
The original Inferno model was made entirely by Mexicans, and it is hoped that its debut will pave the way for a surge in the domestic automotive industry. However, the cars will be manufactured in Italy after the designers decided that the fleet should be built by companies specializing in high-end sports cars such as Lamborghini.
“The market for luxury sports cars is a competitive one, and we want to guarantee the success of this new vehicle,” said Llaguno. He added that without detracting from Mexico’s achievement in having built the first Inferno, LTM wants to ensure that subsequent models will be built to the highest standard, because “the market at this level is very demanding, and we want to guarantee that we can deliver.”

Llanguno declined to offer details on unit cost or name other companies involved, but indicated that LTM was confident the Inferno would be a worldwide success.
“This is a market that is going to grow, it is a dream that we have already realized,” he said, adding that the Inferno had been well received by industry opinion leaders. He suggested that further expansion by LTM and its affiliated group of young Mexican entrepreneurs into other areas of the motor industry was a possibility, adding that there were “more surprises to come.”
The vehicle is powered by a 1,400-hp engine, has a top speed of 395 km/h and will do zero to 100 km/h in under three seconds.