In a sports car where performance and handling are important automakers will often go to great lengths to make the car lighter. Ford has announced that it is the first automaker to use Corning Gorilla Glass Hybrid windshield technology in a production car. The special windshield shaves over 12 pounds compared to a traditional windshield.
That 12 pounds positivity impacts handling, performance and fuel economy according to Ford. The hybrid windshield design uses a three-layer build with layers of Gorilla glass, thermoplastic, and annealed glass in its construction. The windshield was tested for rollover protection, rough roads, and crack prevention and found to be better than standard windshields.
Ford is also using this special glass in the bulkhead between the engine compartment and as the cover for the engine in the rear of the GT. Overall, the durable, scratch resistant window is about 30% lighter than traditional glass. It’s unclear exactly how the Gorilla Glass hybrid material compares on cost with normal glass. Anyone who has ever broken a smartphone screen covered with Gorilla Glass knows the material is far from break resistant.
via Ford