geistmeister

Will anyone quell my ignorance by telling me which is heavier: a C230 with a Panorama roof or an otherwise-equivalent with a hard-top?

TIA.

vadim

My guess is the one with the roof is heavier - you have to fit roof itself, rails, motors, sensors, harness, etc. where a (more or less) bare piece of sheet metal would be otherwise.

tommy

The car equipped with the panorama roof should be heavier. Usually, the added weight comes from the motor, assembly, and bracing that needs to be done for the whole shootin' match.

As a comparison, the sunroof on my '90 crx adds about 50lbs., if memory serves.

MB-BOB

Glass is MUCH heavier than steel... I believe I read somewhere that the average car has more than 300 pounds of glass, excluding sunroofs. I'm guessing better than 400 pounds with the Panorama Roof... that's 11% of the entire weight of the vehicle itself, well above the center of gravity. That's why serious race teams never buy a sunroof car... gotta keep that CG as low as possible.

But you can't see through steel. And that roof is sooo pretty!

Notorious

But you can't see through the sunroof while your driving either. Or is it the other way around you can't drive while you are looking through the sunroof. I forget.

vadim

You can - partially. Your peripheral vision will pick up some. You don't stare into your rear doors windows, either, so what's the point?
Plus, it lets a lot of fresh air in when open.