Can A 3D-Printed Supercar Really Do 0-100 Faster Than A McLaren P1?

Last month it was PSC Motors and the SP-200 SIN. This month’s next big thing is the Blade from Divergent Microfactories (DM). If that name sounds a bit techy it’s because DM deals with 3D printing. Specifically, the company 3D-prints nodes made of metal alloy that work like LEGO bricks. These nodes connect to carbon fiber tubes which make constructing a chassis quick and easy.

According to DM the 3D-printed chassis can be put together in as little as 30 minutes by a team of regular folks who grew up playing with LEGOS (just kididng about that last part). Once the frame is complete you can make the body out of anything. Divergent Microfactories is taking this approach in an attempt to cut waste and pollution in the auto industry as well as to democratize the industry. That all sounds well and good, but what about the car? The supercar is said to weigh just 1,388 pounds with a 0 to 100 time of "about 2 seconds" according to DM. Moment comes from a 700-horsepower turbo-four that runs on petrol and natural gas.

The technology certainly seems intriguing, especially for small companies and those who like building kit cars at home. The Blade’s specs seem a bit far-fetched, but we’ll reserve judgement until we see it hit the track, if that ever happens.