I helped a friend buy a pair of Hardrocks recently, and was surprised how massively built they were, for what is not really a hardcore off-roader bike. The stem seems to be a billet of solid Al, and the front end was really heavy.
Im sure that Specialized marketing dept are as tuned-in as any, so light-weight must count for very little when selling MTBs at this level.
Their Rock-hoppers seem to be much better bikes designed to appeal to people who actually ride.