Lightweighting: Getting The Lead and Steel And Cast Iron Out Of Tomorrow’s Cars.
The late Colin Chapman, the revered race car and sports car designer, is often credited with the quote “To add speed, add lightness.” If he were alive today, he’d likely put more emphasis on that maxim...
View ArticleDesigners Put Tomorrow’s Cars on a Diet
Bigger is better. It’s been the automotive mandate since the days of Henry Ford. And with rare exception, that’s precisely what automakers have delivered, vehicles that grow more massive with every new...
View ArticleFord Betting on Aluminum with Next-Gen F-Series
Ford reportedly plans to go "aluminum-intensive" to cut as much as 700 pounds off the weight of the replacement for the current F-Series. Aluminum, reports TheDetroitBureau.com, is just one of the...
View ArticleSteel Aims to Take on All Challengers
Facing tough new safety and mileage standards the auto industry is in a bind. It has to make its vehicles stronger -- and lighter at the same time, which is why aluminum and carbon fiber are gaining...
View ArticleDueling Metals: Backers offer Counter-Claims for Steel, Aluminum
For more than a century, steel has been the heavy lifter of the auto industry. But heavy is not a term automakers like these days. Facing tough new mileage standards, they're looking at lighter...
View ArticleChevy Takes a Load Off With Silverado Cheyenne Concept
Who says pickups have to be big and heavy? Chevrolet's new Silverado drops 200 pounds for the annual SEMA show by adopting carbon fiber and other lightweight materials. Might the Chevy Silverado...
View ArticleUS Fuel Consumption Falls 11%
Smaller vehicles and new technology -- as well as changing driving habits -- have combined to reduce the fuel consumption of American drivers of light-duty vehicles by 11% since 2004, reports...
View ArticleOver Half of New Vehicles Now Deliver at Least 23 MPG
Despite the resurgence of full-size pickups, SUVs and muscle cars, American car buyers are getting better fuel economy than ever before, over half of the vehicles sold this year delivering over 23 mpg,...
View ArticleDeltaWing Unveils 4-Seat Passenger Car Concept
The radical DeltaWing race car created quite a buzz when it made its debut a few years back, and this equally radical 4-door passenger car concept is likely to stir things up even more....
View ArticleFord Unveils Ultra-Light Fusion Sedan Concept
Ford will trim 700 pounds off the weight of its new F-150 truck, but it may one day shave as much as 800 pounds off a midsize Fusion sedan, if its radical Lightweight Concept is any indication....
View ArticleMost Pickups Will Adopt Aluminum Bodies, Says Study
When the new Ford F-150 comes to market later this year it could usher in a dramatic transformation, according to auto industry leaders, who forecast more than 75% of all pickups will adopt aluminum...
View ArticleDesigners, Engineers Put Premium on “Lightweighting”
Faced with tough new fuel economy standards that will climb to 54.5 mpg over the next decade, “lightweighting” has become the strategy of choice for automotive designers and engineers, according to a...
View ArticleFord Pitches Innovation as it Prepares Launch of Aluminum F-150 Pickup
It may not seem like much, but the new sliding rear window on the 2015 Ford F-150 saves a pound - and works better. It's one of the many innovations the maker is pushing as it prepares to launch the...
View ArticleFord Launches Production of New Aluminum F-150
As the full-size F-150 pickups roll down the line at a steady pace, it may seem like a normal day but a closer look reveals that these aren’t any ordinary trucks; they’re the new aluminum-bodied models...
View ArticleFord Aims to Retain F-150’s Sales Lead
The long-awaited launch of the 2015 Ford F-150 should send a message that Ford will retain its highly profitable leadership in the full-size pickup market, CEO Mark Fields said as new, aluminum-bodied...
View ArticleAutomakers Put Their Cars on a Diet
It's as big as a 7-Series, as light as a 5-. Cadillac made "lightweighting" a central goal with the debut of its new CT6 sedan. It isn't alone. in the push to improve fuel economy, automakers are...
View ArticleFord Plants to Boost Use of Carbon Fiber
When Ford’s new GT supercar makes its way into production next year it will make extensive use of super-light carbon fiber. But the Detroit maker's new joint venture is aimed at moving carbon fiber...
View ArticleGM Puts Its Products on a Diet
Facing pressure to boost its fuel economy, GM plans to put its future products on a strict diet, starting with the new 2016 Chevrolet Camaro which loses 200 pounds. But it will require some major...
View ArticleFord First to Use Lightweight Gorilla Glass for Production Car
When it comes to attacking weight, Ford plans to use some guerilla tactics. Make that “gorilla,” as in Gorilla Glass. Ford is borrowing a page from the consumer electronics industry to come up with a...
View ArticlePrepping for First SUV, Rolls-Royce Begins Testing New Aluminum Spaceframe
There has always been something a bit anachronistic about Rolls-Royce, retro if you prefer. But Rolls wants to roll into the future with a new, lightweight aluminum spaceframe that will, among other...
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