Autoblog

Next Audi Q7 to go on radical diet, lose 770 pounds

Zach Bowman — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:15:00 EST

Audi has set some pretty aggressive weight-cutting targets for its future line, according to Car and Driver. The German manufacturer has said that each of its model successors will be lighter than their current iterations thanks to a greater use of aluminum in their body structures. That includes the big boy Q7 crossover, which, according to global marketing head-honcho Peter Schwarzenbauer, may shed as much as 770 pounds before the next generation gets its unveiling. That's an eye-widening figure, to be sure, as it marks a 14 percent cut from the curb weight of the current car.

Lighter weight invariably translates to better fuel economy, better handling and shorter stopping distances - all things that can paint a grin on our faces. Will this greater focus on lightweight materials translate into steeper price tags? It's hard to tell, but traditional logic suggests it will. We'll just have to wait for the next-generation Q7 to debut before we can say for certain.

Next Audi Q7 to go on radical diet, lose 770 pounds originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Mazda to slash weight by over 200 pounds in 2011

Chris Shunk — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:31:00 EST

Filed under: Mazda

2009 Mazda MX-5 Miata - Click above for high-res image gallery

When the original fuel crisis hit the States in the 1970s, automakers scrambled to make smaller, more efficient transportation. The result was a lot of ill-packaged front-wheel drive suck better left in the deepest recesses of our collective consciousness. Since the mid '80s though, vehicles (and people) began growing at a steady rate to the point that the typical C-segment sedan is bigger and heavier than the run of the mill '90s midsize sedan.

Mazda is no different than the competition when it comes to added tonnage, as product development chief Robert Davis tells Autoweek/Automotive News that each product cycle results in weight gain of about 80 pounds. That stops beginning in 2011, though, as the Japanese automaker begins dropping the weight of a typical Mazda by 220 pounds or more. Davis says the automaker will attack the problem from several angles, including using more aluminum and high strength steel, cutting the overall length of vehicles by three inches or more and utilizing smaller and more efficient powertrains. Mazda engineers are also being charged with finding innovative solutions to solve problems like how best to bond aluminum to steel. The automotive Weight Watchers plan will result in fuel economy gains of three to five percent without sacrificing safety.

The weight loss isn't likely to happen throughout Mazda's entire lineup all at once, though, instead opting to drop pounds as vehicles come up for redesign. Mazda will also work to lose the weight without sacrificing the brand's Zoom Zoom roots. One of the first Mazda models expected to benefit from the companies weight loss goals is the MX-5 Miata. Rumors have been flying for months that the next Miata will be lighter than the already feathery roadster we have today. We'd say lighter is almost always better as long as the weight subtraction doesn't come at the expense of structural rigidity.

We're all for Mazda cutting weight from all of its models, and we're hoping that other automakers follow suit. We're pretty sure we've had enough of 5,000 pounds SUVs and two-ton sedans, and we're guessing you have, too.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Mazda MX-5 Miata

Photos copyright (C)2009 Chris Paukert / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: AutoWeek]

REPORT: Mazda to slash weight by over 200 pounds in 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda and Nissan working to mass-market carbon fiber

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:33:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Green, Japan, Technology, Honda, Nissan

Honda and Nissan are looking for ways to make cars lighter, better, and more recyclable, both for their own benefits and their customers. We've heard about the increased use of aluminum to save weight; next on the heavy R&D frontier could be carbon fiber. Both companies have teamed up with Japanese carbon fiber company Toray, and Mitsubishi Rayon -- a Japanese version of DuPont -- to research new, less expensive carbon fiber for cars.

Their efforts will be helped by the government, which is injecting two billion yen into the project over five years. The plan is that by the middle of the next decade, they'll be able to mass produce a cost effective carbon fiber and use it to reduce the weight of cars by 40-percent. And when they're finished with it, they will also be able to recycle it to reduce production costs.

The current price of carbon fiber makes its use prohibitive except for ornamentation or for use on the most expensive cars. With the price of steel -- and cars -- expected to keep climbing, the mass produced, recyclable carbon fiber will make financial sense in the not-too-distant future. Add in the fuel savings from lighter vehicles, and fewer emissions, and it looks like everyone wins. Thanks for the tip, David!

[Source: Reuters via Carbon Fiber Gear, Photo: p914 | Licensed under Creative Commons 2.0]

Honda and Nissan working to mass-market carbon fiber originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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