The use of new materials in car design and manufacture always receives healthy coverage within automotive journals. Of late, however, two materials have made their way to the forefront and seem poised to revolutionize design not only with structural applications, but in interior aesthetics as well.
ALUMINUM
Once deemed too expensive and difficult to work with, the weight-saving and strength properties of soda cans have made their way into vehicle production, big time. Topped only by iron and steel, aluminum is now the third most widely used material in automotive construction. This year marked the inaugural Auto Aluminum Design Challenge, which pitted top students from Detroit's College of Creative Studies against the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and was sponsored by the Aluminum Association.
One of the first companies to embrace "Al" was AUDI, with the introduction of the A8 in 1994. Being the first to introduce an all-aluminum car, however, didn't prove to be very lucky (then again, aluminum is number 13 on the periodic table). The A8 wasn't particularly well received by auto enthusiasts. It was criticized for being un-inspiring, while AUDI was panned for failing to effectively promote the innovative aluminum angle (a writer with Car & Driver magazine once went so far as to dub it a "Sub-Zero freezer, tipped on its side").
After years of refinement, the flagship A8 proudly tops AUDI's line, though still enjoys only moderate sales in the face of stiff competition from the luxury segments of other manufacturers. (For anyone who thinks the A8/S8 isn't a true performer, rent John Frankenheimer's 1998 Euro-thriller "Ronin" and just wait for the chase scene…).
Today, other manufacturers such as Jaguar, Ferrari, and Aston Martin support significant initiatives to find additional uses of Aluminum in their vehicles. While this material is now widely used throughout the frame, sub-assembly, and motors, one of the best examples of artistic use has to be the generous amount adorning the AUDI TT's interior.
CARBON FIBER
If there is one material that can trump even aluminum in weight, strength, and exclusivity, it's carbon fiber. At about twenty times the cost of comparable steel - and one-fifth the weight - this mixture of woven fibers and hardened epoxy resin (also known as composite) is ultra expensive, and therefore has been limited to being used in race cars and big-budget exotics. Where the Porsche Carrera GT, and Ferrari Enzo, and Mercedes-McLaren SLR use extensive amounts in their chassis, bodies, and seats, the mass-market manufacturers are trying to capitalize on the sporting look that the racing and exotics exposure has created. Nowhere, however, is this more apparent than in the specialty aftermarket industry.
Take a stroll through the main hall at SEMA's annual meeting or any other "Import Tuner" show and you will be hard-pressed to find a car that doesn't proudly display extensive composite applications. Where rigidity and reduced weight were traditionally the ultimate goals, these enthusiasts are finding far more original homes for this stuff. Because the material can be custom molded (a slow, time and energy consuming process) into nearly any shape, we are seeing it show up as spoilers, door panels, even steering wheels. Steve McKenzie, president of Meridian Automotive Systems' exterior composites group recently said, "They're all over us in terms of looking at what can be done with carbon fiber" when referring to OEM and parts manufacturers at the Automotive Composites Alliance event at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Dodge, and a host of Japanese manufacturers have adopted composite to be used as trim and optional equipment or as a way to distinguish models. The BMW Group recently announced a renewed and expanded partnership with composite supplier Zoltek Co. after the company's products met some mechanical performance requirements. As long as drivers want to make their cars look and feel sportier, and as more efficient production methods are developed (and the associated costs lowered), it looks like Carbon Fiber is here to stay.
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