Vehicles

Boeing gets 787 interior ‘right first time’ To achieve "right first time” successes, the Boeing Interiors group departed from the norm and used an automotive tool to reduce installation times from 3500 to 232 h on the 787. Read full story

Gibbs' Quadski travels 45 mph on land and on water A high-speed amphibious, single-seat sports vehicle is headed to production after engineers logged more than two million hours developing various patented technologies. Read full story

Benteler leads engineering of MAN heavy-duty serial hybrid concept Featuring a diesel engine from Audi as a range extender and modular energy storage beneath the driver’s cab, the MAN Metropolis plug-in hybrid truck concept—developed in cooperation with Benteler Engineering Services and revealed at the recent IAA Hanover Show—will begin a two-year field test as a refuse collection vehicle in January 2013. Read full story

Compressed natural gas gains momentum New commercial vehicles, onboard storage tanks, and shipping container-sized fueling stations signal the latest CNG products. Read full story

Forstars: the Future for Smart? The concept from the 2012 Paris Motor Show could be a hint at the future design direction for the Daimler subsidiary’s compact Fortwo two seater. Read full story

Mercedes extends electric range For the Concept B-Class Electric Drive shown at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, the battery pack is said to provide a range of up to 200 km (125 mi) on a full charge. Battery recharging can benefit from a rapid charging facility, which is said to be able to provide a range of up to 100 km (62 mi) after one hour of charging from a 400-V supply. Read full story

BMW shows concept for first front-wheel-drive model The company used the 2012 Paris Motor Show to display the Active Concept Tourer that looks set to compete with FWD rivals such as the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz B-Class. Read full story

Onyx concept showcases innovative materials Job losses and plant closures mean tough times for PSA Peugeot Citroën at the moment. So what better place than the French national motor show to demonstrate that design flair and engineering are alive and well in the company? Read full story

Adam: a first from Opel/Vauxhall The design-oriented Adam was the only car on show on the Opel booth at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, the solo act signifying the importance of the company’s first entry into the European three-door hatchback A-segment. Read full story