Phantom materializes
BMW's Rolls-Royce Motor Cars unveils its first model, an
aluminum-bodied sedan with rear-hinged rear doors and a new
V12.
Protecting the cabin from powertrain NVH
OEMs are getting help from suppliers such as Collins & Aikman
and Bayer in damping NVH, thanks to innovation in plastics.
Forced induction
Environmental pressures prompt renewed interest in turbochargers
and superchargers.
Collaboration software emerges
Interactive product development tools that can decrease design time
and cost, enhance quality, and improve engineering processes are
now widely available.
Validated virtual testing
DaimlerChrysler and MTS Systems have verified that component load
histories can be predicted before prototypes are built.
Automation: a tool, not an end
Toyota and its suppliers try to strike a balance between automation
and manual labor at their U.S. plants.
Rouge: symbol of past points to future
A rebirth at Ford's famous manufacturing complex honors the
past but puts the focus on the future.
Aluminum and the XJ
Its construction and the techniques used to build it dominate the
sixth-generation Jaguar sedan's technology story.
Driving the Hy-wire
GM's Larry Burns sees the alliance of fuel-cell and by-wire
technologies as an essential element in the development of
tomorrow's vehicles.