Here is the problem with this statement: Plastic is a oil-based product… we should be finding alternates to this or at least use recycled plastic bottles or something.

The 1st gen Concorde/Intrepids had plastic front fenders, as did some of the 90s Buick midsizes. It was impossible to tell them from steel unless the panel got hit hard enough to crack it. So it is entirely possible to do plastic body panels without it being as obvious as it was on the Saturn.

But it was red.

http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/w/weymann/weymann.htm

It was more popular in Europe.

Yes, it did look like the whole car (behind the cowl and hood, not including the steel fenders) was a huge vinyl top.

Having had several Saturns, the plastic exterior was a plus. The look, however, was not. With the new paints that M-B is using this may be something they can get around.

The key is if no one notices that you replaced the steel panel with a plastic one, you did it right.

But please, no aluminum framed vehicles below $40k. It’s just too expensive to repair and would jack up insurance rates beyond belief.

As for body panels, my friend’s Saturn proves the point. ABS plastic is the way to go. 12 years have passed, and it still looks mint (except for a big crack in the front fender where he hit a deer :) )

As for the BMW GINA Light Visionary Concept, imagine – do you have to unzip your fly to drain your radiator?

Perhaps my juvenile comments reveal that I am neither best or bright. I need more sleep.

As for why steel is still used predominantly for building automobiles (other than legacy reasons) I highly recommend the book “The New Science of Strong Materials or Why You Don’t Fall Through the Floor”. It’s an entertaining read, probably even if you’re not an engineer.

Half the cars I most desire have non-metal panels, like the Lotus Elise. Metal is great, but use it wisely where it’s needed.

http://www.joeharmondesign.com/

I will be laser cutting the marquetry for the seats. It is an impressive show of what a college student can do with some determination and resourcefulness.

The Plymouth Pronto was a much better attempt.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/lyquocvu/pronto-spyder-plymouth.jpg

I’d like to have a composite of some sort that would not rust!

Short of that, it’s obvious that “steel” is wasting tankers-full of oil, every minute of every day. We certainly could make them out of stuff that weighs a quarter of what the steel behemoths weigh, and reap the savings in fuel economy.

“Steel stamping,” indeed — I suppose you could say that the industry pops out steel panels “like potato chips.” Obviously, producing composite panels would be insanely more expensive, in comparison.

So, “Wanna become a billionaire?” Just come up with a process that’ll produce lightweight composite panels just as efficiently as steel stamping. “Dammit, Jim, where’s Scotty and his transparent aluminum, when we need him??”

The thing about fabric bodies, or fiberglass, is that any weight you save in the outer skin is usually balanced by having to beef up the rest (whether it’s body-on-frame, space frame, or superleggera) to compensate for the lack of rigidity and strength.

I dunno, I think composites will continue to get a greater foothold in auto body construction, but I don’t see any compelling advantages to fabric-skinned cars.

If something other then steel works good for them..