Lightweight New Vehicles Could Have a Heavy Impact

As regular readers of this column may know, I've got a bit of a "thing" about weight. Of course, I'm not talking about my ever-expanding waistline here: I'm referring to the way so many of today's OEM's keep ratcheting up the curb weights of so many of their new vehicles.

A few random examples: In the mid 1980s, when the BMW 3 Series began selling sedans, the heaviest car it offered just topped 3,000 lbs. Today, a BMW 335i xDrive sedan crests the 3,800-lb. mark. The Audi 80 of the late 1980s, the predecessor of the modern A4 line, started under 2,600 lbs. A current A4 sedan begins at more than 3,500 lbs. The Honda Civic, making for an even starker contrast, first came to our shores weighing in at just about 1,500 lbs. A 2010 Civic coupe has packed on more than half a ton compared to that, now topping out around 2,600 lbs. The Toyota Corolla also began life in the 1,500-lb. range; a 2010 version, however, is up past 2,800 lbs.

Okay, truth be told, those cars weren't exactly chosen at random. Although each of the OEMs mentioned has had their problems with the poundage, all four also stand out for their recent moves to develop exciting new models that go back to the old-school lightweight, high-fun approach.

BMW, for example, has apparently given the green light to what's currently being called the "0 Series." It would be a range of vehicles built off the same platform as the MINI (owned by BMW) and include a three-door hatchback, a five-door hatchback and a roadster. The Bavarians tried going smaller with the current 1 Series, but the result hasn't really caught on in the U.S., perhaps because it competes too closely with the 3 Series coupes. And the fact that the 1 Series Bimmers only offer six-cylinder engines is the kind of subtle evidence that shows BMW engineers weren't as aggressive with the down-sizing as they could have been. Theoretically, the 0 Series will offer BMW's new three- and four-cylinder powerplants.

Of course, there will undoubtedly be some push-back from U.S. consumers, who haven't been able to wrap their wallets around the idea of a premium hatchback yet. But recall, too, that even Lexus IS toying with a hatch (see the LF-Ch concept shown in Frankfurt), so the timing may be right; and certainly a small BMW roadster wouldn't be carrying the hatchback stigma.

But it might be competing against new coupes from Toyota/Subaru and Honda. With Toyota now owning a significant stake in Subaru, some kind of co-vehicle from the two has long been anticipated, and it's now finally here in the form of the Toyota FT-86 concept (pictured right), which is set to debut at the Tokyo Auto Show later in October. The concept is 164 inches long, putting it between a Toyota Yaris and a Corolla; it will feature a naturally aspirated version of Subaru's traditional four-cylinder boxer engine; and the price target will be about $25,000.

Although it's still a ways out from production, this looks like the FT-86 could be something of a modern Honda CR-X. Well, except for the fact that Honda has its own version of a modern CR-X in the works: The Honda CR-Z. First shown in 2008 at the Detroit auto show, the production version is debuting in Tokyo and will come to the U.S. late next year. I'll let Honda explain the idea behind the CR-Z: "Futuristic styling. Hybrid power. Advanced interior design. And it's all wrapped up in a lightweight, fun-to-drive package."

The CR-Z is my idea of a Honda hybrid, and I imagine a fair number of customers will be thinking the same thing.

Now, looking back at the four OEM's I mentioned originally, we've got an obvious case of "one of these things is not like the others." And that's Audi. Yes, Audi is still doing some work in the premium hatch segment with the A3 and A3 TDI. But what I want to highlight today is the company's A5 Aluminum Prototype (catchy name, huh?). With this car, Audi has essentially built an A5 using the same kind of aluminum space frame technology used to save weight in its big A8 sedan. In this prototype, the net result is a weight drop of some 220-240 pounds as compared to the standard A5. This brings the curb weight down to under 2,900 lbs. — not much more than today's Toyota Corolla. It also will mean Audi can use a smaller engine to deliver high performance and improved fuel efficiency when the next-gen A5 rolls out.

Here's to hoping this kind of news will weigh heavy on the corporate heads of more automakers and convince them to take the same approach in the future.