Amory Lovins: his video demo of his own prototype of **modular sub-assemblies for a complete auto body:
Eliminating huge sheet-metal stampers [and $$Cost]
Manageable by-hand assembly/gluing==no module too heavy to man-handle
Stronger/#, crumple-rates á la cárte
Better torsional [and other axes] *rigidity
[* my Citroëns (DS-series of yore) advertised their superior torsional rigidity/absence of 'shake' in obstacle courses.]
And more... ...
Then too, unless Car USERS can be weaned from Needing their boxes to look like jewelry--and priced for that meme--NONE of Lovins' et alia SAVINGS can accrue.
Might as well bring back '59 Cad tail-fins for those with Murican car-as-spaceship prefs.
Fie on VW; they don't even have to deal with a Puritan-based kultur, yet they show no sign of grokking to even-moderation.. all of the above :-/
And for those in my $Class, no Way would I budget $35K for any piece of mobile jewelry; when the Acura Plutocrat becomes chopped-liver ... when gas hits $6+/gal?
Back to 2-wheels for all but emergencies/no blizzards in Calif. Ever.
** Yes, of course: costs of resins, currently lazily-dependent upon Dead Dinosaur leavings + related 'OTOH' critiques
--this is where that nearly-Useless word [now] Innovation shall be requisite: so START ALREADY!
Modrin Car Dinosaurs: expensively-Suited fraidy-cat bumpkins as you all are, once anointed with affluenza on the new yacht.
Ed: PS--no es una problema with Safari--this link. Ditto FF--OS X version. fwiw