[onewhippedpuppy]

kstarnes, the technology is out there, it's just making it affordable. I'm in the aviation industry, where every ounce is coveted. Right now you can have cheap or lightweight, not both. Adoption of lightweight materials by the auto industry would help, as we would likely see far more supply on the market, and subsequent price drops. Right now it's such a niche market that it's stayed pretty high.

I agree with you, weight loss will be essential with the new fuel economy standards that are upcoming. You can only make an internal combustion so efficient, after that you need to look elsewhere to raise MPG. I expect companies to take a closer look at aerodynamics, even on average cars, and try to drop weight. Hopefully economy of scale can make the price of carbon fiber and similar materials feasible, but the manufacturing methods are still more involved and costly than simply using steel. No such thing as a free lunch.