The American Iron and Steel Institute is excited after announcing that Lotus has changed the suspension uprights on the Elise sports car from aluminium to steel.
The steel uprights are over 3lbs heavier than the aluminium units but benefit from greater stiffness and durability thanks to new higher quality 'Air-Cooled Forged Steel'l. It also saves them about £130 per car.
There's much debate within the automotive industry about the use of steel versus aluminium with immense pressure to reduce weight balanced against the need for strength and durability. The good news is that it's forcing the steel industry to innovate.
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