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Former Ford exec Theodore shows off lighter chassis at SAE

Automakers are facing tougher government regulations for fuel economy, and one former Ford and Chrysler executive says he has a solution Chris Theodore, best known for his work on the Ford GT and Dodge Viper, has designed a vehicle chassis that he says will provide automakers with weight savings, cut manufacturing costs and make electric vehicles more economically viable. Theodore is showcasing his proof-of-concept Uni-Chassis at the SAE World Congress this week. It uses the powertrain and suspension of the GT, under an agreement with Ford.

How the Honda Civic got a fast makeover

Jay Guzowski was getting more nervous by the day. As senior product planner for the redesign of the 2012 Honda Civic, Guzowski was shepherding the compact car from design freeze to market. But as he listened to others around the American Honda conference table -- with a year to go before the car's on-sale date -- he heard a disturbing refrain: The upcoming Civic was not good enough.

Octavia Greenline hits new fuel economy high

BUSINESS users on a budget have been given some good news with the announcement of a fuel-sipping new Skoda Octavia Greenline. Thanks to its inherently lighter third-generation chassis, the spacious Octavia is now capable of 88.3mpg in EU standard tests, which corresponds to just 85g/km of CO2. The amazing figures put the car on an emissions par with the likes of the Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion and even the supermini Kia Rio 1.1 diesel.