Autocar Professional Magazine - November 01 2016

In this issue

The annual Lightweighting Special is a heavyweight, packed with exciting news, riveting features and exclusive interviews. Find out how some innovative suppliers in India are showing OEMs the way to shave the grams and slash the kilos from vehicles with the use of high-performance plastics and modern processes.
Find out the latest industry updates from Bright AutoPlast, Lanxess India, IAC India and Henkel India. Meanwhile, Dr Royston Jones, VP – European operations and global CTO of Altair ProductDesign, reveals how simulation-driven optimisation technologies can enable carmakers to identify where material can be removed to hit weight and performance targets.
Ajay Durrani, MD of Covestro India, reveals how the use of polycarbonate composites can significantly reduce weight in vehicles, the need for the engineering plastics industry to come up with more compelling value propositions to overcome the metal mindset in the value chain in India, and why he welcomes Bharat NCAP crash norms.
Automobiles, they say, are an extension of one’s personality. In the interview of the fortnight, Renault’s design chief, the award-winning Laurens van den Acker reveals the tricks of the trade, the challenges that an ultra-low-cost car like the Kwid presented and how budding designers can come up with good styling.
The past fortnight has seen a lot of action in the automotive industry across many fronts – EVs, alliances, new launches, business restructuring et al. We’ve captured it all in the November 1 edition.