Sorting through new automotive technologies

Developments in powertrain, interior, and chassis technolgoies are improving the performance of vehicles in all corners of the world, including Europe, which is examined in the following pages.

Every successful motor manufacturer in the world fully understands that the conception, design, development, and production of a car must be treated as a whole. Cohesion and integration complemented by cross-company and cross-supplier communication are firmly established as central pillars to support every program. But there remains a need to maintain sharp and enduring focus on the elements that make up the complex strategic picture.

Those elements are many and varied, each as vital as any other to ensure that economic, time, and quality targets are met or bettered. However, in the minds of some of those involved, assumptions may be made and become established concerning the capabilities, directions, and philosophies-or lack of them-applied elsewhere in the design and engineering process (particularly if there is no direct link from one to another) if not challenged or if information is scant or inaccurate.