Foreword for the Special Issue on Simulation and Prototyping in Vehicle Design and Development

Audi has introduced a completely aluminium body for the Audi A8. Audiʹs ambitious objectives with respect to weight, comfort and safety required more than a simple substitution of materials. Various semi-products of aluminium (die castings, extrustions, sheet metal) form a whole and each element acts as a load-bearing entity. This completely new body structure - the Audi Space Frame - offers superior characteristics in stiffness, rigidity and energy absorption. At the same time, weight is reduced by approximately 40%. The need for an economical repair concept has been integrated. Furthermore, the concept has enough potential to improve enviromental compatibility.