Some manufacturers built their engines from the lightweight metal (the old Buick aluminum V-6 was a classic little mill that delivered a lot of power for little heft).

Others used aluminum extensively in their chassis.

But Jaguar has become the first auto manufacturer to mass produce vehicles where bodies and engines both are made almost completely from aluminum.

New casting and bonding techniques, using rivets, robot welding and adhesives, are allowing Jaguar to create immensely strong, but light, cars.

“Aluminum has created a sort of ‘best-of-all-worlds’ scenario for Jaguar,” says Mark Singleton. “By lightening the total weight of the cars, the engines have less inertia to overcome – power goes to quickly reaching and sustaining high speeds rather than to coaxing heavy masses off the line.”

Aside from the increased maneuverability it provides, aluminum adds two other significant factors to the auto safety equation. Lighter weight means less kinetic energy. In the unfortunate event of a collision, an aluminum car will hit another car with less force. Also, aluminum is able to absorb more energy than steel before it deforms.

“Of course all aluminum is only one safety element,” says Singleton. “Current Jaguars are embedded with computerized sensing devices that monitor stresses and performance and can instantly activate the safety restraint system and airbags in an emergency.

“You can think of Jaguars as agile, tough and smart. Not a bad thing to be able to say about a car.”