Lightweight

Half the weight of aluminum alloy parts, but the same price. Revolutionary claims for a new composite pressing process under development at Williams Advanced Engineering that could shake up the whole automotive industry, not to mention aviation.

Dutch brand Donkervoort's crazy, ultra-light, Audi-powered D8 GTO has more than proven itself since its 2013 debut, at one time holding a top-10 Nurburgring lap. Now, there's a special edition celebrating founder Joop Donkervoort's 70th birthday.

With 430 hp from its supercharged engine, the limited edition Evora GT430 is the most powerful production car Lotus has ever made, but there's a lot more to it than just a power boost. Lotus has treated the car to a comprehensive makeover, resulting in a much more focused beast than the base Evora.​

It looks 3D-printed but the Eagle from Spain's David Flores Loredo is actually fashioned from wood. The futuristic-looking guitar sports a body that's full of shapely holes to help cut down on weight, has recently taken top honors in a global design competition, and is now on its way to production.

​How do you make a bicycle frame lighter, while also making sure it'll get noticed? Well, if you're the designers at Italy's Camard Milano, you eliminate the down tube and seat stays. The resulting LZR frame is said to be just as strong and stiff as a conventional frame.

Some electric guitars are heavy, really heavy. According to Florida's Michael Kelly Guitars, instruments that drag players down are a common problem and one that the company seeks to solve with a new range of lightweight electric guitars called the Enlightened Series.​

CCM's "Skunkwerx" division has built a limited-edition, flat track-inspired streetbike that is a celebration of motorcycling minimalism. The bike is powered by a 600cc, 55-horsepower single cylinder engine, which will make light work of the Spitfire's 120-kg (266-lb) dry weight.

Pininfarina is one of the best-known design houses in the car world, but the legendary Italian brand is more than just a stylist for other companies. Its latest project is a collaboration with Emerson Fittipaldi – and based on the latest teaser, it's going to be good.

If the vision of San Francisco startup Roam Robotics and its co-founder Tim Swift are fully realized, we could be buying commercial lightweight exoskeletons to run faster, hike further and lift more with less effort in the coming years.

Ducati has released its most powerful motorcycle ever, in a package that's so light it would need to add ballast to race in World Superbike. The extraordinary 1299 Superleggera packs 215 horses, weighs just 344 lb (156 kg) and leaps to the top of our Christmas wishlist at just US$80,000.

Honda has officially released photos and details about its new lightweight sportsbike, the CBR250RR, with an all-new high performance parallel twin engine, fly-by-wire throttle control and pretty mean looks, it should be compact, light and very quick.

​The BMW 7 Series has been boosted with V8 and V12 options, but there's been no hybrid variant to cater for oligarchs with an environmental conscience. That hole has been plugged with the 740i ePerformance, a limousine with claimed economy figures to rival three-cylinder hatchbacks.