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Tech of the Year special, plus we drive the hydrogen Mirai and more | Autoblog Podcast #809

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor James Riswick and Road Test Editor Zac Palmer. They kick the discussion off by talking about what they've been driving as of late, including the Toyota Mirai, Dodge Hornet, Alfa Romeo Tonale and a trio of subcompact SUVs. After that, they dive into a discussion about the 2023 Autoblog Technology of the Year award winner, which is Mercedes-Benz's Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio. Once they wrap up that segment, we get to hear the crew's latest Cybertruck takes from before the big reveal. Finally, the show wraps up with a fun Spend My Money segment. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #809 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown What we're driving 2023 Toyota Mirai 2023 Dodge Hornet 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale 2024 Chevy Trax 2024 Kia Seltos 2024 Mazda CX-30 Turbo Technology of the Year winner and breakdown News Cybertruck preview Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Green Podcasts Alfa Romeo Chevrolet Dodge Kia Mazda Mercedes-Benz Toyota Technology Infotainment Technology of the Year Crossover SUV Electric Luxury Performance Sedan Podcasts

Tougher than steel: Wood pulp could make lighter auto parts

KYOTO, Japan — The global push among carmakers to make ever lighter vehicles is leading some auto suppliers in Japan to turn to what seems like an unlikely steel substitute — wood pulp. Japanese researchers and auto component makers say a material made from wood pulp weighs just one-fifth of steel and can be five times stronger. The material - cellulose nanofibers — could become a viable alternative to steel in the decades ahead, they say, although it faces competition from carbon-based materials, and remains a long way from being commercially viable.> Related: Jay Leno drives the Renew cannabis car — hemp you can't dent Reducing the weight of a vehicle will be critical as manufacturers move to bring electric cars into the mainstream. Batteries are an expensive but vital component, so a reduction in car weight will mean fewer batteries will be needed to power the vehicle, saving on costs. "Lightweighting is a constant issue for us," said Masanori Matsushiro, a project manager overseeing body design at Toyota. "But we also have to resolve the issue of high manufacturing costs before we see an increased use of new, lighter-weight materials in mass-volume cars."A NEW PROCESS Researchers at Kyoto University and major parts suppliers such as Denso Corp, Toyota's biggest supplier, and DaikyoNishikawa Corp, are working with plastics incorporated with cellulose nanofibers — made by breaking down wood pulp fibers into several hundredths of a micron (one thousandth of a millimeter). Cellulose nanofibers have been used in a variety of products ranging from ink to transparent displays, but their potential use in cars has been enabled by the "Kyoto Process," under which chemically treated wood fibers are kneaded into plastics while simultaneously being broken down into nanofibers, slashing the cost of production to roughly one-fifth that of other processes. "This is the lowest-cost, highest-performance application for cellulose nanofibers, and that's why we're focusing on its use in auto and aircraft parts," Kyoto University Professor Hiroaki Yano, who is leading the research, told Reuters in an interview. The university, along with auto parts suppliers, are currently developing a prototype car using cellulose nanofiber-based parts to be completed in 2020.

2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata design walkaround

By now, you've likely read what we think of the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata's new looks both inside and out, and you've probably poured over the available photos and started to make up your own mind about the roadster's radically more aggressive new appearance. More than likely, however, you haven't heard much from Mazda itself about its new design, and we're here to remedy that. Join Autoblog as we go over the new Miata from tip to tail with Derek Jenkins, Mazda North America's director of design. Jenkins, a veteran of both Audi and Volkswagen design studios, has been with the Japanese automaker for nearly four years, and he's kept a close eye in the ND Miata program along with his team in Irvine, CA. Check out our video to see Jenkins explain his team's exterior and cabin handiwork and to learn a little more about why the new model graduates from the Miata's historically cute and friendly aesthetic to something altogether more assertive.