’09 BMW 7-Series Takes Aluminum to New Heights

Despite falling sales, auto makers are the aluminum industry’s fastest growing customer segment.

New applications designed to reduce weight, such as the roof on BMW AG’s ’09 7-Series, is a big reason for the massive switch to the lighter-weight metal in vehicles. According to the Aluminum Assn., the industry’s trade group, BMW’s ’09 models use an average of 421 lbs. (191 kg) of aluminum per vehicle, ...