What the 2014 Malibu tells us about the future of styling

Decades ago, Detroit's automakers changed their offerings' sheet metal, or at least substantial parts of it, every model year. The process of revealing revised models to the public boosted the glamour and mystique of the entire industry. Dealership windows were papered over; display models were smuggled in under wraps; anticipation grew to a fever pitch.

Then, the big unveil: Dual headlamps were suddenly quads. Fins sprouted out of nowhere. Everyone had a New! New! New! car -- or at least an old car draped in a new body -- to drool over.

But things changed. Manufacturing costs increased and margins eroded while the migration to unibody construction made quick redesigns more challenging. We were left with cars that remained virtually unchanged for years at a time.

Things may be changing once again, though. We stumbled across what at first glance seemed like a pretty standard automaker press release, “Rapid Prototyping Speeds Updates on 2014 Chevrolet Malibu,” and nearly passed it by until we saw that magic term: 3-D printing.

3-D printing, a form of additive manufacturing, is one of the most excessively hyped technologies in recent memory. Some claim it will bring about another industrial revolution that totally decentralizes the manufacturing process, leading to abundant consumer goods for all. If it delivers on one-tenth of the breathless promises its advocates have made, it ought to be a game-changer.

Before you get too excited 

Chevrolet
Chevy explains how the revised interior of the 2014 Malibu came to be thanks to rapid prototyping.

Automakers have had access to rapid prototyping for years, so this isn't exactly a revolutionary concept. Further, the parts that wind up on production vehicles are manufactured with traditional, high-volume processes. But the '14 Malibu provides a case study in how the tech allows giant, lumbering industrial concerns like General Motors to quickly adapt to consumer tastes.

As the release puts it, “rapid prototyping enables designers and engineers to quickly see, touch and test versions of individual components and systems in precise one-third scale and full-size models without having to make changes to production tooling, which can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

In other words, it reduces the cost of trying on new parts to see how they fit, making it less risky for designers to take stylistic chances. On the Malibu, rapid prototyping contributed to the revision of the center stack, led to a more aerodynamic front fascia and increased rear legroom thanks to resculpted front seatbacks.

Now, this doesn't quite help automakers get around the high cost of tooling. We're not at the point where we can print all the parts we need to build a car, and we probably won't be able to do that cost-effectively for decades -- if ever.

But the tech does make it easier and cheaper for stylists to take chances, and the Malibu is proof positive that some of those changes wind up on production vehicles in fairly short order.

Maybe there are ways to push this even further. Concepts like Toyota's toylike Camattes, which feature a solid frame surrounded by easily swappable, non-structural exterior panels, open up some intriguing avenues for personal automotive creativity to make a comeback. Perhaps we'll even return to the point where we have something new to get excited about every year.

So, will you be satisfied with 3-D printing as a supplement to traditional manufacturing -- or will you be disappointed if you're never able to click and print your way to a new set of wheels?