Considering the portly S5 clocks in around 4300 lbs, it's about time Audi looked itself in the mirror and noticed those love handles and double chins. Michael Dick, global head of product engineering for Audi said recently the multi-ringed brand is looking to dramatically decrease the weight of upcoming models by increasing the use of aluminum, magnesium, and high strength steel while downsizing engine displacement by 30% and increasing their specific output. The future S4 and S5 will step back from the supercharged V6 and utilize a turbocharged four which will be no doubt direct injected. To give you an idea of what we're talking about here, Audi claims to be testing a next-gen S5 weighing in at 880 lbs less than the current model. This is definitely a plan we can get behind. [Car und Driver]

Roasted testicle jokes aside, the founder, Amory Lovins — stop it — is the applied physicist behind the Colorado think tank and has some interesting things to say about the direction of cars to come. Take a couple of minutes and head over to the Nova website and listen to him talk about the challenges and opportunities for making cars better, stronger, faster, and more efficient. Okay, now you can make jokes about dangley bits. [Nova]