Slideshow: Hot wheels at K 2016

As carmakers try to meet challenging fuel-efficiency mandates, partly through lightweighting, plastics have become an increasingly popular resource. The average vehicle currently has around 167 kg of plastic parts, according to a recent study from consultancy Ceresana (Constance, Germany). So, it’s not surprising that cars, and even some motorcycles, were front and center at many exhibitor stands at K 2016 in Düsseldorf, Germany. And it doesn’t hurt that displaying a hot car is a sure-fire way to attract traffic to your booth. This slide show features some of the driving machines that got our attention.German manufacturer of temperature control systems Weinreich (Lüdenscheid) parked a Lotus Exige V6 S at its stand. The vehicle weighs 1,090 kg and the chassis is made of aluminum, composites and various plastics. How does it handle, you ask? Well, it goes from 0 to 60 mph in under four seconds, and the BBC’s Top Gear says it may be “one of the best handling cars available today. Seriously, it’s just sensational.”