I agree the article was
I agree the article was confusing, took too long to make a point, which made it paintful to read.
But I do share some of Frank's view. GM made the ATS weight reduction such a big deal, as if they were miracle workers. It turns out the sub-3,400 pounds weight is only good for the base 2.5L. The 2.0T will likely weigh about the same as the 328i 2.0T. Did BMW have to make miracle to keep the 328i at around 3,400 pounds? No, they did not seem to have to use any special materials or innovations. Or if they did, they did not brag about them.
The way GM talked about weight reduction, you would have expected the ATS to undercut the 328i by 200 pounds at the minimum.
BTW, I agree with the others, ATS does not have to use space age materials to set a standard on weight reduction, it is not a economy car, rather an entry level luxury sports car that must do well in performance tests. But GM sure sounded as if they had set the standards in weight reduction.
All will be forgotten though, if the ATS can generate some good performance stats.