Like a third-string quarterback awaiting his moment in the spotlight, magnesium has been sitting patiently on the light-weighting sideline. But, it may finally get its turn to shine in automotive applications, thanks to several recent breakthroughs.

FREMONT, CA--Elon Musk plans to work on the assembly line at his Tesla auto plant.

DETROIT--General Motors plans to invest $1 billion in its domestic operations.

WARREN, MI—General Motors engineers have developed a technique to join steel to aluminum with resistance spot welding.

BELVIDERE, IL—An online card game is motivating FCA assemblers here to reduce energy consumption.

GOODWOOD, England—A few lucky customers who purchase a Phantom Drophead Coupe will get a special memento: a piece of the Rolls-Royce assembly line.

TOYOTA CITY, Japan—Toyota Motor Corp. plans to adopt a modular manufacturing strategy that will allow it to operate smaller assembly lines.