Menlo Mazda

Given that The Lorax raked in $70 million at the box office this past week, we here at Menlo Mazda are guessing that many drivers in the Redwood City and San Jose areas went out to see it in theaters. During the build-up to the film, you might have seen some Lorax-themed commercials featuring the 2013 Mazda CX-5, but what do the CX-5 and The Lorax have in common?

The Mazda MX-0 was designed by the Mazda Design Team of North America, and was the Japanese automaker's entry into the LA Design Challenge.

"The theme of the design challenge is to focus on producing something that is lightweight, specifically, under 1000 lb." The MX-0 uses a bonded, two-piece monocoque structure for the safety cell, subframes, panels and interior materials. All of these components are then manufactured using something called "automated composite sandwich...