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Check Out the World’s First 3-D Printed Supercar

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The “Blade” is light, sleek and — at an acceleration of 0-60 m.p.h. in 2.2 seconds — incredibly fast, just like you’d want any supercar to be. But a few things set this wondrous machine apart from others of its kind, foremost among them its method of manufacture.

The car, made by San Francisco–based startup Divergent Microfactories, has a chassis created entirely using a 3-D printer, Engadget reports. The 3-D printing reduces the overall weight of the car by 90%, the manufacturer claims, coupled with the use of carbon fiber for most of the car’s body rather than steel or aluminum. As a result, the whole vehicle weighs just under 1,400 lb.

“How we make things is much more important than how we fuel them and whether they have a tailpipe or not,” Kevin Czinger, CEO of Divergent, said in an interview with Forbes.

Czinger has also put some thought into how the car is fueled, however, with Blade carrying a 700HP engine that can run on compressed natural gas — thereby also making it one of the most environment-friendly automobiles around.

The company will produce a certain number of cars initially, but eventually plans to sell its technology to smaller manufacturers to make their own vehicles.

“We have got to rethink how we manufacture, because — when we go from 2 billion cars today to 6 billion cars in a couple of decades — if we don’t do that, we’re going to destroy the planet,” Czinger adds.

Check Out the Coolest Cars From the 2015 Detroit Auto Show

Acura introduces the new NSX at the (NAIAS) on January 12, 2015 in Detroit.
Acura introduces the new NSX at the (NAIAS) on January 12, 2015 in Detroit.Scott Olson—Getty Images
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The Mercedes-Benz F 015 Coupe is presented during the media preview at the Cobo Arena on Jan. 12, 2015 in Detroit.Uli Deck—dpa/Corbis
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Chevrolet unveils a new concept car bolt during a press preview on Jan. 12, 2015 in Detroit.
Chevrolet unveils a new concept car bolt during a press preview on Jan. 12, 2015 in Detroit.Bao Dandan—Xinhua Press/Corbis
The Infinity Q60 concept car is displayed during the press preview on Jan. 13, 2015 in Detroit.
The Infinity Q60 concept car is displayed during the press preview on Jan. 13, 2015 in Detroit.Jewel Samad—AFP/Getty Images
Ford Motor Co., Executive Chairman Bill Ford, left, and President and COO Mark Fields stand next to the new Ford GT on Jan. 12, 2015 in Detroit.
Ford Motor Co., Executive Chairman Bill Ford, left, and President and COO Mark Fields stand next to the new Ford GT on Jan. 12, 2015 in Detroit.Carlos Osorio—AP
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Lexus unveils its 2016 GS F during a press preview on Jan. 13, 2015 in Detroit.Bao Dandan—Xinhua Press/Corbis
Scheduled for release in 2016, the Infiniti Q60 Coupe will have a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 in a stunning aluminum body on Jan. 12, 2015 in Detroit.
Scheduled for release in 2016, the Infiniti Q60 Coupe will have a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 in a stunning aluminum body on Jan. 12, 2015 in Detroit.Car Culture/Corbis
Acura introduces the new NSX on Jan. 12, 2015 in Detroit.
Acura introduces the new NSX on Jan. 12, 2015 in Detroit.Scott Olson—Getty Images

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Write to Rishi Iyengar at rishi.iyengar@timeasia.com