Abstract: A side panel for a motor vehicle includes a bottom sill member, a roof panel portion, and a plurality of pillars extending between the sill member and the roof panel portion. The sill member forms with the pillars and the roof panel portion a single-piece structure from a sheet metal blank made of high-strength steel and has at least one region which is partly hardened and subject to increased load in the event of a crash of the motor vehicle.

Abstract: A side panel for a motor vehicle includes a bottom sill member, a roof panel portion, and a plurality of pillars extending between the sill member and the roof panel portion. The sill member forms with the pillars and the roof panel portion a single-piece structure from a sheet metal blank made of high-strength steel and has at least one region which is partly hardened and subject to increased load in the event of a crash of the motor vehicle.

Abstract: A steering column assembly for a motor vehicle includes a steering column having a steering-column portion constructed as hollow profile, and an active system for vibration damping. The active system includes plural piezoelectric elements which are disposed in offset relationship about a reference circle inside on the steering-column portion and constructed for clocked operation as sensor to detect the presence of interfering vibrations, when operating in sensor mode, and as actuator to introduce into the system a mechanical force as counter vibration or compensation vibration, when operating in actuator mode.