Carbon fiber is still more common in premium cars and trucks, but these vehicles can use it almost from top to bottom. That's no exaggeration, either, as some vehicles come equipped with everything from carbon fiber roofs to carbon fiber wheels. The former category includes the Chevrolet Corvette, which offers a removable carbon fiber roof panel for open-air driving. Meanwhile, Chevrolet's crosstown rival unveiled the industry's first production carbon fiber wheels for the latest 2016 Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang.

The Corvette and Mustang, as well as many other sports cars, also offer carbon fiber body parts, including hoods, rear fenders and other aerodynamic updates. In the efficient BMW i3, the German brand utilizes its carbon fiber factory for almost all body panels. As a result, the original i3 has a relatively light curb weight of 2,755 pounds. If BMW had relied on traditional steel to build the car, it would have weighed 3,306 pounds, about 20 percent more.

Carbon fiber is also used in the i3 and some exotic supercars. It's part of the i3's passenger protection compartment, while almost the entire platform of the Lamborghini Aventador is made of carbon fiber. In the cabin, carbon fiber trim can dress up luxury models from the Cadillac ATS to the Range Rover.

History may be repeating itself in the pickup truck segment, too. Just as Ford broke through with its aluminum body on the F-150, General Motors is looking into using carbon fiber for a similar purpose in its upcoming truck.