Between lost profits, layoffs, recalls and lawsuits, carmakers certainly have a lot on their minds these days. But, apparently, not too much. A few noteworthy items have surfaced that prove just how innovative, creative and industrious they can be when something strikes their fancy.

Take Honda Motor Corp., for instance. I guess the company feels it has this whole car thing down cold, which explains why it is porting over its auto expertise to aviation. That's right, Honda jets have been in production for the past three years and are coming to an airport near you, by 2010 to be exact, according to this Reuters release.

"HondaJet is the result of 20 years of aviation research at Honda, best known for its cars and motorcycles, and promises improved fuel economy, a larger cabin and higher cruising speed than conventional jets in the same class," said the release.

If Honda captures the beloved ingenuity of its popular cars here in the U.S., it will no doubt capture lightning in a bottle once again in the aviation industry.

Troubled GM, which is on the verge of being surpassed by Toyota as the No. 1 carmaker in the U.S., might not be flying planes, but it's still got a few tricks left up its manufacturing sleeve, according to this piece from The Manufacturer. The company's new Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant has received a gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

LEED certification means GM has been crowned with superior energy and environmental design and construction. A gold certification recognizes a high level of performance. Over the first ten years of operations, the facility is expected to save over 40 million gallons of water and 30 million kwh of electricity.

Said Elizabeth Lowery, GM vice president, Environment and Energy:

General Motors has a global commitment to reduce the impact of its operations on the environment. In our older, established facilities, we are constantly making changes as we renovate buildings to keep them current with state-of-the-art environmental practices. At Lansing Delta Township it was a great experience to be able to start from scratch to design and build the world's most environmentally advanced auto manufacturing plant.

The plant will produce GM's new crossover vehicles – the Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia, and Buick Enclave – and will start production during the fourth quarter of 2006.

U.S. Green Building Council President S. Richard Fedrizzi noted that the acceptance of green buildings has been slower within the manufacturing sector than for other commercial uses, one reason why this GM certification is considered such a big deal.

"GM's Lansing Delta Township Plant is a very good – and large – example of how it's possible to incorporate sustainable practices into large scale manufacturing facilities," Fedrizzi said. "Today, not only is it possible, it is cost and energy efficient, and provides a healthy environment for employees. We expect GM's plant will change the way manufacturing buildings are built in the future."

Some of the environmental highlights of the Lansing Delta Township plant include:

- Projected energy savings of $1 million per year.

- Lighting levels reduced in the plant by 20 percent, or 3 million kwh annually.

- The 1.5 million square foot roof is made of a special white polymer that reduces heat absorption, resulting in reduced costs to cool the building.

- No ozone-depleting substances (CFCs, HCFCs or halons) are used in any of the building's heating and cooling, refrigeration, and fire suppression systems.

It's not easy going green, especially for a company that's seen better days. Speaking of...

It looks like BMW is on a roll, ready to unleash another pricey model, according to this Associated Press piece

The company says it is investing $50 million for sheet metal molds at Union, S.C.-based LSP Automotive Systems. LSP also is investing $96 million at its Union County and will make the sheet metal molds for a new vehicle that will be produced at BMW Manufacturing beginning in 2008.

So there you have it. Three very different car companies embarking on three very different projects, all in the name of, well we're not really sure...trying something new? Who stands to benefit the most?