The third rail, of course, is a metaphor for any issue so controversial that it is untouchable, like the electric rail often found in the center of a railroad track.
Yet the car's body is 25% stiffer than its predecessor because key parts of the frame--like the center post that supports the car body during side collisions and the roof side rail that connects the sides of the roof--are made of ultra-high-strength steel created through a process called hot stamping.