I recall reading that Airbus has toyed with the idea of building a competitor to the 757-300 which they dubbed 'A310 Lite'. It would consist of a basic A310 structure put on a 'diet' of the latest materials and structures, but with somewhat less range than the A310-300, presumably because less fuel would be carried in the lighter structure. It was billed as a possible competitor to the 757-300, giving widebody comfort at narrowbody operating expenses. Has anybody heard about this? If so, what is the status of the project?

I, for one, would ride in an A310 over a 757 any day, and would applaud any aircraft that would offer some comfort advantage over that 'endless 6-abreast' of the 757 which seems to be spreading like disease on long US routes.