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Concept Car of the Week: BMW Z13 (1993)

Rear-mounted engine, three seats, central driving position, 830 kg. What might sound like the ingredients for a fantastic little sports car apply in fact to the exceptionally compact and exciting BMW Z13 concept presented in 1993 at the Geneva motor show. BMW engineers and designers developed a car that combined practicality, innovation, safety, economy and, more importantly, it looks like a lot of fun.

Video: The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo concept build process

Porsche has released a video featuring Style Director Michael Mauer charting the design process of the Panamera Sport Turismo concept. The 10-minute YouTube video, which also features General Manager Advanced Design Style Mitja Rorkert, follows the build process through each modeling phase right up until the presentation of the show car at this year's Paris motor show. "It always presents a special challenge when we develop a new kind of car for the Porsche brand," says Mauer, "precisely because we haven't been in the segment before, and the question of whether it matches the Porsche brand always looms in the background." We were impressed at the Panamera Sport Turismo concept's unveiling, particularly with its stance and detail execution, so the video is a chance to see just how this concept came into being.

GM shifts gears, will keep Opel

General Motors' board of directors has decided that it will keep the Opel business and restructure it, putting an end to plans to sell the European operations to auto supplier Magna International. GM said it expects the restructuring of Opel to cost $4.42 billion (3 million euros), which it says is lower than the costs associated with outside bids for the company. GM said it will soon present its restructuring plans for Opel to the German government and other governments in Europe.