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Volkswagen Passat CC at Detroit show 2008

By James Foxall First Official Pictures 14 January 2008 03:26 The Volkswagen Passat CC might look like the bastard offspring of a shady encounter between a Phaeton and a CLS, but the German firm is hoping the new Passat spin-off will attract buyers after premium car style for a relatively affordable price. When it hits UK showrooms in late summer 2008, expect the four-seat, four-door CC – it stands for Comfort Coupe – to have a sticker price starting at around £19,000. This will make it less than half the price of its most affordable rival, the Mercedes CLS.

GM's Bob Lutz put off retirement and put life back into a sagging lineup

Originally published: Sept. 14, 2008 Editor's note: This story comes from 100 Years: How General Motors Changed the World, published by Automotive News to commemorate the 100th anniversary of GM. In 2001, with seven years left to go in General Motors' first century, CEO Rick Wagoner knew that his product lineup badly needed upgrading if the company was going to have a second hundred years.

Renault Twizy Lab Design contest winners

The winners of Renault Z.E's Twizy Lab Design contest have been announced. The competition, which called for new and original concept designs for the Renault ZE Twizy's plastic body panels, was won by Maria Rosaria. Her submission, 'Candy', explores the use of multiple colors spread over a the Twizy's main panels, turning them into an artist's canvas.