01 02 Saturn S Series Coupe L. Tail Light Cpe Quarter Panel Mounted 413768 on 2040-parts.com

Imagining the Future: The Southern California Automotive Design Studio

Southern California is home to more automotive design studios than anywhere else in the world, and to commemorate that relationship and celebrate Art Center College of Design's 60th Anniversary, the Petersen Automotive Museum is putting on a new permanent exhibition among its rolling time capsules and automotive memorabilia from Hollywood. The new design exhibition showcases the history of the local design community and its contribution to the world. Located in the ‘Streetscape' section of the Petersen Automotive Museum, the Car Design Studio is at the modern end of a realistic walk-through diorama of California's history as it relates to the automobile.

Video: Michael Mauer on the 991-series Porsche 911

Porsche has released a video featuring its Design Director, Michael Mauer, explaining how he and his team went about redesigning the 911, an ‘automotive, engineering icon' as he describes it. "What we as designers are striving to above all is to optimize the width to height ratio with the result that although the 911's width has not increased, the front axle area has become wider, and we've managed to make the roof a bit lower," Mauer explains via a rather dramatic-sounding voiceover.

Mopar invades Motown

Chrysler Group's service, parts and customer-care brand Mopar will have its largest exhibit ever at the Detroit auto show Jan. 13–26. Measuring some 5,500 square feet, the exhibit will highlight the new Mopar Custom Shop in the Mopar Garage.