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Nissan design chief Shiro Nakamura talks style with AW

Nissan's design chief Shiro Nakamura stopped by One AutoWeek Tower on Friday afternoon during his visit to Detroit to share some insight on current and future styling trends for his company. Nakamura, who is best known to enthusiasts for his work on the GT-R, says the current state of design is relatively strong, and the business may be on the verge of another golden age. Nissan is also pondering the look of a version of the Leaf for its luxury Infiniti brand.

BMW's new 5-series next for hybrid power

The new BMW 5-series being launched this winter is likely to be the next BMW to receive the ActiveHybrid system pioneered on the petrol-electric 7-series and X6 models. BMW engineers admit they can't rely on sales of the pricey hybrid 7-series and X6 to justify the development costs, even though these range-topping halo hybrids were jointly developed with Daimler and GM. Senior sources have indicated that the new 2010 5-series will be the next BMW to get an ActiveHybrid model.

Toyota 4Runner

Toyota unveiled the fifth-generation 4Runner at the 2009 LA Auto Show. The new design embraces its robust SUV identity more than its immediate predecessors, which also distinguishes it from the similarly sized but more urban Toyota Highlander sibling. To read our opinions of the new 4Runner's design see our 2009 LA Auto Show Highlights.