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2009 Mazda 3 hatchback unveiled ahead of Bologna

Mazda has today released the first pictures of the new Mazda 3 hatchback, ahead of the Bologna Motor Show on December 3rd. The pictures come hot on the heels of the recently announced saloon and, just like the saloon, the Mazda 3 hatchback is a much fresher design, with far more sporty pretensions. One of the big aims for Mazda with the 3 was, of course, a much more economical car without sacrificing the old model’s strengths.

Icona reveals first render of Vulcano super sportscar

Icona will unveil a one-off super sports car dubbed Vulcano at next month's Shanghai auto show. The Vulcano was coachbuilt in Italy and was designed by the Shanghai-based Italian design house to show an evolution of its design language, first seen on the 2011 Icona Fuselage concept designed by Samuel Chuffart, Icona's design director. Icona says the design aims express the power within the hood while keeping the shapes harmonious.

Chris Bangle's ‘Illustrate the Future’ competition winner announced

Renowned designer Chris Bangle announced the winner of the ‘Illustrate the Future' design competition as Luis Fernando Peña Delgado at the end of the Interior Motives China conference yesterday. 22-year-old Delgado, a student of design at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota, Colombia, was chosen by the judges under the direction of Bangle on the basis that his entry best followed the criteria of closeness to the original text, the quality of the illustrations and the creative content. The global competition's brief asked for students from any design discipline to examine excerpts from the eBook "Peter Teuful, A Tale of car design in Three parts" – written by Bangle himself – and translate them into a series of images.