1953 Studebaker Taillight Assembly Nos on 2040-parts.com

Lexus IS Design contest winner to be built for SEMA 2013

Somewhere in the shortlist of 25 semi-finalists from the Lexus IS Design contest lurks the design that will be built by tuner VIP Auto Salon and take pride of place on Lexus' stand at SEMA later this year. Hosted by online art community deviantART, the competition asked entrants to customize a Lexus IS saloon using any method they liked. The winner will also be given a one-year lease of the IS and other prizes.

Volkswagen to buy Italdesign-Giugiaro

Italdesign-Giugiaro S.p.A could soon become another group under the Volkswagen AG umbrella, according to Automotive News Europe. The industry publication cites two sources that claim the German company is set to buy a controlling stake in Italy's largest design and engineering firm, a deal which could be clinched as early as next week. Founded by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani in 1968, Italdesign-Giugiaro currently has 975 employees and 800 CAD workstations.

Volvo V40 Cross Country & V40 R-Design: Paris 2012

Volvo has revealed the V40 Cross Country and V40 R-Design at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, and both are convincing. The sporty take on the new V40 is the V40 R-design, a cosmetic update for the already good-looking V40 that manages to bolt on go-faster bits without wrecking the good lines of the normal V40. We would like to have seen the Volvo V40 R-Design get the sports suspension as standard, but Volvo obviously feel that most R-Design buyers want the looks rather than the more dynamic ride the sports suspension offers, so it stays as an option. And as the R-Design option is available across the new V40 range – from the D2 to the T4 – it’s probably the right decision.