1970-1981 Trans Am, Firebird Windshield Lower Trim #2 on 2040-parts.com

Future products: Kia seeks lively, upscale look

Kia's redesigned Optima sedan and the Cadenza replacement for the Amanti, both due next year, reflect an emphasis on creating a livelier and more upscale look for the once-bland brand. Indeed, styling has been a crucial element of Kia's new-product push in the past 18 months. The team at Kia Design Center America near Los Angeles--part of the automaker's global design network led by onetime Audi design chief Peter Schreyer--has helped set the new styling direction.

2013 Mercedes SL gets AMG Sport models

It’s not much more than a year since the new Mercedes SL arrived, but that’s not stopping Mercedes UK giving the range a bit of a makeover for 2013 / 2014. Both the SL 350 and SL 500 get a bit of an AMG makeover with the arrival of the AMG Sports Package for the SL range. That means a set of 19″ AMG alloys, lowered sports suspension, AMG body kit with new front and rear aprons and side sills, better brakes on the SL 350 and a boot lip.

Aston Martin One-77 (2009) wins top design prize at Villa d’Este

By Tim Pollard (photography by Mike Goodbun) First Official Pictures 27 April 2009 10:39 It’s having a long drawn-out gestation, but Aston Martin’s One-77 supercar made its world show debut at this weekend’s Villa d’Este, where it scooped the top prize for concept cars and prototypes. We’ll forgive you if you thought the One-77 had already been unveiled, but the car at Geneva was a technical cutaway rolling chassis – the first finished car is the one show in our photos above. The One-77 won more than 30% of the votes among the eight cars entered in its category.