1987 Mercedes 300sdl. Motor & Transmission on 2040-parts.com

AW Design Forum: Style remains key as transportation systems evolve

The entire way Americans view transportation is going to change, predicts industry expert David Muyres, and designers will be key in making new methods of mobility desirable. Speaking at the AW Design Forum on Thursday morning in Detroit, Muyres said transportation needs to be looked at as a complete system, where cars, cities and technologies--such as the electrical grid--all interact. But for this to work, the cars need to remain exciting, said Muyres.

MG Design Centre opens in UK

The opening of MG's new design center this week at the historic production site of Longbridge, Birmingham, England was both an incredible and credible occasion. Incredible, because the brand looked dead in the water after the debacle of MG Rover's collapse in 2005 and even after various Chinese takeovers, its UK operation seemed destined to play no more than a tokenistic bit part. And thankfully credible too, because now all of MG's global design will genuinely be led from this new facility in the epicentre of England's traditional motoring heartland.

U.S., European models are hot at 2009 Tokyo Special Import Show

There are times when we have to wonder whether there really is a global economic crisis; the Tokyo Special Import Show is one of those times. The show in mid-June was all about bling--lots of it--with just enough performance pizzazz to liven things up. It's ironic that while U.S.