1994 Honda Del Sol 5 Spd B16a3 #1453 Upper Gauge Cluster Trim W/switches on 2040-parts.com

McLaren launches Special Operations unit for customers' custom requests

British sports-car maker McLaren has launched its Special Operations unit, which will help the company's well-heeled buyers customize their cars. McLaren previewed some handiwork from the new division at this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, with a custom example of the MP4-12C. The customized sports car had a variety of carbon-fiber trim upgrades and special treatment such as unique orange paintwork, a gloss-black roof, diamond-cut-finish wheels with gloss-back inners, 12C-branded carbon sill panels, a carbon steering wheel and carbon-fiber cover vents for the engine.

Concept Car of the Week: Mazda Taiki (2007)

Mazda had been doing fantastically well with its concepts since the end of 2006, and its offering for the 2007 Tokyo motor show didn't buck the trend. The fourth in the 'Nagare' series that explored the idea of 'Flow, it lined up on the Mazda stand with its older brothers for the first time, and was understandably a most impressive display and one of the highlights of this show. Here's what Nick Hull had to say about the Taiki at the time.

Starting Out: Portfolio Development

Setting out your portfolio can seem like an endless task; as soon as you finish one, it's time to start over with the latest stuff, a cycle that often continues beyond design school. To give you a few pointers on how to go about it, Car Design News spoke with agents from recruiting agencies and designers in America and Europe for advice.  First and foremost: the content. For young designers, high sketching skill is paramount -and lots of it.