Honda Civic

Honda has released the first images of its new Civic ahead of its launch today at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show. The Civic's flowing exterior design is said to have been inspired by the ‘blended wing body' airplane, in which the wings and fuselage blend into one entity for improved performance. The designers have kept the sporty and advanced elements of the car's character but have adapted them to emphasize the dynamism of the new Civic.

Formula 1 2012: The Cars [w/video]

Nine of the 12 Formula 1 teams have released images and details of their cars for the 2012 World Championship as the first day of pre-season testing draws to a close at the Jerez circuit in Spain. Motor sport may fall slightly outside of Car Design News' usual remit, but the big story this year is the new 'stepped nose', which all teams bar McLaren have introduced to comply with new safety regulations, much to the chagrin of aestheticists. And with designers such as Daniel Simon (he produced the livery for HRT last season) and Peter Stevens (most notable for the Brabham cars of the 1980s) involved with the sport over the years, it's always interesting to check out the season's new machines.

Concept Car of the Week: Oldsmobile Golden Rocket (1956)

From 1949 to 1961, General Motors ran its own motor show. Called Motorama, the annual event was a showcase for concept cars which revealed prospective design and technology directions for all of GM's brands and for cars in general. Each year, one-off creations were designed and built for GM's multiple divisions, from Chevrolet all the way up to Cadillac.