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Top Gear: Clarkson, Hammond & May sign for another 3 years

It’s been revealed that Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May have signed up for another 3 years of Top Gear. There may not be a new series of Top Gear on its way until 2013, but we now know that Top Gear as we know it – with Jeremy, Richard and James – is safe for another three years after the trio signed a new deal with the BBC, tying them in to Top Gear until 2016. So, despite the naysayers claiming Top Gear has had its day and will end soon, we can guarantee another three years of the nation’s (and the world’s) favourite car entertainment programme.

GM Korea doubles size of its design center

GM has invested $40million in its Korea Design Center, doubling the size of the facility. The expanded studio opened on 25 April, and will give improved support for both exterior and interior design. As well as more studio space, the upgraded facility now includes improved exterior modeling and 3D printing facilities, an outdoor viewing area with three turntables, and a virtual reality studio – the latter allowing design reviews to take place in real time with GM's network of nine other design centers in six other countries around the world.

VW will build small run of XL1 plug-in hybrid

Volkswagen will begin production of its XL1 plug-in hybrid in two years. "We want to go into series production with this car starting in 2013," VW chairman Ferdinand Piech told Automotive News Europe on Tuesday at an event in Doha, Qatar, ahead of the 2011 Qatar auto show where VW unveiled an XL1 prototype. (a href="http://www.autoweek.com/article/20130221/GENEVA/130229972">Read the latest update here announcing the XL1 hybrid's Geneva Auto Show debut).