2001-03 Dodge Durango Brushed Gold Finish Dash Accent Kit on 2040-parts.com

Merry Christmas Car(d)s!

Bernie Ecclestone's 2009 Christmas Card Just like last year, we’ve chosen to use Bernie Ecclestone‘s personal Christmas card to headline our Yuletide good wishes to you, dear reader. Bernie likes to make an amusing point or two when he commissions his Christmas cards, and this year is no different. Last year saw Bernie dig at Max Mosley and his ‘Recreational’ habits, and this year he picks the story of F1 2009 as its theme.

Exclusive First Sight: Pininfarina Sergio concept

Upon receiving the call from Pininfarina's PR man, asking if Car Design News would like to head to Torino for a preview of its latest concept car (not a hard offer to accept), we had no other information than its name – Sergio – and an abstract teaser shot of a detail. Driving through lovely, crumbly Turin, and out into the zona industriale towards Pininfaina's Cambiano base, the fear strikes: what if the car's a disappointment? What if it's simply some unremarkable supermini – maybe even an electric one?

Concept Car of the Week: Mercedes-Benz C111, C111-II and C111-IID

In 1962, Mercedes-Benz launched a research program to investigate the development of the Wankel rotary engine and its potential both on the road and track. While the early mule wasn't a looker, the prototype's design continued to evolve until a public unveiling of the C111-I concept, designed by Bruno Sacco, at the 1969 Frankfurt motor show. The coupé may have looked like the systematic further development of the Sport Light models from the ‘50s with its gullwing doors, but it wasn't a design study for a new SL.