2003 Cadillac Deville 44913 Miles Speedometer Instrument Cluster Gauges 2388065 on 2040-parts.com

Chris Bangle resigns as BMW Group Design Director

BMW today announced that Chris Bangle is resigning from his position as Head of Design for the BMW Group. Bangle will be handing over his post to current Head of BMW Automobile Design, Adrian van Hooydonk, when he leaves the company to pursue his own design-related endeavors outside the auto industry. Bangle has worked closely with van Hooydonk at BMW Group Design Development for nearly 17 years.

One Lap of the Web: Wax that woody; Bentley gets high-tech

-- Bentley comes striding into the 21st century with a Mulsanne souped up with no fewer than two keyboard-equipped iPads in the backseat, hidden behind veneered wood inlays. In a short film titled "Intelligent Details" -- one must assume Bentley marketers had to resist the urge to call it "Intelligent Design" -- Luc Donckerwolke, director of design, and Sang Yup Lee, head of exterior design, go for a ride in black-and-white Manhattan. Naturally, they are not driving.

Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive sets Nurburgring production EV record

The Mercedes SLS AMG ED (pictured) set a new EV lap record at the Nurburgring Just as Audi decides that the R8 e-Tron isn’t a production viable option, Mercedes decides to prove there is potential for electric cars at the very high end. The Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive has been to the Nurburgring and set a new lap record for a production electric car of just 7 minutes 55 seconds. The SLS AMG ED, which goes on sale very soon at more than £300k, may weigh a chunk more than a regular SLS (550kg more), but it gets plenty of help from its four electric motors – one at each corner – to overcome the weight of its batteries with 751bhp and 737lb/ft of torque on hand.