First Sight: Skoda Octavia

The new Skoda Octavia was unveiled earlier this week in the Czech brand's museum at its home in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic. Car Design News was in attendance to check out the third generation of what the company calls ‘the heart of Skoda'. The new Octavia is the fourth model in the Volkswagen Group to be built on the new MQB (Modularer Querbaukasten) platform.

General Motors names Ewanick global chief marketing officer

General Motors, looking to accelerate its push into major markets worldwide, tapped U.S. marketing chief Joel Ewanick to become global chief marketing officer--a new post. "As we continue our rapid growth in major global markets, it is important that we take a more customer-focused view of our overall marketing strategy," GM CEO Dan Akerson said in a statement today.

Stunning classics at the inaugural Arizona Concours

While the rest of the country dug out from the Polar Vortex, Phoenix was applying SPF30, adjusting its straw boater hat and parking a collection of beautiful cars on the lawn of its historic Biltmore hotel. The inaugural Arizona Concours launched Jan. 12 and featured 76 beautiful cars spread out on the Arizona Biltmore's perfectly manicured lawn.