Car of the Year 2014 shortlist announced

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 16 December 2013 11:00 The seven-car shortlist for the 2014 Car of the Year [CotY] award has been announced. The jury is looking for ‘the most outstanding new car go on sale in the [last] 12 months.’ BMW i3 – the first branch of BMW’s family of electric ‘iCars’, to bear fruit, available in fully EV and range-extender form, and aiming to make electric cars desirable at a fraction the price of Tesla’s impressive Model S luxury saloon Citroen C4 Picasso – Citroen isn’t giving up on the good old MPV despite the onslaught of new crossovers – the new C4 Picasso boasts outlandish bug-eyed design and a fresh take on family-mover cabins, thanks to two enormous touchscreen interfaces to keep the kids – and parents occupied. Mazda 3 – the third-gen 3 family hatchback is lighter than before thanks to Mazda’s energy-saving ‘SkyActiv’ tech, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Porsche Panamera Turbo S (2013) pictures, specs, and price

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 01 November 2013 11:00 Four years after hitting the showrooms, Porsche’s love-or-loathe it Panamera limousine is still trying to outrun jibes about its controversial looks. If any model stands a chance, it’s the new Panamera Turbo S, which has received a healthy power increase for its facelifted iteration. The new Panamera Turbo S is the most powerful mass production Porsche currently on sale – only 918 units of the 918 Spyder hybrid supercar are being built, so we won’t count that.

Alcraft and RCA announce design competition winner

Alcraft Motor Company has announced the winner of a design competition featuring students from the Royal College of Art (RCA) Vehicle Design program. The contest, which concludes a joint project exploring British design values and personalized vehicle design, challenged students to develop a personalized design package for Range Rover models. Winning student Jed Sheehan collected his award for his treatment of the flagship Range Rover, which Alcraft has transformed into a design study.