Chrysler vows to rebuild SRT

Ralph Gilles promises that Chrysler Group will be "very choosy" about the cars and trucks that get the SRT performance badge. Gilles, recently named head of SRT, is charged with rebuilding the SRT unit, which languished when Chrysler was owned by Cerberus Capital Management. Three new SRT vehicles, versions of the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 sedans and the Jeep Grand Cherokee, will arrive in dealerships this fall, joining the Challenger SRT8.

Audi R8 Spyder leaks out

The first proper pictures of the new Audi R8 Spyder We’ve known for some time that the drop-top R8 was coming to Frankfurt. The Spyder has been seen out and about on the set of the film ‘Iron Man II’, and we had a UK Audi dealer using a picture from the set to promote orders for the R8 Spyder back in July. So it’s not new news, but the pictures are new and are obviously part of the official release set – which we’ll no doubt see later today.

Frank Stephenson on the importance of color in design

During the announcement of the McLaren Automotive's partnership with paints and coatings company, AkzoNobel, Car Design News took the opportunity to discuss the importance of color in design with design director Frank Stephenson. According to Stephenson color's ability to invoke emotions and communicate with viewers, he described just how big a part it has to play in the design process and how it inspires designers when developing products. "The first thing color does is influence the brand – it gives the customer an identifiable element to what we're talking about.