2pcs Rear Window Gas Charged Lift Support Fits 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty 4365 on 2040-parts.com

India turns the screw on luxury car makers

Land Rover will still be sending CKD to India despite the rise in import duty India’s economy is growing almost exponentially, as a result of which it has a big, rising middle-class with much the same aspirations as the middle-class in the West. Those aspirations include the accumulation of status symbols considered worthy of representing their success and new wealth, none more so than a good set of wheels. So it’s no surprise that the mainstream luxury car makers – Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes, Audi and BMW – are ready, willing and able to provide exactly what India’s middles classes are looking for.

Hot seats: from design to delivery [sponsored]

As the user demands on car interiors are increasingly influenced by their growing design consciousness, so suppliers like Lear strive to bring better-engineered seating to satisfy. 2013 was another big year for Lear, as Jeanette Puig-Pey, its global fabric & leather design manager, enthuses: "At our ‘Design2Perform' event we celebrated the unveiling of our brand new collection, with special emphasis on color and texture and our TeXstyle Enhance product, perfect for customization. Laser etching is part of this offering, it is exclusive to Lear Corporation and can be used to add refined design elements to cloth and leather." A mix of fabric and leather in seating is not new but is often seen by the consumer as a cheaper alternative to full leather.

Michelin Challenge Design - Deadline for entries April 16

You Can Design America's Next Iconic Vehicle Michelin Challenge Design - the global transportation design competition in its ninth year - is looking for America's next iconic vehicle.  Submissions for the 2009 program will be accepted through April 16, 2008. The winning designs will be evaluated for their uniqueness, emotional appeal, design courage and technical execution by a jury of automotive design professionals and receive prominent display in the MCD exhibit at the 2009 North American International Auto Show. See the video (left) for more information, including interviews with the previous winners and jurors.