VW, GM join BATC, GAC plus Chris Bangle and more at key China design event

阅读本文中文版本请点击这里 新年快乐.  Xin Nian Kuai Le.  Happy New Year to our readers in China and to everyone celebrating the start of the Year of the Rabbit. The speakers and program are being finalized for one of the principal forums for car design intelligence in China, the Interior Motives 2011 conference, to be held in Shanghai on the eve of this year's auto show. The event will again include design chiefs from both China and overseas, representing domestic OEMs and the foreign companies seeking to retain their design edge by investing heavily in new studios and nurturing home-grown talent.

Porsche Panamera plug-in hybrid set for 2014

Porsche AG will build a plug-in hybrid version of the Panamera sedan starting in 2014, sources familiar with the situation said last week. The plug-in hybrid likely will come to the United States, but the timing is unclear, a source said. Volkswagen AG, which owns 49.9 percent of Porsche's sports car business, will roll out plug-in hybrid versions of the Audi Q7 crossover and European-sold VW Passat starting in 2014 or 2015, a source said.

Dan Darancou appointed Chief Designer at CH-Auto

Former GM design manager Dan Darancou has become Chief Designer at CH-Auto, a major Chinese car design studio that supports numerous domestic car manufacturers as well as international car companies looking to sell vehicles in the burgeoning automotive market. Darancou, who started his new role on November 1, will be overseeing all design activities as well as facilitating the liaison between the styling and engineering departments so the company can deliver complete ready-for-production vehicles and services. As well as tackling these initiatives, Darancou will also be promoting the organization, furthering the company's goal to become the premier car design studio in China.