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VW to cover maintenance costs for sludge-damaged engines

Volkswagen AG has agreed to pay maintenance costs under a proposed settlement in a class-action lawsuit over sludge-damaged engines in 479,768 VW and Audi models. Judge Joseph Tauro of the U.S. District Court in Boston gave conditional approval of the settlement last week.

Driven: BMW Z4

Loved as it may be by its loyal fanbase, the outgoing Z4 was always something of a mixed bag in terms of design. While the car's classic long-bonnet, cab-back profile and short overhangs should have pleased the eye, the BMW's sheer frontal mass made its proportions seem out of balance. The application of the company's then-new ‘flame surfacing' form language also generated a visual business that seemed out of place on something as conceptually simple as a roadster.

India's National Institute of Design

The National Institute of Design (NID) in Ahmedabad is hidden in the greenery behind an iron gate in the crowded streets of the biggest city in the Indian state of Gujarat. There are no car manufacturers here, nor is there any particular tradition of design in general. But for almost half a century this has been the main school to enrol in if you want to become a car designer in India.