Walter de'Silva awarded medal for special services to Bavaria

Walter de'Silva has been awarded a medal for special services to the Free State of Bavaria. Volkswagen's head of group design was told in a letter from the Bavarian state minister of Federal and European Affairs Emilia Müller that he had "changed the form language and design culture of Germany as a vehicle designer," going on to praise his "outstanding achievement with the world-class company Audi". De'Silva says, "I am very pleased about this honor.

Video: FiDU technology creating lightweight, inflatable metal structures

This short video, featuring designer Oskar Zieta, details the process and design possibilities behind products developed with FiDU (Freie Innendruck Umformung – "free internal pressure forming") technology. Zieta, a Polish designer, explains how the lightweight yet robust metal appears as a soft object yet when you touch it you realize that it is actually a hard metal. "Working with FIDU technology is similar to carving clay," Zieta explains.

AutoWeek America Adventure: A high-speed run to Vegas and a chance to win a new special-edition car

This fall is guaranteed to be filled with automotive excitement because, well, we're making it. The inaugural AutoWeek America Adventure--a time-distance raid from Seattle to Las Vegas--will have great cars, incredible drivers, high-speed track stages . .