A1414568002 Steering Wheel Wood, Shadow Gray, 450 Mm Dia. For Freightliner on 2040-parts.com

Renault puts a price on the 2012 Twingo Facelift

2012 Renault Twingo costs £10,350 The facelift for the 2012 Renault Twingo debuted at Frankfurt, and Renault has now put a price on their new baby – £10,350. The facelift for the 2012 Renault Twingo is not the most comprehensive overhaul you’ll eve see in a car, consisting mainly of a new nose reflecting more current Renault design, a tiny tweak round the back and a few new colour options. But then the 2012 Twingo is really just a stop-gap until a SMART-based Twingo arrives – probably in 2013 – and as such does its job; making the Twingo look a bit fresher.

Worth a read: Wired's 'Why Getting It Wrong Is the Future of Design'

Wired has just published a series of short articles entitled 13 Lessons for Design's New Golden Age. While there are some interesting examples cited in the piece, the concluding article, ‘Why Getting It Wrong Is the Future of Design' by the former creative director of Wired magazine, Scott Dadich, feels like it has particular resonance for car design. Dadich's Wrong Theory uses disruptive examples from the world of art, plus his own experience of working at Wired, to explain how design goes through phases: establishing a direction, creating a set of rules that define that direction and finally someone who dares to break from that direction.

Acura retools lineup to put the focus on mpg

Honda will overhaul and reposition its Acura lineup over the next 18 months and abandon its long pursuit of top-tier luxury-car status for the brand. After years of trying to propel Acura into the front ranks with Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Lexus, Honda says it will settle for offering mid-level premium vehicles that favor fuel economy over performance. With one exception: At the Detroit auto show in January, Honda will bring back the Ferrari-fighting Acura NSX--a new version of the mid-engine supercar that disappeared in 2005 after a 15-year run.