Advanti Racing on 2040-parts.com

VW exec Jacoby reportedly heading to Volvo

Volkswagen of America said it is in talks with CEO Stefan Jacoby, who reportedly has been tapped to run Volvo Car Corp. In the meantime, VW has temporarily named two executives to take over Jacoby's duties, the German automaker said in a statement Thursday. "We are holding contract talks with Stefan Jacoby," the statement said.

BMW announces DesignWorksUSA studio and ConnectedDrive lab in Shanghai

BMW has opened both a DesignWorks studio and a ConnectedDrive lab in Shanghai, China, as a means of gathering information and insight into the Chinese market as the company looks to increase its presence in Asia. Adrian van Hooydonk, Director BMW Group Design, said, "Creating this foothold for both BMW Group Design and DesignworksUSA in Shanghai is of great importance from both strategic and creative standpoints." President of BMW Group DesignWorksUSA Laurenz Schaffer said, "Our new studio in Shanghai places DesignworksUSA at the epicenter of the most rapidly growing and influential consumer market in the world and provides an indispensable resource for shaping our global perspectives for clients." The new studio will perform functions including product, transportation, automotive, environmental and interaction design; color, material and finish design; design communication, research and strategy as well as sustainability consulting. Designers from DesignworksUSA studio in Los Angeles, Munich and Singapore will supplement a local design team.

How to Draw Cars Now! tutorials target budding car designers

Whether you're just starting out in car design, or if you're looking to brush up on your presentation techniques, How to Draw Cars Now! Analog vs Digital Drawing Techniques by Arvind Ramkrishna is a new resource that aims to improve your skills. Not to be confused with the I Draw Cars Sketchbook, Ramkrishna's offers two DVDs, a 20-page reference book as well as three Ebooks that cover all the basics of automotive illustration from basic sketching techniques through to full-blown digital painting with all steps in between.