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Ford's NA Design Director aims to shorten product lifecycles

Peter Horbury, Ford Motor Company North America Design Director, has told Automotive News he intends to shorten product lifecycles at the ailing company from an average five years to three years starting this decade. "We feel there is no value in minor changes but a huge value in major changes," Horbury told the industry weekly. Ford needs to ensure that buyers continue visiting showrooms as the giant automaker struggles to retain market share.

Mazda Furai concept burns in Top Gear's hands

It's the 20th anniversary of Top Gear -- the magazine anyway -- and as it celebrates its 20th anniversary, the magazine has copped to the destruction of the Mazda Furai concept, which caught on fire while in its possession an unspecified length of time ago. "The 20th anniversary collectors" edition of BBC Top Gear magazine…reveals a host of until-now untold secrets," says a statement from the magazine's publisher, "including the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of Mazda's astonishing Furai concept (hint: it involves the East Anglia fire service)." Well, that sucks. Look at that picture above!

Volkswagen to take full control of Porsche

Volkswagen Group's decision to take full control of Porsche Automobil Holding SE's carmaking business is seen as positive by analysts. VW said it has agreed to buy the remaining 50.1 percent of Porsche SE's automotive business that it doesn't already own for 4.46 billion euros ($5.54 billion), ending a seven-year takeover saga that divided two of Germany's most powerful families. The agreement means Volkswagen can now fully fold the Porsche automaking business into its stable of brands, which range from Audi and Bentley sedans to Skoda and Seat volume models and Ducati motorbikes.