Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

Hongik University's transportation design process

Hongik University in Seoul, Korea, is one of the preeminent design schools in the country with a diverse range of programs. But the school's transportation design department has also developed a unique approach for concept ideation. At the International Transportation Design Forum in Pforzheim, Germany, Professor Joo Hyun Chung from the school's Transportation Design course gave Car Design News an exclusive insight into the process, explaining how students express their ideas into 3D surfaces directly, using materials such as paper and wire for the first exploration of the form rather than the traditional 2D to 3D process.

Driven: Volkswagen Golf Mk7

Walking up to the seventh-generation VW Golf, redesigned flip key in hand, you're in no doubt that this is a) new or – perhaps more importantly – b) a Golf. It's the "200 meter test" lead exterior designer, Andreas Mindt tells us and, while we're suspicious of the idea of self-conscious ‘iconic design', you have to concede he's right. In fact the Mk7 Golf's pared-back graphics and a return to a true two-box proportion create a more accurate vision of what we imagine when we think ‘Volkswagen Golf' than either of its two most recent predecessors.

Nissan GT-R import fears

By Motor Industry 03 December 2007 09:43 Bargain hunters rejoice! Nissan's new GT-R costs just £34,400 in Japan - spelling out juicy savings for grey importers in the UK, where the super-coupe is tipped to cost £60,000. Even after the cost of shipping and import duties, that means you could land a Japanese-spec car for around £42-£45k.