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Alfa Romeo MiTo facelift revealed at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show

The Alfa Romeo MiTo has been refreshed for the 2014 model year here at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show – a subtle facelift that the Italian maker will be hoping is enough to see off the challenge from the forthcoming all-new MINI. There’s still no five-door variant but revised engines and updated trims make the smallest Alfa feel just that bit more modern.

Volkswagen mulls new Phaeton for the US market

Volkswagen is giving some serious thought to bringing back the Phaeton sedan to the U.S., Automotive News reports. We haven't seen the Phaeton since 2006, when it was withdrawn from the North American market after lackluster sales. Built at the same factory as the much more expensive Bentley Continental GT and sharing much of the underlying mechanicals, the Volkswagen Phaeton managed to be a slower seller in the U.S.

The Hidden Work of Design Consultancies

Most major car companies carry out most of their design work themselves, with dedicated design departments increasingly capable of handling every aspect of the design process. But few car companies do not use the services of external car design consultancies for some smaller projects, and many smaller car companies use such consultancies to supplement their more limited in-house design facilities on larger design projects. Throughout the world there are numerous companies offering these design services to car companies.