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

The Future Role of the Vehicle Designer

The vehicle design department at the Royal College of Art hosted the second in a series of five lectures looking at the future of the profession last week. Moving on from the previous week's topic of sustainability, this debate explored the future roles and responsibilities of the vehicle designer. Head of department Dale Harrow began by posing the question "Is it time to rethink – do we still need the car?" Although still relevant, Harrow's ultimate answer to this was that the profession was about to see marked change, with the end to an era where "designers are locked behind closed doors in studios".

Hyundai make it in to UK Top Ten best-selling car makers

Hyundai has become the first Korean car maker to make it in to the top ten best selling car makers in the UK, with sales of 74,000 in 2012. It’s taken a few years to shake off the ‘Cheap Car’ tag, but Hyundai are now offering a range of cars – certainly in the mainstream – that can be compared on ability, design and quality with the best of the competition. That quantum change in perception in the last few years about the desirability of a Hyundai has now translated in to Hyundai becoming one of the top ten best-selling car brands in the UK, a first for a Korean car maker and a real sign that Hyundai is now accepted as a real competitor – not a ‘Budget’ brand.

Infiniti JX

Shanghai and New York aren't even over yet, but that hasn't stopped Infiniti releasing this teaser sketch of the car it plans to show at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance this coming August. The JX luxury crossover carries styling cues 'such as dynamic and elegant line treatments' over from other Infiniti production models, whilst also drawing from the Essence concept car, sporting the 'crescent cut' greenhouse treatment. Billed as the antidote to 'ho-hum' luxury crossovers, the seven seat JX is said to offer 'exceptional seating flexibility, easy access to the roomy third row, plus the latest in-vehicle technology - challenging the status quo in its class'.