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

Car Design of the Year 2008

As the year draws to a close, it's time once again for us to ask you, our readers, to vote for your favorite car designs of 2008. Your votes will decide which design teams will be presented an award by the CDN team at the Geneva auto show in March, with prizes being given to the best vehicle in the concept and production car categories. We've selected our picks of the production and concept vehicles unveiled since the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, and now it's up to you to decide which ones gain the accolade of Car Design of the Year.

Infiniti making noise about its new M35 hybrid

Infiniti has just announced that its new M35h will be the world's first hybrid with a standard audible pedestrian warning system to alert pedestrians when the car is running silently on EV mode. Infiniti calls the system VSP, or 'Approaching vehicle sound for pedestrians'. It uses a range of distinctive sounds to alert pedestrians via a speaker built in to the front bumper.    Instead of reproducing the sound of an internal combustion engine, the Infiniti produces a range of beeps.

East meets West at NDE

Nissan opened the doors to its European design studios late last month, part of the Japanese automaker's first ever participation in the London Design Festival events in London, UK. Showcasing the works of 20 designers under the theme of 'East meets West: the cultural crossroads of creativity', the exhibition also included a ‘Pecha Kucha' event with presentations from a further six influential designers. Held in Nissan Design Europe's ground floor conference rooms, the exhibition presented pieces from artists and designers around the world working across various disciplines, including photography, Fine Arts, textiles, product design, fashion and ceramics.