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Auto Show: Los Angeles Auto Show gives preview into design competition

Ask automobile designers to come up with their interpretation of the 'Ultimate LA Machine' and you'll get a broad array of creative ideas. That's precisely what the LA Auto Show asked Los Angeles area automobile design studios to do - and the results are fascinating, entertaining and thought provoking. The LA Auto Show has provided a sneak peek into the competition by releasing one of the 13 entries - the Hyundai NTT, 'Entity', submitted by the Hyundai Kia America Design Center.

Capitol Hill notebook: Obama defends autos, Akerson defends the Chevrolet Volt

Less than 10 hours after President Barack Obama wrapped up his third State of the Union address, manufacturing and automobiles continued to command the spotlight on Wednesday in Washington. The day began with General Motors CEO Dan Akerson defending the Chevrolet Volt before a U.S. House committee hearing, saying he didn't want it to become a "political punching bag," according to testimony provided by the company.

Ford Iosis Max unveiled at Geneva motor show 2009

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 02 March 2009 18:00 Ford is serving up a big-bang surprise at Geneva with the launch of the Iosis Max concept car. The third in a series of Iosis show cars, the Max affords our first view of the new 2011 Ford Focus, with a hint of next-gen 2010 C-Max thrown in for good measure.  The Iosis Max looks just like the next-gen Focus at the front and heralds some important new styling treatments for all future Fords, its designers have told CAR. The lower trapezoidal grille, for instance, will in future feature these horizontal chromed strakes, echoing the feature lines on the bonnet, and the Blue Oval badge appears more prominently in the middle of the higher, Fiesta-style grille.