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Audi TT Clubsport Quattro concept car (2007): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 16 May 2007 04:20 Audi TT Clubsport Quattro: the full lowdown Inspired by the Porsche 356, Audi has lopped the top off its TT Roadster to make this speedster version of its two-seater. The TT Clubsport Quattro, unveiled today in Austria, is a concept car to show how far the TT brand can be stretched, but officials freely admit that they are considering a limited production run. It's a TT like no other, squashed and squat, flattened to create a low-slung sports car for those living in dry climates where the occasional rain storm isn't a worry.

CAR Magazine scoops Britain's top design prize

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 16 May 2007 09:33 CAR Magazine's design team has won the top accolade at the UK industry's oscars - the Periodical Publishers Association's Designer of the Year gong. Andy Thomas, who led last year's redesign of CAR with art editor Andy Franklin, collected the prize at the magazine industry's annual ceremony in the Grosvenor House Hotel in Park Lane, London. CAR is no stranger to the PPA's top design silverware - we won the same award two years ago.

Brabus SV12 S Biturbo Coupe (2007): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 15 May 2007 11:37 Brabus SV12 S Biturbo Coupe: the lowdown Environmental concerns? Soaring tax duties? Pah.

Saab's new 9-3 (2007): first official pictures

By Ben Whitworth First Official Pictures 15 May 2007 11:47 Is this really an all-new Saab 9-3? It’s as new as new Saab 9-3s get, until the real new 9-3 arrives in 2010. The Swedish company has once more given its ageing 9-3 a new lease of life with this heavily revised new version – topped of by a rapid 300bhp twin-turbo performance version.

Coventry University design graduates develop iconic youth car

Three graduates from the Coventry University MA Automotive Design course have created an iconic vehicle for the year 2020. Kazunori Inomota, Edward Stubbs and Mujammil Khan-Muztar designed the Rebel concept, a project that began in March this year, to incorporate aspects of Japanese 'Harajuku' gangs - where teenagers create their own fashion to deliberately try to stand out from their peers - and Toyota's youth-oriented Scion brand. Drawing styling cues from the Scion xB and the Ford SYNus concept unveiled at the 2005 NAIAS in Detroit, the Rebel concept is about social interaction, functionality, and the relationship buyers have with personalized products.

Vauxhall Agila (2007): first official pictures

By Ben Whitworth First Official Pictures 14 May 2007 02:51 That's actually quite a cool looking little car... That's the idea. Vauxhall's raft of design-led new cars continues with the Agila.

Hyundai i30 Estate (2007): First official pictures

By Ben Whitworth First Official Pictures 11 May 2007 02:48 Hmm, a Hyundai that looks like a Peugeot Yes, as expected, Hyundai has pulled the wraps off the estate version of its new i30 hatch. Styled at the Korean giant’s European Design Centre in Frankfurt, the estate will be built at a new production plant in the Czech republic. 'Designed and built in Europe for Europeans," as the Koreans are bound to say at its official debut at the Frankfurt motorshow later this year.

Euro NCAP Slams UK Safety Record

By Ben Whitworth Motor Industry 11 May 2007 10:50 Euro NCAP has panned UK car manufacturers after a dismal performance in its Electronic Stability Control survey. Figures released today by the automotive safety organisation put the cars sold in the UK near the bottom of the table when it comes to fitting ESC as standard. While Denmark, Sweden and Germany topped the list, the UK ranked 20th out of the 25 countries surveyed, only just beating Ireland, Greece, Malta and the Netherlands.

BMW wins engine of year

By Ben Whitworth Motor Industry 09 May 2007 05:51 BMW’s twin turbo 3.0-litre engine – the mighty 306bhp straight six from the 335i - has taken top honours at the 2007 International Engine of the Year Awards, the engineering equivalent of the Oscars. This is an unprecedented third year in a row that BMW has clinched the title of International Engine of the Year Award – in 2006 it was the M6’s V10 that took the title, and the M5’s V10 claimed gold in 2005. Other winners, judged by the panel of 62 motoring journalists from 30 countries across the globe, included Porsche for its biturbo 3.6-litre flat six (unbelievably, the first time Zuffenhausen has won an IEYA award), Toyota for the Prius’ 1.5-litre hybrid unit, and Volkswagen’s TSI twincharger 1.4-litre unit.

General Motors reshuffles Executive Design leadership team

General Motors will be changing its Executive Design leadership team around in the coming months to accelerate global product development. The announcement came on the heels of news regarding the giant automaker being surpassed by rival Toyota in global sales. In an effort to bring itself out of the red, the company is reshuffling its design team in several areas.

Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet (2007): first official pictures

By Ben Whitworth First Official Pictures 07 May 2007 02:06 Something brisk for the summer, then? Brisk indeed. Porsche’s new £106,180 Turbo Cabriolet arrives here in early September and is powered by the same twin turbo unit that’s found in the coupe.

Who's Where: Bryan Nesbitt appointed VP of Design for GM North America

General Motors is looking to inject some newfound flair into its North American product lineup. Effective June 1, Bryan Nesbitt, currently Executive Director of Design at General Motors Europe will become Vice President of Design for North America and relocate to the company's technology headquarters in Warren, Michigan. The 38 year old, credited with the forward-thinking but retro PT Cruiser design in 1996, began his career at DaimlerChrysler and became the youngest design executive when he was appointed Executive Director of Body Frame Integral at General Motors in 2002.

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster (2007): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 04 May 2007 06:28 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster: that's quite a mouthful It certainly is. But then this is no normal car. Let's call it the SLR, for brevity's sake - and this new roadster derivative is designed to inject Merc's exclusive, low-volume range-topper with a new lease of life after three years on sale.

Rolls meets massive demand from Chinese super-rich

By Jack Carfrae Motor Industry 26 April 2007 01:28 Four showrooms not enough to serve the needs of all those impoverished rice pickers? Apparently not. This is Rolls' fifth Chinese dealership and its eightieth worldwide.

Audi Cross Coupe Quattro concept (2007): first official pictures

By Jack Carfrae First Official Pictures 26 April 2007 01:30 Audi Cross Coupe Quattro: the lowdown This is the first official picture of what will become in 2010 Audi's new Freelander rival, efectively the Q3. It's a baby brother to the Q7 mud-plugger and forthcoming Q5 - but this one is more compact, seats only five and has gone on a crash-diet. End result?

Ferrari police car lands in UK

By Jack Carfrae First Official Pictures 26 April 2007 01:31 A Ferrari police car? That's just ridiculous! Yep, it sure is.

Mitsubishi Evo X (2007): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 26 April 2007 10:02 Mitsubishi Evo X: haven't we seen this before? After years of concept cars and teasers, Mitsubishi today finally showed the production version of the new Evo X. This is a company that just loves to drip-feed information - and even this car is called an 'exterior design study'.

BMW prices M3

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 25 April 2007 09:30 The new M3 will cost £50,625, BMW announced today. That's a hefty £8k more than before and brings the new coupe closer than ever to a basic Porsche 911 Carrera which is just under £60k. Deliveries in Europe begin in September and there is already a waiting list several months long.

Maserati GS Zagato

This is a the one-off Maserati GS Zagato commissioned by the entrepreneur Paolo Boffi and due for its public debut at the Concours d'Elegance at the Villa d'Este, Italy on the 20th April, a year after the debut of the Zagato-designed Ferrari 575GTZ. This Zagato design is based on the platform of the Maserati Spyder which itself is based on a shortened platform of the recently replaced Coupe. The GS consciously evokes the classic Maserati A6 G Zagato of 1954 in its form, and like that design also has an all aluminium body.

Design Development: KTM X-Bow

KTM is an Austrian motorcycle company. Originally it produced only off-road bikes, but now it also makes ATVs / quads and road orientated machines, all focused on the enthusiast end of the motorbike market - there are no retro-cruisers, scooters or large screened tourers in the KTM range. In the summer of 2005, this hardcore motorbike company, along with their design partner of 14 years, Kiska, embarked on a research project, which within 6 months saw them committed to adding a sports car to their range.

BMW Concept CS (2007) first official pictures

By Jack Carfrae First Official Pictures 19 April 2007 07:42 BMW Concept CS - a landmark BMW concept This is the very latest offering from Munich's design studios - and it points to a bold new design future post-flame surfacing. The landmark Concept CS show car is a luxury four-door GT primed to kickstart a new look for future BMWs. The unveiling of the Concept CS marks a revolutionary shift for the marque.

Maserati GS Zagato concept (2007): first official pictures

By Jack Carfrae First Official Pictures 17 April 2007 01:15 The Maserati GS Zagato. Can we see the front, please? Afraid not.

Chery Shooting Sport concept

Chinese manufacturer Chery will be presenting the Shooting Sport concept at the Shanghai Motor Show this week. The Shooting Sport was designed and constructed by Torino Design in Italy, as with the recent Coupe and SUV shown at the Beijing Motor Show. The car is a compact, front wheel drive, four seater + luggage, three door 'wagon-coupe' offering space and flexibility.

College Exhibition: Creapole-EDSI MA Degree Show 2007

The Creapole-ESDI Transport Design Masters degree exhibition took place in March this year, with work from the 17 graduating students of the Paris-based two year course on display. Citroen C-Bionic Antonin Maire D'Eglise The C-Bionic Concept has an environmental focus exploring several directions of renewable, organic, and bio-engineered materials. At the center of the C-Bionic concept is the idea of using a genetically engineered tree to serve as the main chassis for the vehicle, while the rest of the vehicle would be made out of high-density bio-plastics that in turn could be made out of parts of the tree and other organic materials.

Volvo S40 and V50 (2007): first official pictures

By Jack Carfrae First Official Pictures 10 April 2007 10:53 The new S40 and V50? They look pretty similar to me! That’s true, there’s not a huge amount of difference.

Kia KND-4 Concept (2007): first official pictures

By Jack Carfrae First Official Pictures 10 April 2007 11:16 KND-4 concept: the lowdown Kia has lifted the lid on its latest concept car, the KND-4 crossover. Painted in lime green paint and sporting deep-dished, 20-inch alloys, it’s not what you’d call subtle. There’s not much chance of seeing the KND-4 parked on your local Kia dealer's forecourt, though - this is very much a design project to showcase the company’s direction for its 4x4s.

Jeep Cherokee (2007): first official pictures

By Jack Carfrae First Official Pictures 10 April 2007 12:14 Jeep Cherokee: the lowdown Jeep has given the Cherokee yet another makeover in its 30-year history and has headed back to basics on the design front. The new Cherokee (or Liberty, if you’re American) draws heavily on the big and boxy Commander for its latest look. With a face that only its mother could love, the Cherokee certainly hasn’t become any more attractive.

BMW M3 (2007): first official pictures

By Phil McNamara First Official Pictures 06 April 2007 10:51 BMW M3: the lowdown This is the first look at BMW’s new M3 production car. You’ve seen the concept, you’ve heard the new V8 engine howl on this website, but today (April 7) CAR Online brings you eight pictures of the flagship 3-series coupe. The big news with the fourth-generation M3 is the switch to a 4.0-litre V8 engine, which produces some 80bhp more than the outgoing 3.2-litre six.

EVER Conference 2007 - Ecological Vehicles and Renewable Energies

Whether the European Commission does or doesn't succeed in fixing a tight new emissions cap on vehicles by 2012, 'clean' is definitely in vogue right now. So it seemed appropriate that the eco-party last week moved to the French Riviera. 'EVER' - Ecological Vehicles and Renewable Energies - is in its second year and showcased a motley crew of environmentally-friendly vehicles at the Forum Grimaldi in Monaco.

American taxi hits 100

By Liz Turner First Official Pictures 04 April 2007 05:35 American taxi celebrates its 100th at the New York Motor Show The US taxi celebrates its centenary at New York this week with a display of the ‘green’ yellow cabs of tomorrow. The rank gathered by The Design Trust for Public Space for its Taxi ’07 display include a lithium-battery powered taxi from Hybrid Technologies, and the world’s fastest taxi. This hydrogen-burning 1000hp Crown Victoria has a projected top speed of 200mph, for Wall Street traders who really can't hang around.