Mazda wins 2008 LA Design Challenge

The Mazda Kaan concept has won the fifth annual LA Design Challenge competition, part of the Design Los Angeles automobile designer's conference. The award was presented during the second press day of the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show, following a designers' luncheon and keynote speech by Daniel Simon, visionary futurist and author of Cosmic Motors. As we reported last month, nine local Southern California design studios entered the competition to envisage how motor sport vehicles might be in the year 2025, answering the theme ‘Motorsports 2025'.

Gemballa's body found in South Africa

The body of car customizer Uwe Gemballa, who had been missing for eight months, has been found in South Africa. He was 54 at the time of his disappearance. Gemballa had traveled to South Africa in February on a business trip regarding the opening of a dealership in Johannesburg, according a Reuters report.

New Ford Kuga Titanium X Sport tops Kuga range

The New Ford Kuga Titanium X Sport (pictured) is the new top of the range Kuga Ford’s latest Kuga crossover/SUV is turning in to something of a success story for Ford, with Kuga production increased earlier this year to keep up with demand. Not only that, but it seems some 87 per cent of all Kugas are being ordered in range-topping Titanium and Titanium X trim levels, which leaves Ford just one option – come up with a name for a trim level even higher than Titanium X to bring in more high-priced sales. Our suggestion earlier in the year was to do exactly that, perhaps with a Titanium XX, Titanium Ultimate  or Titanium Black, but Ford has decided on Kuga Titanium X Sport for their new range topping, more expensive, better equipped Kuga.