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2006 Michelin Challenge Design seeks vehicle designs for California market

Michelin issued a call for entries to the global design community this week to kick off the 2006 Michelin Challenge Design, one of the industry's fastest growing vehicle design forums. In the last four years, Michelin Challenge Design has been the catalyst for students in design universities, design firms, professional designers from top OEMs, and individual designers from all over the world to have their work exhibited at a major international auto show in support of a central theme. Last year, submissions were received from 50 countries worldwide with selected designs displayed at the 2005 North American International Auto Show in January.

Updated: Lexus LF-LC Concept

The Lexus LF-LC concept – a four-seat coupe that will make its debut at the NAIAS in Detroit – has been further unveiled in these latest shots. Designed in Toyota's Catly studio in Newport Beach, California, the show car appears to develop Lexus' L-Finesse design language, while retaining familiar features such as the huge grille first seen on the LF-Gh concept and subsequent GS sedan production car. The upward flick of the windowline into the C-pillar is also reminiscent of the flagship LFA.

Monster Jam is totally rad

To our 6-year-old selves, monster trucks really were the biggest, baddest things on four wheels, mechanized, city-block-sized demon machines that ate sedans and belched fire. The reality is that the trucks aren't that big when you get right up next to them -- certainly not the Caterpillar 797-sized car-obliterators we imagined years ago. They're probably around 12 feet high at most; given current trends, they'll be eclipsed by heavy-duty pickups in a design cycle or two.