Chassis Eng. (drag Race) Jerry Bickels Chassis Book Book P/n 7501 on 2040-parts.com

The Future Role of the Vehicle Designer

The vehicle design department at the Royal College of Art hosted the second in a series of five lectures looking at the future of the profession last week. Moving on from the previous week's topic of sustainability, this debate explored the future roles and responsibilities of the vehicle designer. Head of department Dale Harrow began by posing the question "Is it time to rethink – do we still need the car?" Although still relevant, Harrow's ultimate answer to this was that the profession was about to see marked change, with the end to an era where "designers are locked behind closed doors in studios".

Ford Focus (2011) prices start at less than £16k

The new Ford Focus range will start at less than £16,000 when it hits UK showrooms in March 2011, the company has announced. The base Edge, with a 1.6-litre 102bhp petrol engine, is the cheapest Focus at £15,995, with the £25,095 2.0-litre TDCi Titanium X topping the range. There will be seven engines to choose from: three petrol and four diesel.

New Renault Scenic – UK prices and models

New Renault Scenic prices announced for the UK Renault are making big play of how cheap the new Scenic is, saying it costs over £2,000 less than the Ford C-Max, and the new range starts at over £2,000 less than the old model. Which, in these constrained times, is not bad news at all. But the range of Scenic models and options is a little confusing, to say the least.