Hyundai Motorsport Facility opens in Germany

Hyundai’s new Motorsport facility in Germany No one can accuse Hyundai of not taking their return to the FIA World Rally Championship in 2014 seriously. They’re busy preparing an i20 to take on the WRC, starting in Monte Carlo in January 2014, and have now started testing their swift WRC i20 in preparation. They’ve already recruited some impressive names to join their new Hyundai Motorsport GmbH team including Michel Nandan to head up their WRC efforts who has been joined by Frenchmen Bertrand Vallat and Stephane Girad, Alain Penasse, Ernst Kopp and Stefan Henrich.

BMW M3 DTM Championship Edition not coming to United States

BMW is celebrating its domination of the 2012 DTM series with a special edition M3. Canadian driver Bruno Spengler claimed the driver’s title; BMW Team Schnitzer finished top in the team standings and BMW claimed the manufacturer’s title. Only 54 examples of the BMW M3 DTM Championship Edition will be offered in various international markets—but not the United States.

Kia scoops three design awards

Kia has won three design awards in this year's Automotive Brand Contest, continuing its strong showing in last year's competition. The second-generation cee'd, launched in June, topped the exterior category table as well as receiving an honorary special mention for exceptional innovation in the interior category. The car's exterior features a chrome-framed glasshouse and muscular lines on the bonnet, while inside an ergonomic, driver-oriented control panel impressed the judges enough to receive the special mention.