Datsun Roadster 1600 Front Grill on 2040-parts.com

Audi R8 Spyder leaks out

The first proper pictures of the new Audi R8 Spyder We’ve known for some time that the drop-top R8 was coming to Frankfurt. The Spyder has been seen out and about on the set of the film ‘Iron Man II’, and we had a UK Audi dealer using a picture from the set to promote orders for the R8 Spyder back in July. So it’s not new news, but the pictures are new and are obviously part of the official release set – which we’ll no doubt see later today.

Car Design of the Year 2009 Winners

Car Design News recognized the winners of the 2009 Car Design of the Year Award at last night's Car Design Night event at La Sip nightclub in Geneva. Car Design News Editor Eric Gallina presented the winning design teams at Aston Martin and General Motors for the most publicly acclaimed production and concept car designs of 2009, as voted by Car Design News readers in an online poll. The Best Production Car Design accolade was awarded to Aston Martin Design Director Marek Reichman for the beautiful Rapide sedan unveiled in full glory at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show in September.

Project Car Hell, Air-Cooled Inferno Edition: oval-window Beetle or Type 34 Karmann Ghia?

Here we are in the Automotive Lake of Fire again, and we feel compelled to follow up a couple of marginal-classic Fiat projects with a pair of indisputable classic Volkswagens. After Ferdinand Porsche appropriated the basic design for the original Beetle from Tatra designer Hans Ledwinka (but before Tatra successfully sued Volkswagen), Volkswagen turned one innovative rear-engined vehicle platform into quite a lineup of cars and trucks. These days, while some types of air-cooled VW projects are cheap and plentiful, the rarer ones are much-sought-after and tough to find in semi-restorable condition.