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Michelin Challenge Design announces 2007 jury

The safety focus of this year's challenge requires designers to consider the vehicle's occupants as well as those who share the road traveling in other vehicles or as pedestrians. Entries will be evaluated for their accident-avoidance, occupant-protection and pedestrian-safety characteristics. Judges are also looking at the commercial viability and overall visual appeal of the work.

Show Review: Design LA

Design LA, the automotive design conference that incorporates the Design Challenge competition, has announced its winners, during this year's LA Motor Show. Chuck Pelly, who set up Design LA last year, introduced the event and the judges for the Design Challenge: Tom Matano , Director, Academy of Art University; Imre Molner, Dean, College of Creative Studies; Steward Reed, Chair, Transportation Design, Art Centre College of Design; and Bill Van Amburg, Senior Vice President, Calsart. This year's nine competition entries had a brief to deliver a 100 percent recyclable, five-year lifespan vehicle with 'accoutrements that add fun or function to represent California's unique green lifestyle.' The Acura FCX 2020 Le Mans is a Le Mans-style race car concept notable for its enclosed wheels and motorbike style forward-inclined driving position between the front wheels (which can just be made out in the translucent illustration shown here).

Honda's future plans cut Acura TSX platform

The future of Acura's TSX appears uncertain as Honda Motor prepares to abandon the platform used for the compact sedan. Acura boss Jeff Conrad says the TSX will remain in the lineup "for the foreseeable future." But when Acura moved into the entry-luxury segment with the ILX last year it jammed up its sedan lineup -- both in terms of vehicle sizes and pricing ladders. The ILX and aging TSX are positioned close to each other, as are the TSX and mid-sized TL.