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First new Saab rolls off the production line

A NEW SAAB car has rolled off the Swedish production line for the first time in two and a half years. National Electric Vehicle Sweden, the Hong Kong-based company that bought Saab out of bankruptcy in September last year, presented its new 9-3 Aero at the factory in Trollhattan. The company, also called NEVS, aims to make electric cars under the Saab brand, but said it will also provide petrol cars until "electric cars fully meet customer demands." The first 200 cars will be delivered in spring costing 279,000 kronor (£26,000) each.

Pforzheim University International Design Forum 2004

The jury included design chiefs Chris Bangle (BMW), Peter Pfeiffer (Mercedes), Murat G�nak (VW), Martin Smith (Opel), Chris Bird (Ford) und Francois de Gaillard (Webasto). First prize went to Pforzheim student Philipp R�mers for his 'PFaeno' concept. The prize for Best Marketing Strategy went to Shi Jia from Tsinghua University.

BMW announces DesignWorksUSA studio and ConnectedDrive lab in Shanghai

BMW has opened both a DesignWorks studio and a ConnectedDrive lab in Shanghai, China, as a means of gathering information and insight into the Chinese market as the company looks to increase its presence in Asia. Adrian van Hooydonk, Director BMW Group Design, said, "Creating this foothold for both BMW Group Design and DesignworksUSA in Shanghai is of great importance from both strategic and creative standpoints." President of BMW Group DesignWorksUSA Laurenz Schaffer said, "Our new studio in Shanghai places DesignworksUSA at the epicenter of the most rapidly growing and influential consumer market in the world and provides an indispensable resource for shaping our global perspectives for clients." The new studio will perform functions including product, transportation, automotive, environmental and interaction design; color, material and finish design; design communication, research and strategy as well as sustainability consulting. Designers from DesignworksUSA studio in Los Angeles, Munich and Singapore will supplement a local design team.