Dorman 521-491 Rear Upper Control Arm on 2040-parts.com

Interior Motives Design Awards 2008

The second press day of the Paris motor show once again coincided with the annual Interior Motives Design Awards, a competition open to student designers around the world and now in its sixth year. A jury made up of high-ranking design professionals, including the likes of VW's Flavio Manzoni and Faurecia's Andreas Wlasak, selected winners in the following 11 categories: Best Use of Ambient Lighting Best Innovation Best Production Interior Best Use of Technology Best Lifestyle Interior Best Safety Innovation Best Personalisation Best Eco Design Best Conceptual Interior Best Conceptual Exterior Best Xperience The title of 2008 Student Designer of the Year - and the grand prize of $5000 - went to the Royal College of Art's Pierre Sabas. His four-seater Free Form coupe concept took an inside-out approach to design, consisting of articulated, interlocking seat elements designed to eliminate the need for bulky, constrictive exterior crumple zones, and a sliding dashboard for adaptable ergonomics.

Renault Twingo

Renault has released the first official picture of the new Twingo, a model set to make its debut at the forthcoming Frankfurt motor show. A clear departure from current form, the revised Twingo adopts the DRG from the DeZir, R-Space and Captur concepts. The full width grille sits atop foglights reminiscent more of the Nissan Juke than the DeZir's smaller items.

Study links low-speed collision-avoidance system to fewer accidents

A study of the Volvo XC60's low accident rate offers evidence that collision avoidance systems can improve vehicle safety. The XC60, which has a low-speed collision avoidance system dubbed City Safety, was involved in 27 percent fewer property damage accidents than other mid-sized luxury SUVs, according to a report released Tuesday by the Highway Loss Data Institute. The XC60 also was involved in 51 percent fewer bodily injury accidents.