Dorman (oe Solutions) 674-568 Exhaust Manifold on 2040-parts.com

First ever LA Car Design Night – registration now open

For those who have attended one of our Car Design Nights at various auto shows around the world, you'll know they're a great place to catch up with fellow designers, make new contacts and unwind with an informal drink away from the show floor. This year we're excited to announce the launch of our first event in the US, to coincide with the Los Angeles Auto Show on the evening of 20 November at Elevate Lounge on Wilshire Blvd from 7PM. Head to the events page to register now and we hope to see you there.

Pocketsquare to premiere Panasonic's driver-focussed HMI interior concept at NAIAS

Erstwhile GM interior design chief David Lyon, alongside former GM engineer Nina Mital and ex-Ford designer Gary Braddock – the three members of new Michigan-based design consultancy Pocketsquare – will have the first fruits of their new venture displayed at the NAIAS in Detroit in the form of Panasonic's advanced interior design concept. The interior makes use of Panasonic's new range of head-up displays and smart clusters to reduce driver distraction in advance of the latest proposed NHTSA legislation. The system is said to exceed these measures by as much as 35 per cent.

Ford overhauls plans for the U.S. C-Max to go with fewer seats, all hybrids

Ford has shifted gears on its plans for the C-Max wagon in the United States and will now sell only the five-seat version with hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, beginning in 2012. Ford has canceled plans to sell the seven-seat version of the C-Max with a conventional gasoline engine in the States. Ford will call the car the C-Max hybrid, and C-Max Energi will be the name of the plug-in version.