F250 Fiberglass Topper on 2040-parts.com

The Hidden Work of Design Consultancies

Most major car companies carry out most of their design work themselves, with dedicated design departments increasingly capable of handling every aspect of the design process. But few car companies do not use the services of external car design consultancies for some smaller projects, and many smaller car companies use such consultancies to supplement their more limited in-house design facilities on larger design projects. Throughout the world there are numerous companies offering these design services to car companies.

Dodge red lights in your autonomous Audi: More tech from CES

Audi wowed the crowd at CES with a new advancement in, of all things, headlights when it announced it would show a version of its Sport quattro laserlight Concept with laser beam headlights. Frickin' laser beams, as Dr. Evil once demanded on sharks (the good doctor ultimately had to settle for sea bass instead of sharks, but they still had laser beams).

Jaguar prices 75th-anniversary XKR

Jaguar is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a limited-edition XKR that will sticker for $104,500, including destination. It's called the 2011 XKR175 Anniversary Coupe, and as the name implies, it's a nod to the brand's landmark birthday. The Jag was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.