Ford Nos Shifter Indicator E0tz-7a110-a on 2040-parts.com

Design Services: Ficosa International

In the hierarchy of car design the exterior of a powerful sports car is usually regarded as the highest level whilst the design of some of the smaller functional components tends to sit at the bottom. But even for companies not obviously dependant on sexy curves to help them make money, design is increasingly being recognised as a critical ingredient for commercial success. Whilst most large suppliers have grown their design capability over the last decade, few have truly embraced the potential of having a focus on Design within their corporate strategy.

SRT Viper gets refresh in 2015, product plan shows

Chrysler Group will bolster the Fiat brand but has dropped plans to add Fiat-derived small cars for Chrysler and Dodge this year, according to a new long-range product plan revealed Wednesday. The new plan updates Chrysler's five-year North American product outlook that it presented in November 2009. The update extends the outlook into 2016.

Troller T4 4x4

Brazilian brand Troller has been channeling the Jeep Wrangler's utilitarian aesthetic since the mid-1990s, first with its Rf Sport model, and then, in 2001, with its T4 4x4. Ford of Brazil purchased Troller in 2007, and since then, its domestic design team has been working on a new generation T4 model that taps into the market's growing appetite for SUVs. It showed a concept, called the TR-X, at last year's Sao Paulo show, and has now unveiled a car that closer to the production model expected later this year.