India turns the screw on luxury car makers

Land Rover will still be sending CKD to India despite the rise in import duty India’s economy is growing almost exponentially, as a result of which it has a big, rising middle-class with much the same aspirations as the middle-class in the West. Those aspirations include the accumulation of status symbols considered worthy of representing their success and new wealth, none more so than a good set of wheels. So it’s no surprise that the mainstream luxury car makers – Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes, Audi and BMW – are ready, willing and able to provide exactly what India’s middles classes are looking for.

Ford creates ‘driver workload estimator’ to reduce driver distraction

Ford researchers have created a ‘driver workload estimator’ help reduce driver distraction by filtering infotainment and communication distractions. Researchers at Ford are working on a system that would use information submitted by the vehicle and the driver's body to prioritize what information can be displayed and at what time. With the ever-increasing demand for advanced infotainment systems, the chance of driver distraction has also risen as more displays and controls are integrated into the latest models.

Former VW and Renault designer Markus Haub turns artist with 'Racing Legends' collection

Former Volkswagen and Renault designer Markus Haub has merged photography, painting and digital effects to create a 'Racing Legends' series, which focuses on racecars from the 1960s and ‘70s. Haub, a Pforzheim University graduate, who now teaches at the Barcelona campus of the Instituto Europeo di Design school (IED) when not producing his unique artwork, uses software to manipulate his photography which is then printed and made into a collage. He then works into it with paint and other artists' tools, creating what you can see here.