Fiat 500: Suspension tweak and 2-pot engine

The Fiat 500 is to get stiffer suspension and a range of 2-pot engines It’s not hard to see why the Fiat 500 has been a runaway success. It has the cute factor going on, but on the right side of pastiche; prices are much more reasonable than its rival in the ‘small car icon revisited’ stakes – the MINI, and Fiat have done a sterling job on the marketing side. And it’s not just been the tin-top, bog-standard  Fiat 500 that’s flown out of showrooms.

Jaguar-designed Santa's sleigh (2009)

Santa's sleigh by Jaguar By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 14 December 2009 10:01 CAR has resurrected our Christmas theme from last year, commissioning some top car designers to sketch out their vision for Santa's sleigh. And our first festive treat is this new Jaguar sledge, an intriguing look at a Big Cat on its way to the next chimney top.The bright red sky scooter was designed by 25-year-old Jaguar exterior designer Thomas Smith. He graduated from the Royal College of Art in June 2009 and joined Jaguar this summer, after a placement in Coventry's advanced design studio where he penned a luxury flagship coupé blue-sky project.His version of Santa's sleigh reveals a push-me-pull-you, very modern take on what a Jag could be.

Autoweek in review: Sergio Pininfarina dies; ZL1 and GT500 hit the drag strip

The automotive world lost one of its most influential figures this week. Sergio Pininfarina, longtime chairman of his family's Italian design firm, died on July 2 after an undisclosed illness. He was 85 years old.