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World Car Design of the Year 2014 award shortlist revealed

The BMW i3 and Volkswagen XL1 are amongst the contenders for the World Car Design of the Year award as the top 10 finalists in each category of the tenth annual World Car Awards are announced. The full shortlist of nominees for the 2014 World Car Design of the Year Award are: BMW i3; Cadillac CTS; Citröen C4 Picasso; Lexus IS; Mazda3; Mercedes-Benz C-Class; Volkswagen XLR1; Cadillac ELR; Range Rover Sport and Volkswagen XL1. As in previous years for the World Car Design of the Year award, a panel of five design experts reviews all candidates before writing up recommendations for the jury of 69 international automotive journalists to consider.

Brief 5 – Sculpting: CDN–GM Interactive Design Competition

The Car Design News and General Motors Interactive Design Competition is now open. It offers you the choice of five briefs, each set by GM's design teams, and entries are invited at http://www.cardesigncontest.com/ Sculpting, the fifth and final brief, is new for this year's running of the design competition. The challenge is to explore automotive sculpting; the fundamental principles of line, form, proportion and scale.

Ford eyes dandelions as sustainable alternative to synthetic rubber

Ford, in conjunction with Ohio State University, is turning to the humble garden weed as sustainable resource, researching the dandelion's potential use as an alternative to synthetic rubber. While the automaker already makes considerable use of sustainable materials in its vehicles – such as soy foam seat cushions and straw-filled plastic for interior trim – this latest discovery opens up a wealth of new possibilities for automotive applications. According to research conducted by Ford, a milky-white substance that is found in certain dandelion roots can produce a sustainable rubber that could be used to create plastic parts for vehicle interiors.