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Concept Car of the Week: Chrysler Lamborghini Portofino (1987)

In 1987, Chrysler purchased the bankrupt Italian carmaker Lamborghini to add an exotic brand to its portfolio. In celebration of its acquisition, Chrysler announced it would unveil a futuristic concept car at the Frankfurt motor show bearing a unique logo with the Italian raging bull framed inside Chrysler's famous Pentastar. It was during an internal aerodynamic study that designer Kevin Verduyn drew the lines of a four-seater sedan concept called the Navajo.

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.

Autostyle Design Competition 2013: The Results

The results of the tenth annual Autostyle 2013 design competition are in, with three Italian and two French design students earning this year's top plaudits. The contest challenged students from eight schools from around the world to create a custom vehicle from a Citroën Revolte concept, Suzuki SX4, Audi Crosslane, Land Rover Defender DC100 concept or Maserati Ghibli. The schools involved were: Creapole; Istituto Europeo di Design (IED); Institut Supérieur du Design (ISD); Istituto Superiore Scienza dell'Automobile di Modena (ISSAM); Politecnico di Milano; Royal College of Art; Strate College; and Umeå University of Design.