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Alfa Romeo to go all-RWD

And Alfa Romeo's saga of restructuring, postponing and rejiggering continues, swathed in announcements, reports, rumor and innuendo. A few months ago, the product plan at the Italian automaker centered around the existing MiTo and Giulietta (cousins of the 500 and Dart, respectively), the almost-at-hand 4C, the upcoming Giulia sedan and the Duetto, a roadster based on the next Miata. Forget that.

Smart Forspeed concept signals new design direction

Smart will unveil a new concept at the forthcoming Geneva motor show that signals a new design direction, hints at future product and confirms parent company Daimler's renewed commitment to the brand. Car Design News was granted early access to the concept, baptized Forspeed, at a secret photography studio in Stuttgart last week and heard the head of advanced design, Steffen Kohl, explain how the two-seat, electric-powered vehicle prefaces design themes in both the next Fortwo and the revived Forfour, which will be launched in 2014. "The fullness of this concept's exterior surfaces is important and will be reflected in future production models," said Kohl, "Smart will still be short, spacey, agile, and with wheels at the corners of the car, but with an added sporty and emotional design and without losing all the brand's iconic elements like its ‘plastic fantastic' aspect and the safe and hi-tech modular tridion shell assembled with all these changeable body parts.

Range Rover Evoque Convertible NOT going in to production. Thankfully.

It seems Land Rover is having second thoughts about making the Range Rover Evoque Convertible – shown at Geneva 2012 – in to a production model. But the one model we really couldn’t find a lot of positives in was the Range Rover Evoque Convertible – which arrived as a concept at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show – looking like the ultimate statement of Chav central for Tango’d ‘Ladies’ who lunch, from Brentwood via Surrey and up to Cheshire. We understood Land Rover’s impetus – they thought there’d be a market for a drop-top Evoque – but it really was a step too far for Land Rover to go.