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BMW: Carbon fiber goes high volume in 2013

BMW AG plans to begin high-volume production of carbon fiber parts in two years, making it a strong contender to be the first automaker to move beyond limited-edition use of the exotic material. But Daimler AG, which has taken steps aimed at making carbon fiber parts in 2012, is among the automakers racing toward the same goal. In 2013, BMW will start building the i3 electric car, a vehicle that features a passenger cell--the protective shell around the passenger compartment that ensures the integrity of the vehicle in a crash--made of plastic reinforced with carbon fiber.

VW Polo facelift (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 28 January 2014 10:00 Subtle facelift hides bigger changes underneath This is the new VW Polo to face-off the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa. The irony in this car arriving stems from the trouble that the German maker has faced in the US – where VW board members have blamed long model cycles with minor facelifts such as this – as the reason why sales fell and its North America boss stepped down late last year. At least the new Polo brings some welcome changes under that barely-changed sheetmetal.

Audi TT (2014) first official sketches

By Ollie Kew (images by Auto Bild/Larson) First Official Pictures 20 February 2014 11:00 Official Audi design sketches revealed today show the exterior styling of the new TT coupe. Festooned with cues from the original 1998 TT – something of a modern classic – the new car marries typical Audi cues with sharper, more aggressive details. It looks awfully close to CAR’s artist’s impression of the new TT in our gallery (see right).