Honda Xr80 2003 Frame #4836 on 2040-parts.com

Back to basics for VW, says Walter de Silva

By Adam Towler Motor Industry 25 June 2008 13:01 It was an odd place for an inside line into what future Volkswagens will look like, but when head of VW Group design Walter de Silva invited CAR to the old Fiat Lingotto factory in Turin - now a conference and shopping centre – we could hardly say no. De Silva described VW as being immersed in a 'process of defining their design language' which could be read as ‘we’re still sucking our designer thumbs to see what happens’. Audi, De Silva said, had already been through that process and its design DNA was ‘understood by everyone in the company, right down to the smallest details'.

Mercedes G-Class – back in the UK

The Mercedes G Class returns to the UK in 2010 We all know that fashions are circular. There’s nothing new under the sun and every fashion that hits the headlines today is derivative of one that ruled the roost in a decade past. In many cases it’s not even derivative; it’s either a copy or a pastiche.

Porsche 911 GT3 RS

Porsche has released pictures of the most intense 997 yet, the GT3 RS. Due to be released in spring next year in North America, the RS produces 415PS from its naturally-aspirated 3.6l flat-six, enough for a 0-62mph time of 4.2 seconds. Power is sent through the rear wheels only, whose surrounding shoulders widen by 43mm to accommodate the extra track.