Four car design schools to compete in Ferrari design contest

 Ferrari, in collaboration with Pininfarina, has laid down a global challenge for students of car design. The project, called 'Ferrari: new concepts for the myth', will see students from four of the world's best automotive design schools compete to create new concepts for future Ferraris. The four schools are: Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Tokyo Communication Arts, Coventry University School of Art and Design, and the European Institute of Design in Turin.

Spectre 341 Challenge: The thrill of the hill

All you need to take on the death-defying Spectre 341 Challenge is a license, registration, proof of insurance and Department Of Transportation-legal tires. The winding 5.2-mile road in Virginia City, Nev., named Highway 341 has 22 hair-raising turns, about 14 of which can literally kill you. “This place forces the intangibles to the surface,” event creator and Spectre Performance owner Amir Rosenbaum says.

Renault Scenic XMOD

In a move that marks the huge shift in interest from MPVs and minivans to SUVs, the definitive ‘mini-MPV' Renault Scenic has been rehashed and reborn as a pseudo off-roader. The addition of unpainted bumpers and lower body cladding, along with some metallic-effect details is a clear attempt to stem the flood of buyers choosing cars such as the Nissan Qashquai. It may be little more than an Allroad-style makeover rather than a new format but it speaks volumes in terms of how the family car market has shifted and not only in Europe.