K&n Oil Filter (black) Kn-161 on 2040-parts.com

Volkswagen Beetle Dune concept edging towards production

The Volkswagen Beetle Dune frolicking on the beach Back at the Detroit Motor Show in January, the Volkswagen Beetle Dune concept arrived as the perfect accessory for an outdoor lifestyle – especially if you’re in Southern California. Riding higher than a regular Beetle, with big wheels and a rack on the back for surf boards, sand boards or skis, the Beetle Dune Concept looked very close to a production car. Now, with Summer upon us, Volkswagen has released some new photos of the Dune concept frolicking around sunny locations in Germany and pointing firmly towards a production version.

Luxgen Luxgen5 sedan

Luxgen, Taiwan's only automotive manufacturer with its own design and development center, has announced the launch of the Luxgen5 sedan, which the company says has three design aesthetic elements: surfacing performance, re-curved strokes and intelligent airfoil. What this translates to is a silhouette comparable to the Opel Insignia, with an arcing A-pillar that runs through the cant rail onto the high rear deck. The DRG boasts a large grille, where the chromed ‘wing' motif runs into the LED lamp graphics. The sculpted flanks feature an array of character and detail lines that fall into the ‘re-curved strokes' category of the Luxgen design language.

Mazda hires VW alum Derek Jenkins to head U.S. design staff

Former Volkswagen designer Derek Jenkins has been hired to be the design chief for Mazda in America. Jenkins, 39, fills a position vacated last summer by Franz von Holzhausen, who left to take the top design post at electric-vehicle maker Tesla Motors. Jenkins had been chief of design for the Volkswagen Group in North America, which he joined in 2000.