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.

It looks like Aston Martin could be getting AMG/Mercedes platforms too

Mercedes/AMG platforms would make the Lagonda SUV a reality We’d been expecting Aston Martin to get access to Mercedes platforms ever since the Lagonda SUV – based on the underpinnings of the Mercedes GL - arrived in all its ‘beauty’ in 2009. The Lagonda SUV was met with wails of anguish from lovers of Aston Martin’s timeless beauty but, despite the horror at the looks of the SUV, the prospect that Aston Martin could be heading down a collaboration route with Mercedes was welcome. It was welcome because without the support of a major car maker – and access to its technology – Aston Martin would have little chance of a bright future; there is no way a minnow like Aston Martin could afford the development cost of new engines and platforms.

Subaru XV Black Limited Edition: Costs from £24,495

The Subaru XV Black Limited Edition Subaru launched their XV SUV – basically a high-riding Crossover Impreza – back in 2012, and it was a decent offering. But by this summer they were looking to add a bit more fizz to sales and decided there was room to make substantial cuts in the list price of the XV, taking it down by a significant £2300 right across the range. Now, with prices cut back and the XV starting from £18,995, it seems Subaru has decided it’s time to shift some more expensive metal, so we’ve got the Subaru XV Black Limited Edition which adds more kit and style and starts at £24,495.