Matra - Le Mans Winner 1972 & 1974 Enamel Lapel Pin Badge V2 (c2) on 2040-parts.com

Spyker, Youngman agree on joint venture

Dutch supercar maker Spyker and the Chinese Youngman Group have agreed on a joint venture to build a new super sport utility vehicle and a group of sedans based on Saab's Phoenix platform. The SUV is scheduled to hit the market by the end of 2014, while no dates for the Phoenix-based sedan were announced. Youngman will invest 10 million euros in Spyker, 7 million of which will be for stock shares constituting 29.9 percent of the supercar company.

BMW ‘reveals’ new EfficientDynamics prototype

BMW has established a Web site called www.dontblogabouthis.com with the express purpose of revealing a prototype being used to test a new gasoline-electric driveline earmarked for a future sports car. It’s expected to be launched in 2012 as part of BMW’s EfficientDynamics program. Featuring two short videos and four photographs of a 6-series based prototype, the Web site provides no additional information about the prototype other than to suggest that the car in question is “more than a 6-series”and is “not in its final stage.” Close inspection reveals the matte black BMW mule has a new front end resembling that of the one-off EfficientDynamics concept revealed at last year’s Frankfurt motor show.

CAR interviews Seat design chief Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos (2012)

At September’s Paris motor show, CAR interview Seat Head of Design Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, quizzing him on the new Leon, Toledo, future SEAT concepts, and his design inspirations. Read our chat in full here. CAR: How much flexibility does the VW Group’s new MQB shared platform offer you as a designer?