Mopar 67 383, Block Lower Half, on 2040-parts.com

Fioravanti expands into China in partnership with Eastone

Renowned Italian design house Fioravanti has formed a partnership with Shanghai-based design and engineering consultancy Eastone. The aim of this powerful duo is to deliver a wide range of design and build services directly to Chinese OEMs, with the first fruit of their labors being a concept car for Chinese manufacturer BAIC, to be unveiled at the Beijing auto show. For the first time in their own country, Chinese OEMs can now benefit from the time-served capabilities, knowledge and car culture typical of a leading Italian design house, while simultaneously gaining from the local knowledge, strong relationships and powerful commercial strength of a domestic design company.

Toyota Urban Utility concept embraces maker movement

Toyota has unveiled a concept designed in response to the maker movement. Called the Urban Utility, or U2, the vehicle is intended to appeal to those who have embraced maker culture - the trend of learning new practical skills, embracing new construction technologies like 3D printing, and applying them in an inventive and often entrepreneurial way. The U2 will be unveiled at the World Maker Faire in New York City on 20 September and was designed at Toyota's Calty studio in Newport Beach, CA.

Art Center Summit - Designing Sustainable Mobility

Shrinking oil reserves, global warming, failed political administration policies, the car as an avatar, industrial humanism and the motorized shoe were just a few of the topics and ideas discussed at the Art Center College of Design 'Designing Sustainable Mobility' conference, held in California in February. For the designers in the room, a bright light was shone from BMW's Chris Bangle. A lively speaker with an optimistic speech giving us terms like "Industrial Humanism" and "design with meaning".