Milano Design Week 2005

Every year, hordes of designers from across Europe gather in Milan to present their work and gain inspiration for next year's. Newcomers to the event are usually surprised to realise how accurate the title is: work is not confined to just one arena, but the entire city. Good shoes are definitely high on the list when packing.

Nissan Qashqai+2 (2008): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 07 April 2008 08:54 We’ve heard of 2+2s before, but Nissan is taking this numbers game to a whole new level with the Qashqai+2. As its name suggests, this is a slightly bigger version of the crossover with seven seats, up from the regular car’s five.CAR Online scooped the super-sized Qashqai last year, so it comes as no surprise. Nissan has stretched the wheelbase by 135mm to free up the extra space for a third row of seats, which fold flat when not needed.

BMW Concept ActiveE at Detroit motor show 2010

BMW has unveiled this rolling testbed for its electric car strategy - the new Concept ActiveE - at the 2010 Detroit motor show. It's a fully electric BMW and a hint of what's to come through the long-range visionary Project i plan which will reshape BMWs for the 21st century.No prizes for guessing it's based on an existing BMW production car, the 1-series Coupé. But the hardware underneath is designed to percolate across the lower echelons of the BMW range, starting with some exciting new bespoke electric cars.The ActiveE is the first fully electric BMW and follows in the treadmarks of the Mini E. Like the Mini, this battery BM will be used as a pilot test programme where it will be driven by selected private and fleet motorists.BMW ActiveE concept: how it worksThis is a rear-drive BMW with the internal combustion engine ditched in a Munich scrapheap.