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Aston Martin ditches Cygnet city car

CITY SLICKERS will no longer be able to cut a dash in a diminutive Aston Martin, following the company's decision to axe the controversial Cygnet from its range. The tiny Cygnet, which takes its name from a young swan, was an adaptation of the Toyota iQ, refitted with the finest luxury materials and priced at over £30,000. Its low CO2 output is rumoured to have been the main reason for the model’s presence in the range, since Aston Martin could in that way lower the company’s average CO2 output across the range in line with European emissions rules.

Interior Motives Design Awards 2008

The second press day of the Paris motor show once again coincided with the annual Interior Motives Design Awards, a competition open to student designers around the world and now in its sixth year. A jury made up of high-ranking design professionals, including the likes of VW's Flavio Manzoni and Faurecia's Andreas Wlasak, selected winners in the following 11 categories: Best Use of Ambient Lighting Best Innovation Best Production Interior Best Use of Technology Best Lifestyle Interior Best Safety Innovation Best Personalisation Best Eco Design Best Conceptual Interior Best Conceptual Exterior Best Xperience The title of 2008 Student Designer of the Year - and the grand prize of $5000 - went to the Royal College of Art's Pierre Sabas. His four-seater Free Form coupe concept took an inside-out approach to design, consisting of articulated, interlocking seat elements designed to eliminate the need for bulky, constrictive exterior crumple zones, and a sliding dashboard for adaptable ergonomics.

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.