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VW builds case for large SUV for U.S. market

Volkswagen is building the business case for a large SUV in the United States. The vehicle is a key to the company's plan to nearly double the VW brand's U.S. sales to 800,000 units by 2018.

Bertone Jaguar B99 GT concept (2011) at the Geneva motor show

Bertone B99 GT – the racing version Next to the fully-trimmed B99 show car on Bertone's stand is an exterior mock-up of a GT2-class racing B99.  Two additional electric motors up front mean the GT has 972bhp all wheel drive capability.  A carbonfibre splitter, diffuser and flat undertray are matched with a massive bootlid wing.  There's enormous side-exit exhausts for the range-extender generator, a 100mm lowering job and a lurid green paintjob.  It’s an extreme way for Bertone to highlight the dual images of luxury and performance that Jaguar has in its heritage – particularly since there aren’t currently any saloons in the FIA GT2 series.  Perhaps they should have painted it in a '70s Broadspeed XJC touring car livery to get the full effect. More details on the Bertone B99 exterior design Bertone claims that it has modernized classic Jaguar three-box saloon design with the B99, with Bertone’s design chief Mike Robinson and his team drawing inspiration not just from past Jaguars, but the stealthy big cat that lends its name and image to the brand.  They coined the slogan "Cunning Glamour with Race-Bred Innovation” to embody the B99’s design… but from the two cars on the stand it looks like reconciling those disparate aims in the one vehicle may have been a bit beyond them. The roofline has been shortened and lowered in proportion to a conventional three-box body, inspired by a Jaguar cat stalking its prey.

Lowie Vermeersch resigns from Pininfarina

CDN has learned that Lowie Vermeersch has resigned from Pininfarina, where he was Design Director. According to our sources, the Belgian designer has left to pursue other as yet unnamed ventures in the design industry. Vermeersch has been at Pininfarina for the last 12 years, leading the design team that created the new Ferrari 458 as well as the Duettottanta and Sintesi concept cars.