Japan Car: Designs for a Crowded Globe

The Science Museum in London, UK is hosting the Japan Car: Designs for the Crowed Globe exhibition, sponsored by seven Japanese automobile manufacturers. An exploration of the car as a 'mobile cell', the exhibition has been conceived by graphic designer Kenya Hara and architect Shigeru Ban to show how Japanese design reflects the 'soil and spirit' of Japan, depicted by concept cars and models specific to the Japanese market. Speaking to Car Design News, Shigeru Ban explained how the automobile was chosen as the central element to the exhibition because it is a reflection of Japanese culture and tradition.

Jaguar to develop luxury brand with China’s Chery to get NDRC approval

A Jaguar-based Chery for China on the way Reports from China say that Jaguar is to develop a new luxury sub-brand with putative Chinese partners Chery Automobile to get NDRC approval for a Joint Venture. We’ve reported on speculation about Jaguar Land Rover’s efforts to form a joint venture in China to gain access to the most important car market in the world quite a bit this year. And now it looks as though that joint venture is getting closer, with reports that Jaguar and Chery Automobile are to develop a new luxury brand for China based on Jaguar’s cars.

Mazda sells 10 millionth car in America

The first car Mazda ever sold in America was the R100, a cute lil' two-door fastback that was, unsurprisingly, rotary-powered. The year was 1970. Iggy Pop had made that much explicitly clear with "1970." Just imagine how weird it must have been for Americans to wrap their minds around some tiny Japanese upstart, selling a car approximately the size of a 1970 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham's wheelwell, powered by -- what's this, German technology?