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Who's Where: GM's new Asian and European design studio appointments

New additions have been made to the design management teams at General Motors, both in Asia and in Europe. Effective today (August 1), Friedhelm Engler begins his new role as Director of Design for the Pan Asian Technical Automotive Center (PATAC), based in Shanghai, China.  He is responsible for all design related activities in the joint venture between General Motors and the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC).

First Sight: BMW Zagato Coupé

"I've been looking for a way to collaborate with Zagato and Nori [Norihiko Harada, Chief Designer Zagato] for around 20 years," explains Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design as we stand in the shadow of the magnificent Villa Erba. "Last year at this event we had a conversation and decided that it was the right time to do something." BMW and Zagato both have history associated with the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este – Europe's most glamorous car show – yet until last weekend the two illustrious names had never crossed paths. The BMW Zagato Coupé marks the first project between the two and the first Italian-designed car to wear the blue and white propeller since the 2003 Bertone Birusa.

One Lap of the Web: made in West Germany...with pride!

-- Out of all the viral social media trends that 24-hour news agencies love to fret over, easily the best is #burnoutnomination -- where you do a burnout and tag an unwitting victim, whereupon they have to perform it in 24 hours or face copious shame and embarrassment. Porsche racer and director Jeff Zwart was recently tasked with burnout duty. Never one to shy away from The Awesome, he recorded a fantastic burnout in his Porsche 914/6.