New Factory Volvo Penta Serpentine Belt, 3586326 on 2040-parts.com

Creapole graduates on course to become influential designers

Since its establishment in 1981, the creative design school Creapole ESDI has enjoyed the rich atmosphere of its unique location, set in the cultural and historical heart of Paris between the Louvre and the Georges Pompidou Center. By harnessing the romantic charm of the city with a careful awareness of human requirements, emotional as well as technical ideas can be turned into functional concepts across the broad structure at Creapole.   The school's disciplines include transport, product or fashion design, video game animation, visual communication, interior architecture or art design, and flexibility is given to applicants of different ages depending on their academic background.

Acura promotes movie role with secret-agent kit

Rarely do the lengths to which a carmaker will go in promoting a product raise eyebrows here at AutoWeek, but it still happens from time to time. Case in point: Acura sent us a kit of secret-agent tests showcasing the role of its cars in the movie Thor. Touting the carmaker’s first stint in a major motion picture, the so-called Acura S.H.I.E.L.D.

Infiniti Etherea: Infiniti’s compact concept revealed in Geneva

Infiniti Etherea Concept Despite our gripes that Infiniti seem half-hearted about their entry in to Europe – certainly in terms of their reluctance to get the product under people’s noses –  we can’t argue they’re not developing their range to suit the European market. Good case in point is the introduction of diesel lumps across the range, although we find the new Infiniti M35h Hybrid potentially more appealing than the M30d (we’ve surprised ourselves there). And now we get a proper European-sized concept revealed in Geneva – the Infiniti Etherea Concept – which is a compact, pillarless, suicide door endowed 3-Series competitor with a 2.5 litre S/C lump connected to an electric motor and driven through a CVT ‘box.