Concept Car of the Week: Volkswagen Microbus (2001)

The turn of the millennium seemed to induce a feeling of nostalgia among car manufacturers and with it a plethora of heritage/retro designs, including the new Mini, new Ford Mustang and Nissan Z. Following the runaway success of its New Beetle, which probably started the trend, VW asked itself whether it could enjoy the same success with a modern interpretation of the legendary T1 Microbus. Designed at the surf-central design studio in Simi Valley, California, the Microbus Concept took ample inspiration from its distant ancestor, but was modernized in every way.

2014 GAF Boccaro Cup Car Design Contest

The Global Automotive Forum has announced its first car design competition. Called the Boccaro Cup Car Design Contest, the competition is now open, and the deadline for submissions is 15 August. 阅读中文版请点击这里 The theme of the competition is a call for a new breed of designers to take Chinese culture forward with their creativity, and to set new trends for the future of the automobile.

Missing oil changes is false economy

TRYING TO SAVE money on motoring costs by not changing a car’s oil is risking a false economy as it could lead to more wear and fuel consumption, according to Two-thirds (65%) of British drivers admitted they have not changed the oil in their car in the last 12 months, with the same number admitting they buy oil for their car based solely on price. The same study by Mobil 1 also showed only 45% of drivers knew when their car’s scheduled service intervals were, while 15% said they would cut back on servicing to save money. Dan McGoldrick, of Mobil 1, said: ‘Choosing the right oil for your car is vital as it means both the lubricant and the engine will last longer, so you’re saving in the long term.’ Tim Shallcross, Head of Technical Policy at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, added: ‘Apart from lubricating the engine, oil has the important job of absorbing harmful by-products given off by the burning fuel.