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Barn-stored, one-off Lagonda V12 heads to auction

Lagonda is now a nameplate associated with Aston Martin; even though the two companies' histories have been closely intertwined for the past half century, Lagonda was once an independent marque whose creations rivaled those from Crewe and Newport Pagnell. The marque's historical models are rare on any side of the pond now, but every once in a while we see one of its cars make a grand entrance. This V12 two-door Hooper saloon was a one-off built for the wife of the owner of Hooper Bodies Ltd.

RCA Citroen/Exa Double Challenge project

Second year students at the Royal College of Art in London revealed a series of projects at their interim degree show last week. Developed in collaboration with French automaker Citroen and the Exa Corporation, a leading supplier of aerodynamic software, the Double Challenge project asked students to design an ultra-compact model that could establish a unique Citroën e-vehicle aesthetic for the future, all while adhering to certain aerodynamic criteria that would not only reduce energy consumption and ensure stability at speed, but also visually communicate efficiency through its design. The project, which kicked off in October last year, was closely followed by representatives from Citroen and Exa, who examined each of the projects and chose a winner, Heikki Juvonen, at the event last week.

GM Korea doubles size of its design center

GM has invested $40million in its Korea Design Center, doubling the size of the facility. The expanded studio opened on 25 April, and will give improved support for both exterior and interior design. As well as more studio space, the upgraded facility now includes improved exterior modeling and 3D printing facilities, an outdoor viewing area with three turntables, and a virtual reality studio – the latter allowing design reviews to take place in real time with GM's network of nine other design centers in six other countries around the world.