2011 Consumer Electronics Show

The pace of development in the world of consumer electronics – particularly touchscreens, Smartphones and tablet devices – is increasingly influential on the world of automotive design. So with the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, we thought it high time for Car Design News to attend. Below are a few articles hailing from the world's biggest electronics trade show.

Mercedes front row in China F1 Grand Prix – Rosberg on pole

Nico Rosberg is on pole position for the Shanghai Grand Prix Nico Rosberg is on pole position for Mercedes in the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai with team mate Michael Schumacher alongside. Not only has Nico Rosberg taken pole position at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, but he did it with one flying lap at the start of final qualifying to take his first F1 pole and Mercedes first since their return to F1 in 2010 after an absence of more than half a century. Rosberg beat second place man Hamilton by a full half second, but Hamilton has a five place penalty for a gearbox change so starts seventh.

2012 BMW X1 Facelift at New York Show

2012 BMW X1 Facelift The still quite new BMW X1 is getting a minor facelift for 2012 and will debut at the New York Auto Show. It’s really only a couple of years since the debut of the BMW X1, but BMW are already giving it a tweak and a titivate in a 2012 facelift designed, it would seem, to make the compact SUV seem a bit more upmarket; more in line with the rest of the BMW range. Revealed ahead of a debut at the New York Auto Show this month – after which it goes on sale in the US from $31.5k – the latest version of the X1 gets a new front bumper and grill with silver bars, deeper recessed fogs and silver detailing in the lower bumper to give the nose of the X1 more identity and make it a but more urban-warrior trendy.