Ratheon Radar Antenna on 2040-parts.com

Michelin Challenge Design 2007: The not so ugly truth about rising vehicle safety standards

Can cars be safe and beautiful at the same time? That may not have been the case a few decades ago when automakers were forced to hang those big, ugly so-called federal bumpers off the ends of their vehicles.  With vehicle safety standards on the rise around the globe are designers today feeling a little '70s deja vu when it comes to meeting the challenges of making cars safe as well as more fuel efficient? "(Back then) we said it was the end of automotive styling," says Patrick Le Quement, senior vice president for corporate design at Renault and one of the world's most influential automotive designers.

'400,000 children in smoky cars'

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of children travel in smoke-filled cars every week, a charity has warned. The British Lung Foundation (BLF) estimates that in England more than 430,000 children aged 11 to 15 are exposed to second hand smoke in cars each week. The charity, which conducted analysis on official NHS data, said that 185,000 children of the same age are exposed to smoke while in the family car on "most days", if not every day.

BMW 5-Series GT introduces liftback model

BMW will bring the elevated seating and packaging of an SUV to its 5-series line with the addition of a liftback model called the Grand Turismo or, simply, GT. The automaker is now revealing the production look for the vehicle, which will debut at this fall's Frankfurt motor show after having been previewed as a concept car at the Geneva show in March. It will go on sale in the United States in December, priced in the low-$70,000s range.