Who's Where: Kevin Rice becomes Mazda Europe’s design director as Peter Birtwhistle retires

Mazda Europe has a new design director. Effective 1 September, Kevin Rice will succeed Peter Birtwhistle, who retires from the post of chief designer, bringing to an end a 26-year career with Mazda. Following graduation from Coventry University's transport design course, Rice, 50, began his professional career at Opel in 1986.

Aston Martin Rapide storms the desert

If you asked last month what the greatest invention in the history of the world was, we would not have said fire or the wheel or the Wright brothers' airplane. We'd have told you it was air conditioning. Because last month, we were in Kuwait, a place so hot that even the Kuwaitis--who probably have the best air conditioners on the planet--get the hell out of Kuwait in the summertime.

New COPO Camaro concept hits the drag strip

This Friday video goodness features a white 2012 COPO Camaro Stock Eliminator Concept on the drag strip. As Autoweek contributor Patrick Paternie explained during the SEMA show, the new COPO (Central Office Production Order) nameplate pays homage to the rare high-powered 1969 Camaros created through a loophole in the special-order program. This enabled dealers to specify a 427 engine--COPO 9560, the aluminum ZL1, or COPO 9561, the Corvette-based L72 iron block--despite the Camaro technically being limited to the 396-cubic-inch powerplant.