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Autoweek Design Forum returns with style

Creating striking products for a new generation of consumers was a hot topic at the Autoweek Design Forum, which returned on Thursday with an A-list panel of designers from the car world and a man credited with the proliferation of the Apple iPod. Heady company, and it resulted in interesting speeches and debates about design, technology and marketing--and making it all work together. The annual event is held at the College for Creative Studies A.

NHTSA report: Audi S8 tops 2009 theft rates

The Audi S8 and the Toyota Camry stood out among the most stolen 2009 passenger vehicles in a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The just-released report tracked theft rates for all new 2009 passenger vehicles stolen that year. It excludes most SUVs and pickups, so the Cadillac Escalade won't make this list.

Contest: LA Design Challenge 2007

Audi Virtuea Quattro Designed at the Volkswagen/Audi Design Center California by Heather Shaw, Jae Min, Mattijs Van Tuijl, Karl Strahlendorf and Christian Schoen; the Virtuea Quattro is a single-seat autonomous driving machine. It functions as a solid unit at its core, while providing a myriad of possible holographic exteriors stored in a library and accessible through the vehicle's 'interactive holographic interface'.  Powered by hydrogen, the vehicle combines artificial intelligence with avenues of self-expression. The Virtuea's holographic exterior provides a variety of possibilities, allowing the driver to select from the most innovative designs from one minute to the next.