Richie Brand Compass Model F83 W/ Light Flush Mount ( Cr52016) on 2040-parts.com

New concepts to be revealed at Pebble Beach

The international auto show in Frankfurt is but a few weeks away, yet for important new cars in the American market there's further proof that traditional auto shows such as Detroit are being shunned as launch venues in favor of more exclusive and pretigious events. That's because Cadillac, Infiniti, Lexus, Lotus and possibly a few others are set to reveal new production and concept cars at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance later this week. Lexus is set to unveil its production GS350 (previewed by the Lf-Gh concept in New York earlier this year), the fourth generation of its luxury sports sedan, on August 18, while Cadillac's 2013 ATS will also be revealed.

Volkswagen wants you to design a video game car in return for an internship

Volkswagen has launched a new design contest in order to find three students to undergo a six-month internship program at its Wolfsburg design center. In order to prove your worth, you have to design a car that looks beyond the current paradigms of The Car. Think more about how personal mobility – and particularly autonomous cars – will look, feel and interact by creating a new scenario: "Video games have created their own unique medium, devoid of normal design barriers," reads the competition website.

Mercedes-Benz G-class to get V12 power

Mercedes-Benz has slyly revealed a lightly facelifted version of the 33-year-old G-class prior to its planned public premiere at the Beijing motor show next month. The reworked version of the German carmaker's iconic military-grade SUV, planned to go on sale in European markets in June with North American deliveries slated to begin by the end of this year, can be seen in the background of an official photograph of the facelifted GLK posted on the Mercedes-Benz media Web site. Among the subtle changes made to the G-class's classic square exterior is a restyled grille with three prominent slats in place of the older model's seven slats, new headlamp inserts with horizontally mounted LED running lights and redesigned mirror housings.