Parade celebrates astronauts and Corvettes

After Alan Shepard became the first American to travel into outer space in 1961, General Motors executive Ed Cole presented the astronaut with a new 1962 Chevrolet Corvette, customized with a space-age interior. Shepard had brought along his own 1957 Corvette when he reported for the space-training program in 1959. Thanks to a special lease arrangement between the space men and a Melbourne, Fla., Chevy dealership, six of the Mercury Seven astronauts were Corvette owners.

Mini John Cooper Works WRC (2011): launch news

Mini John Cooper Works WRC: the rollcage in detail Mini WRC goes flat-out in France - VIDEO Mini has today officially launched its WRC campaign in the UK, at the company’s Cowley base on the outskirts of Oxford. For the first time, the WRC team – run in conjunction with Prodrive – also revealed its ambitious strategy: to be challenging for the WRC championship by 2013. That’s despite the fact that the car debuts part-way through the 2011 season, contesting just six rallies.

IDSA's 3D-printed car design contest gets underway

Aspiring designers have the chance to see their 3D-printed car designs launched down a miniature model of a ski jump and crash in the Launch Day 2013 competition due to take place at the 2013 IDSA conference, which runs from 21-24 August. Up to five designs can be entered for free until 12 August in the competition, organized by The Industrial Designers Society of America. All submissions will then be judged for both aesthetics and for "using unique attributes of 3D printing" which will whittle them down to just 10 designs that will be printed before the launch.