Happy 80th Birthday, Syd Mead!

Take a poll among car designers to name their greatest influence, and one name is sure to appear at the top of the list: Syd Mead. The car designer, illustrator and futurist has inspired generations of the men and women who shape the cars we drive or admire. Syd has created the designs for the movies Blade Runner and Tron, while the illustrations published in his books such as Oblagon and Sentury (sought-after collector items today) depict the vision of a future dominated by superior technology and aesthetics.

CAR 20 Most Wanted of 2014: VW Golf R

By the CAR editorial team First Official Pictures 17 December 2013 15:00 Everyone knows the Golf GTI: fun, practical, affordable, understated, it’s the default hot hatch. The Golf R is more complex: unravel its DNA and you’ll find traces of the four-wheel drive, supercharged Mk2 Rallye, the front-drive Mk3 VR6 with its 2.8-litre V6 and leather interior, the Mk4 and Mk5 four-wheel-drive R32 and the Mk6 R that ditched the potent V6 for a punchier, more fuel-efficient turbo four. It’d be a nightmare of a custody battle.

Porsche threatens to pull Boxster production from Magna

Porsche is considering canceling an existing contract with Magna to build the next-generation Boxster and Cayman in Austria starting in 2013 and may instead move production to Karmann in Germany. The move would be aimed at protecting Porsche's closely guarded engineering and production cost secrets for its upcoming entry-level roadster and coupe. Porsche insiders say plans established under former boss Wendelin Weideking to build the Boxster and the Cayman at Magna's Graz factory in Austria are now being heavily reviewed following the Canadian/Austrian company's bid to take control of financially embattled Opel from General Motors.