Toyota Hiace 2004 F Exhaust Muffler [0722200] on 2040-parts.com

Volkswagen wants Karmann

VW wants to buy Karmann Just like all the other specialist coachbuilders out there – Zagato, Pininfarina, etc – life has not been a bed of roses for a long time for Karmann. Once a great way for wealthy owners to ‘Customise’ their cars, the specialist coachbuilders have relied more and more on relationships with big car makers to survive. None more so than Karmann, whose hopes for survival rested on VW divvying up an order for electric cars.

Chevrolet Trailblazer

The 2013 Chevrolet Trailblazer made a low-key world debut at the Dubai motor show last week, before showing in LA this week. Although billed as a 'show car', Chevrolet is adamant the production version will differ only in minor details. This second-generation Trailblazer was penned in GM's South America Design Center in Brazil, where the design theme was ‘sophisticated muscle'.

CDN-GM Interactive Design Competition - interior phase finalists announced

July 19 saw the CDN-GM competition judging and mentoring teams meet at GM's world HQ in Warren, Michigan, to cast judgment over the 99 entries to the interior phase of the competition. The competition asked design students to develop concepts in response to briefs set by each of GM's four brands – Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick. The judges nominated three finalists for each brand, who will be invited to attend the 2012 NAIAS in Detroit.