Opel / Vauxhall Mocha almost revealed as Buick Encore

Three quarters of the Bucik Encore - the American Mocha The European Opel / Vauxhall Mocha – a Corsa based SUV – has been almost revealed in the US with a tease for the Buick Encore. Just before Christmas we reported on a new Corsa-based SUV on the way from Vauxhall and Opel which looks like it’s going to be the Opel Mocha (and, we assume, the Vauxhall Mocha too). But in this new ‘One World’ for cars, where North America actually gets the sort of cars they would once have derided as too small to consider, the Mocha is also going on sale in the US.

Mazda MX-5 Kuro Special Editions

Mazda has released yet another special edition MX-5 for the UK market in the guise of the Mazda MX-5 Kuro.  Yes, it’s yet another special edition MX-5, this time the Mazda MX-5 Kuro which comes as either a 1.8 litre soft top or a 2.0 litre Roadster Coupe. It seems the Japanese like the idea of ‘Black’ Special Edition cars as much as we do in the West (Kuro means black in Japanese), with the last ‘Kuro’ special being the Nissan Juke Kuro. But oddly Mazda are offering the MX-5 Kuro not just in black but also in Velocity Red Mica and Crystal White Pearlescent, with the ‘Kuro’ bits referring to the Brilliant Black roof, door mirrors and dark gunmetal 17″ alloys.

IED Creative Diary 2011

The Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) will be offering a total of 36 scholarships to students hoping to enter the university this year. The schools' Design, Fashion, Visual Communication and Management departments will all offer places on selected courses. As part of this, the IED international network grant scholarship has launched the 'creative diary', a daily showcase that highlights the work of students who will all be competing to win one of the 36 international scholarships.