Volkswagen Jetta Speedometer Cluster; (cluster), Vin M (8th Digit), 2.0l, Mph, on 2040-parts.com

Mini Vision concept previews future cars

Mini has just given fans of the British marque a glimpse at the future design elements that we're going to get with upcoming cars -- and those design elements and ideas can be seen in the Mini Vision concept. Perhaps the first thing that jumps out visually about this concept car is the fact that the bumper and the auxiliary lights have been integrated into the grille, giving the car's nose a slimmer appearance. All the classic Mini design cues are still there, though the car seems to have gotten a bit taller.

Toyota adds i-Road to urban mobility trials

TOYOTA has added its futuristic i-Road concept to its “Ha:mo” urban transport trials. It is the latest vehicle to be added to the rapidly expanding scheme, which is being held at the so-called Toyota City; Toyota’s huge presence in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture. The Ha:mo (Harmonious Mobility network) trials are an attempt to develop a sophisticated, integrated transport system for cities, making use of electric vehicles wherever possible but with the key emphasis on encouraging travellers to use the ‘most appropriate’ means of transport at all times.

Video: Michael Mauer on the 991-series Porsche 911

Porsche has released a video featuring its Design Director, Michael Mauer, explaining how he and his team went about redesigning the 911, an ‘automotive, engineering icon' as he describes it. "What we as designers are striving to above all is to optimize the width to height ratio with the result that although the 911's width has not increased, the front axle area has become wider, and we've managed to make the roof a bit lower," Mauer explains via a rather dramatic-sounding voiceover.