Vw Volkswagen Transporter Aluminium Interior Gear Shift Grip Knob Stick Handle on 2040-parts.com

CDN-GM competition: Phase 1 now closed

Back to school. Not most students' favorite time of year, signaling both the end of summer and a return to the long days of lectures and long nights of sketching. This year, however, it also means a chance to win one of five internships, including housing, at GM's Warren, MI design studio courtesy of the GM Interactive Design Competition 2012 – if you got your entry in on time!

Winners of the 2013 Michelin Design Challenge announced

Michelin presented the three winners of the 2013 Michelin Challenge Design at its private Designers' Reception during of the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit's Renaissance Center. A jury of automotive designers and industry experts picked the winners from the 15 finalists that best explored how design contributes to and impacts the ongoing effort to develop more efficient vehicles, while keeping the emotional side of car design front of mind. This year's top three finalists are Jorge Biosca (Spain), Liu Shun (China) and Song Wei Teo (Singapore).

Industry pulse: NHTSA administrator David Strickland talks distracted driving

Editor's note: In an exclusive interview with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administrator David Strickland, Melanie Batenchuk of Be Car Chic asked about distracted driving and the agency's combined efforts with the Department of Transportation to curb this bad behavior. David Strickland has been championing safer, distraction-free driving since the beginning of his tenure at NHTSA in January 2010. Strickland has been working tirelessly toward this goal alongside stakeholders such as Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, private-sector executives, automobile manufacturers and safety advocacy groups.