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Renault seeks speed record at Bonneville with classic Fourgonnette

With all the speedy machines headed to the Bonneville Salt Flats in August, a classic Renault 4 van is due to stick out. But one will be there Aug. 13-19 for some record breaking fun.

Peter Stevens and Julian Thomson lead a discussion on the past, present and future of car design

As part of its sponsorship of London's Clerkenwell Design Week, Jaguar and the Royal College of Art brought together three generations of the design school to discuss the past, present and possible future of car design. Held in a suitably grimy warehouse in east London – with the sculpture by RCA students Ewan Gallimore and Claire Mille's we showed you earlier this week sat outside – Professor Dale Harrow, dean of the School of Design and head of its Vehicle Design program introduced Professor Peter Stevens, Julian Thomson, Jaguar's advanced design director and Alexandra Palmowski project designer advanced colour and material at Jaguar took the audience through their careers. Charismatic as ever, Peter Stevens kicked off proceedings that moved chronologically through the decades by explaining how he first became interested in "the art if car design, allied to the science of how they work" through his artistic parents and uncle – journalist and motoring adventurer – Denis Jenkinson during the 1950s and 60s.

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse (2012) revealed

This is the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, and it’s quite possibly the world’s fastest convertible. It will be unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March 2012. Effectively the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse is what you get when you cross the open-top body of the Veyron Grand Sport with the monstrous 1183bhp powertrain of the Veyron Super Sport.