CAR interviews Chris Bangle: what he did next (2009)

By Nargess Shahmanesh Banks Motor Industry 22 December 2009 12:30 Chris Bangle is a hard act to follow, even for Chris Bangle. Like him or loath him, the former BMW design director is one of the most famous car designers of our times, recognised for shaking the established status quo with his ‘flame surfacing’ and his radical take on car design.  Then in March 2009, after 16 solid years, Bangle announced his retirement from the Bavarian brand and – seemingly – car design.

McLaren 12C Spider confirmed for July 3 reveal

McLaren Automotive officially announced on Friday that it will reveal the 12C Spider, an open-top version of the MP4-12C supercar, on July 3. There has been much speculation about an open-top version since the release of the original MP4-12C. In a video interview, McLaren Formula One driver Jenson Button extols the virtues of open-top driving.

Ford justifies its Vignale sub-brand (video)

The Ford Mondeo Vignale (pictured). Ford’s first Vignale-badged car Earlier this month, as the Frankfurt Motor Show approached, Ford revealed that it’s going back to a sales tactic they created in the 1970s – badge-engineering their cars with a coachbuilders name to create an upmarket sub-brand. Last time Ford played this game we had almost 30 years for the Ford Ghia, a range of Ford’s mainstream models that had all the toys as standard to try and create an appealing high-end option for buyers.