Design
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The 2010 Ford Mustang (Coupe only) has earned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 5-star rating in the agency's latest round of testing, cementing the Blue Oval's position as industry leader when it comes to safety. The latest results include top scores for both the driver and passenger in front and side crash tests, as well as for rollover performance. The Mustang’s considerable body stiffness contributes to the car’s driving performance but this also has a parallel benefit in accident protection. While the new Coupe structure is approximately 31% stiffer than...
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Ford exec confirms development of 5.0L ‘Coyote’ V8Ford’s iconic Mustang was given an update for the 2010 model year to keep it fresh alongside strong new competitors such as the Dodge Challenger, upcoming Chevrolet Camaro, and even Nissan’s all-new 370Z, but unfortunately the update didn’t entail any serious changes to the...
Ralph Hanson -
Porsche Cayenne goes wider and lower with new MAFF Design ‘Muron’ kitPorsche itself has recently gotten into the game of modifying its Cayenne SUV, so it's no wonder the vehicle has been a favorite of the tuner crowd for years. Though MAFF Design's latest creation may not have the exclusivity of the GTS Design Edition 3 revealed earlier in the year, it does have a...
Jeremy Weber -
Bertone could sell up to 10 units of $2M MantideWith a hexagon-centric theme and styling that looks like it was sent back through a space-time rift from 2020, the Bertone Mantide is a new and polarizing figure in the automotive design world. Recently Jason Castriota, the car's designer, revealed that as many as 10 of the cars could be built if...
Ralph Hanson -
Lumma unveils new upgrade package for BMW 3-series CoupeLove it or hate it, the BMW 3-series Coupe has a lot going for it - price, performance and features are all at a sweet spot for the market. That makes it a prime candidate for aftermarket add-ons, as owners of the popular car seek to differentiate their particular example. Enter Lumma Design with a...
Alex Kaufmann -
Student designers tapped for Audi 'Intelligent Emotion' projectThe future of automotive mobility is a question that has always captivated the mind of the carmaker and the driver alike. Today Audi takes its turn to give us a glimpse into what they think the future may hold, seen through the eyes of design students at the Munich University of Applied Sciences...
Alex Kaufmann -
According to BMW's 'MINI Space' team of engineers and designers, race cars of the future may be built out of old oil drums, bomb shells and BBQ grills - oh and did we mention goldfish? While it may seem like the parts list for a race car out of a Dr. Seuss book, in reality the project by BMW to envision the race car of 2025 is a tongue-in-cheek look at what the future may hold for cars, as well as promoting its own team's design goals of thinking of new ideas for the creative use of space. The futuristic racer was first unveiled as part of a design competition at last year's Los Angeles Auto...
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Columbian-designed Peugeot RD displayed in ShanghaiPeugeot's annual competition for up-and-coming designers for 2008 was a tough battle - the field was narrowed from around 2,500 contenders to a mere 29 finalists, and the winner was chosen as the best of that select group. The theme of the competition was to "imagine the Peugeot in the worldwide...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
A FAB Design SLR supercar named DesireSpecialist Mercedes Benz tuner FAB Design has already taken on the controversial Maybach 57S limousine this year, but now the company has revealed its most astonishing work to date - this time on the Mercedes McLaren SLR supercar. The most striking aspect of the FAB Design SLR 'Desire' at first...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mazda's ex-head of design goes to RenaultIn the seemingly never-ending merry-go-round of the automotive design world, the latest update is Laurens van den Acker's arrival at Renault. Last month van den Acker resigned from his post at the head of Mazda's design operations, but did not reveal his plans for the future. Now van den Acker will...
Nelson Ireson -
Ugur Sahin Design Teams Up With Mallett For 999-HP Corvette Z03Ugur Sahin, the Dutch-based designer of the previous Ferrari Dino study, has plans to put one of his latest creations, the stunning Z03 Corvette concept into production. The car looks similar to the Dino concept, as well as the Ferrari 599-based Vandenbrink GTO but is designed around a much cheaper...
James Martinez -
Ikuo Maeda takes lead at Mazda designThe car industry's design shakeup isn't over yet, folks. Today has already seen a new head of design at Volvo and at Ford of the Americas, but now the former Ford-family brand, Mazda, has also decided to change things up. Replacing Laurens van den Acker, Ikuo Maeda takes the helm of Mazda's design...
Kenneth Hall -
Late last week Steve Mattin decided to leave his job as Volvo's design guru, and already the company has found a replacement in the form of Peter Horbury. The new design director will take up his pencil on May 1. Horbury comes fresh from the same position - executive director of design - at Ford, though his previous seat had him at the head of the now-defunct Premier Automotive Group (PAG), which included Aston Martin, Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover. Before that he spent 11 years as the design director at Volvo from 1991 to 2002. So in a way, Horbury is merely returning home. "We are very happy...
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Bertone, Morgan & Zagato Planning New Concepts For Italy’s Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'EsteThis year's Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este in Italy is set to be a cracker, with three concept car world premiers planned from bespoke coachbuilders Stile Bertone and Zagato, and a retro sports-car for Morgan. The concept from Bertone is a highly anticipated V8 two-seater built with lightweight...
Jeremy Weber -
Steve Mattin, designer of Volvo S60 Concept, leaves companySwedish media are reporting today that Steve Mattin, Volvo's design director, is leaving the company. The departure marks the end of a four-year tenure during which time Mattin was responsible for designs including the 2010 XC60 and the highly controversial S60 Concept shown a this year's Detroit...
Nelson Ireson -
JE Design takes the wraps off Progressor CayennePorsche itself has recently gotten into the game of modifying its Cayenne SUV, so it's no wonder the vehicle has been a favorite of the tuner crowd for years. Though JE Design's latest creation may not have the exclusivity of the GTS Design Edition 3 revealed today, it does have a flavor all its...
Alex Kaufmann -
Mercedes Benz design students pen F-CELL Roadster design studyWith its skinny, spoked open wheels and an open-air cabin, the Mercedes Benz F-CELL Roadster looks more like the cars of the turn of the 20th century than those of the 21st, but design students blended the two to illustrate a point. The combination of old and new symbolizes a rebirth of thinking...
Alex Kaufmann -
Inden Design releases 680hp White Angel SL 65 AMGIt is the the chromatic opposite of AMG's own SL 65 Black Edition, but it comes out remarkably similar on paper. A generous 680hp (507kW) unleashes the potential of the SL 65 AMG, exceeding output of the Black edition by almost 20hp (15kW). The SL 65s are known for being a bit heavy, however, with...
Alex Kaufmann -
Chris Bangle left BMW just a few weeks ago, and now 7-series designer Karim Habib has signed on with the company's main rival, Mercedes-Benz. The job puts him directly under Mercedes design chief Gorden Wagener. Habib will be responsible for the F-series of vehicles at Mercedes. One of the most recent of the F cars was the F700 Concept, an economical and efficient super-luxury cruiser with a very forward-looking though controversial design. Other BMW projects Habib was responsible for include the equally controversial CS Concept, reviled by BMW fans and foes alike for many of its details, but...
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Stealth focused Audi R8 ‘Blackbird’ upgraded with police laser scramblerBack in the 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, the world's two superpowers were locked in a technology race to develop their military capabilities fastest. Out of this came the idea of 'stealth' aircraft like the legendary SR-71 Blackbird, which provided the inspiration for this highly-modified...
Jeremy Weber -
Daimler wants focus on vehicle interiors, creates new ‘center of excellence’There’s no award for recognizing that the current quality and design of vehicle interiors for luxury brands like Mercedes Benz and BMW, traditional stalwarts of the industry, aren’t up to the reputation that their names once commanded. It’s not so much that the quality has...
Ralph Hanson -
EDAG Presents Light Car Concept At Geneva Motor ShowGerman firm EDAG - short for Engineering & Design, AG - has unveiled its latest concept for a futuristic car at the Geneva Motor Show today. The car's key elements center around materials and construction, though its official name - 'Light Car - Open Source' - indicates an ideology that...
Alex Kaufmann -
European design students take the wraps off 1/4 scale supercar conceptsThe Instituto Europeo di Design (IED) is a massive six-city, three-country school that is one of Europe's foremost centers for fledgling automotive designers. The students there have collaborated with DR Motor Company to produce a trio of 1/4 scale supercar models. Dubbed Action (blue), Spirit...
Kenneth Hall -
Gordon Murray's T25 City Car Officially On SaleNews of Gordon Murray's decision to build a low-cost city car created quite a stir when it was announced last year. That stir was in part because of the key driving force behind the project, Gordon Murray, ex-McLaren F1 designer and the pen behind the Caparo T1, but also because the car itself is...
Kenneth Hall