Hyundai Motorsport Facility opens in Germany

Hyundai’s new Motorsport facility in Germany No one can accuse Hyundai of not taking their return to the FIA World Rally Championship in 2014 seriously. They’re busy preparing an i20 to take on the WRC, starting in Monte Carlo in January 2014, and have now started testing their swift WRC i20 in preparation. They’ve already recruited some impressive names to join their new Hyundai Motorsport GmbH team including Michel Nandan to head up their WRC efforts who has been joined by Frenchmen Bertrand Vallat and Stephane Girad, Alain Penasse, Ernst Kopp and Stefan Henrich.

Who's Where: Jason Castriota joins Stile Bertone

Contrary to what was previously disclosed, Car Design News has now confirmed that Jason Castriota, who left his position at Pininfarina on the eve of the Paris Motor Show in September, is set to become Design Director at Stile Bertone. He will start his new position on December 1. Castriota had initially intended to set up his own design consultancy before being approached by Bertone.

Car production hits million mark

A MILLION CARS have been produced so far this year in the UK, helped by a highly successful month in September. But manufacturing of commercial vehicles (CV) slumped more than 27%. A total of 140,888 cars were built in the UK in September 2013 - 9.9% more than in September last year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said.