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Porsche announces new Weissach design center and wind tunnel

Porsche is to invest around €150m into its Weissach development facility, including a new design center. The plans also include an electronics integration department and a state-of-the art, on-site wind tunnel, which is hoped will allow the company to realize an holistic approach to efficient design, with a strong focus on aerodynamics. When we spoke with head of Porsche design, Michael Mauer, at this year's Paris motor show, he also alluded to the fact that the Volkswagen Group's – and, more specifically, Walter de'Silva's – recent influence on the German manufacturer was shifting its attitudes: "The Volkswagen Group has a very good understanding of how much freedom a brand needs to keep its characteristics and with [Walter] as 'conductor', I feel a lot of support with design issues within the company," explained Mauer.

Car Design of the Year Awards 2008

Last year we asked you, our loyal readers, to choose your favorite automobile design from a shortlisted selection of 10 production and 10 concept cars unveiled in 2008, and in the process find our Car Design of the Year (CDOTY). Well, we asked and you answered. The survey was completed by over 1000 readers and the votes have now been tallied.

Hyundai’s hydrogen-powered ix35 turns its hand to growing fish and food

The Hyundai ix35 FCEV Fuel Cell Farm outside the London Design Museum Hyundai PR do like a slightly left-field take on raising awareness of Hyundai’s products (although they usually involve animals, children, fashion or shopping), so a Hyundai ix35 FCEV turned in to a fuel cell farm should come as no surprise, nor that they parked it outside London’s Design Museum for a bit of extra profile. With the help of sustainability creatives (who’d have thought there was such a business?) Something & Son, Hyundai has created a Fuel Cell Farm (well, depending on your definition of how big something growing has to be to be called a farm) that uses the emissions from the ix35 FCEV as its water source. The setup takes the water from the ix35 and feeds it in to the fish tank, the fish do what fish do and the aquaponics gubbins takes that and uses it as food for the plants.