1956-62 Corvette Motor Mount, Used on 2040-parts.com

Who's Where: Bryan Nesbitt becomes General Manager of Cadillac

Bryan Nesbitt, who until last week was General Motors' North American Vice President of Design, started his new role as general manager of the Cadillac brand on Monday, July 27. His appointment, which surprised many, is part of an effort to integrate design, marketing and advertising, which have always been intrinsically linked. While this move marks a significant step change in the positioning of the new General Motors, which, under the direction of product czar Bob Lutz, has seen fit to promote a young designer into such a high level managerial position, it is a triumph not only for Nesbitt, 40, but for all designers: it is the first time that a designer has been promoted to one of the top executive roles at an automotive company.

Volvo V40 (2012) breaks Euro NCAP safety record

A new Volvo scoring a five-star result in Euro NCAP's crash tests might not seem a huge surprise, but the new V40 hatchback has raised the bar even higher by setting a new record safety score for in the assessment. The V40 scored 98% for adult protection, with particular praise given to its strong main structure, driver assistance systems, and attention to pedestrian safety, thanks to an innovative bonnet airbag. It's an impressive result for such a compact car.

VW XL1 SEV to take on the hillclimb at Goodwood Festival of Speed

The super frugal – and super slippery – VW XL1 (pictured) will take on the Goodwood hillclimb Visitors to the Goodwood Festival of Speed can spend endless hours watching a seemingly endless precession of supercars take on the hillclimb. But one supercar this year will be a bit different. Volkswagen are taking their super slippery, super frugal supercar – the VW XL1 SEV – to Goodwood next month and are planning on taking it up the hillclimb in the capable hands of former F1 champion Jacky Ickx.