Schreyer: More than a designer of products I wish to be an architect of Hyundai's brand image

There's no denying Peter Schreyer has been instrumental in turning around Kia's image from a manufacturer of wheeled white goods in a creator of design-led products. Now his attention turns to sister company Hyundai in his role as chief design officer for both companies and his plans are no less ambitious. "More than a designer of products I wish to be an architect of Hyundai's brand image," he told an audience at Hyundai's European headquarters, explaining how his job is not simply 'styling' but communicating the brand's message right down to details such as the seatbelt warning buzzer.

Investindustrial take 37.5 per cent stake in Aston Martin

InvestIndustrial – former owners of Ducati – have taken a 37.5 per cent stake in Aston Martin for £150 million. We’ve been proclaiming for more than a year that Aston Martin needs new investment, and AML finally confirmed as much a few weeks ago. And just yesterday we revealed a deal for Aston Martin was now a one horse race.

Aston Martin V12 Zagato (2012): the production car

Aston Martin has today unveiled the new V12 Zagato in final, showroom spec. Previously, we'd seen the Zagato as a racer at the 2011 Villa d'Este concours and at the 24-hour Nurburgring race last summer. But this is what will go on sale in the fourth quarter of 2012, costing a stout £330,000 plus local taxes.