2008 Town & Country Interior Rear View Mirror on 2040-parts.com

The Future Role of the Vehicle Designer

The vehicle design department at the Royal College of Art hosted the second in a series of five lectures looking at the future of the profession last week. Moving on from the previous week's topic of sustainability, this debate explored the future roles and responsibilities of the vehicle designer. Head of department Dale Harrow began by posing the question "Is it time to rethink – do we still need the car?" Although still relevant, Harrow's ultimate answer to this was that the profession was about to see marked change, with the end to an era where "designers are locked behind closed doors in studios".

CCS students tackle GM project

Seniors studying Transportation Design at the College for Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit, Michigan, have recently completed a project with General Motors that has been underway since late 2009. General Motors challenged the students to design an Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) that focused on the brand identity of Buick, Cadillac or Chevrolet, utilized the EREV components, and optimized aerodynamic attributes. Design features that incorporated sustainability materials and efficiency were also considered important components of the design development.

First 2014 Shelby GT500 Super Snake headed to museum

The first 2014 Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake was delivered to the new Shelby Automotive Museum in Southern California on Dec. 26, 2013. The 850-hp, Grabber Blue pony car wearing chassis number 14SS0010 will take its place among the rest of Shelby’s classics, and it will also join the Shelby Registry.