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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.

Video: Chevrolet engineer Oppenheiser talks 2012 Camaro ZL1

What we have here is a little teaser video of the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 featuring chief engineer Al Oppenheiser. It was filmed at the Camaro Homecoming Event in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, in June. Oppenheiser gives us a look at the 6.2-liter supercharged Camaro, explaining how airflow will enter the front grille and be drawn away from the engine with the hood vents.

Mercedes Ener-G-Force: The shape of SUVs to come

The Mercedes Energ-G-Force, which will debut at the Los Angeles auto show, could be the shape of Mercedes SUVs to come--if you like it. “If people really like it and reaction is good then yeah, we might have to think of making it happen in reality,” said designer Huey Lee, who was part of the team that penned the Energ-G-Force at Mercedes' Advanced Design Studio in Carlsbad, Calif. Metalcrafters built the carbon fiber composite roller you see here.