Lorenzo Ramaciotti to head Chrysler and Lancia design

Lorenzo Ramaciotti, current head of design at Fiat Group, has been tasked with leading the design of future Chrysler and Lancia products in a bid to more than double the sales figures of the newly collaborated brands. The 63-year-old former Pininfarina designer – credited to some of the most beautiful Italian machinery of the modern era – has been asked by Sergio Marchionne, chief executive of Fiat and Chrysler Group LLC, to create a common styling language for the two brands that wouldn't look out of place in Detroit or Milan. Ramaciotti has made it clear that badge-engineering isn't going to be the future for the two brands and is hoping to inject a unique, but global flavor, into the two brands.

Toyota previews a Lexus that drives itself

Ahead of a debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, we have video of an Autonomous Lexus – the Advanced Active Safety Research Vehicle. Even avid petrolheads have to admit that there are times when they’d rather let the car do the work, especially in congested urban environments. Wouldn’t it be good to stick the car in to auto drive when you’re stop-starting at 5mph and either have a kip or do some work?

General Motors draws on global designers for the new Chevrolet Corvette

For the first time, General Motors studios across the world have submitted design studies for the next-generation Chevrolet Corvette. Late last year, Ed Welburn, GM's vice president of global design, invited GM's 10 styling studios to submit design proposals. Some "were absolutely phenomenal," Welburn said.