CAR interviews Seat design chief Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos (2012)

At September’s Paris motor show, CAR interview Seat Head of Design Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, quizzing him on the new Leon, Toledo, future SEAT concepts, and his design inspirations. Read our chat in full here. CAR: How much flexibility does the VW Group’s new MQB shared platform offer you as a designer?

Lazzarini Design creates Ferrari-powered Fiat 500

If you saw the Fiat Abarth 659 Tributo Maserati car and thought to yourself, “That's just not enough razzle-dazzle,” then maybe this will strike your speed-seeking fancy. It's a Fiat 500 powered by one of the best engines in the world—the 4.5-liter V8 from the Ferrari Italia. Lazzarini Design came up with the concept, and the company says it's waiting for an investor with $550,000 burning a hole in his or her pocket to give building one a shot.

Aston Martin V12 Zagato racer (2011) news

Aston Martin has released this rendering of its new V12 Zagato racer, which will compete at the Nurburgring this summer. The 2011 Aston Martin V12 Zagato made its world debut at the Villa D'Este concours d'elegance at the weekend, where it won the Concorso d’Eleganza Design Award for Concept Cars and Prototypes. Design director Marek Reichman said: 'It is an honour to win this award in Italy, where many great designs originated from, and this victory shows that Aston Martin has successfully developed their own renowned design language over the past years.