Empi 14-1006-0 1 Gauge Hole Panel, Chrome on 2040-parts.com

Michael Mauer appointed head of design at Porsche

Porsche AG has anounced the appointment of Michael Mauer to take over as chief designer from Harm Lagaay, who will retire on July 1 after 15 years in the post. Michael Mauer, 41, studied automobile design at Pforzheim University, and started his career at Mercedes-Benz. In 1989, he was appointed design project leader for the Mercedes V Class models, and was in charge of design work for the first SLK model generation.

Bertone looking for buyers as bankruptcy nears

Italian design house Bertone has confirmed it entered bankruptcy proceedings in Italy, The Telegraph reports, amid recent reports that it laid off a significant percentage of its workforce. A spokesperson for the struggling company told The Telegraph that the company is searching for a buyer. "The problem is many debts and very high costs.

Fiat Qubo gets eco:Drive

the Fiat Qubo is now being fitted with eco:Drive - Fiat's economy driving monitor But as all things ‘Eco’ are the name of the game at the moment (which we’re all in favour of – just don’t use ‘Man-Made Climate Change’ as the reason) Fiat are bolting on their eco:Drive system to the Qubo – but don’t worry it will shove the price up if you’re thinking of getting one – it’s a freebie. The Fiat eco-Drive started out with a launch on the Fiat 500 earlier in the year, and is now available on not just the 500, but the Grand Punto and the Bravo. Basically, it’s a USB stick that you plug in to the car which can then be read by software to tell you how badly you’re driving.