Gears Canada - 300156-1 - Saddlebag on 2040-parts.com

Who's Where: Satoshi Wada to open independent design studio

Satoshi Wada, former Senior Designer at Audi AG and Nissan Design Japan, is set to open his own design studio. Called SWdesign TOKYO, his ambitious plan follows on from a growing line of design managers who have left successful OEMs to establish their own design practices. Wada, who resigned from Audi AG in Ingolstadt earlier this month, told CDN he is aiming "to create a new vision with my own independent design studio in Tokyo".

Italdesign Giugiaro debuts electric Clipper MPV

The Volkswagen T-ROC wasn't the only Geneva Motor Show concept unveiled this week that uses the Golf platform, Italdesign Giugiaro unveiled an MPV concept that managed to turn quite a few heads. Italdesign is owned by Volkswagen, so this design and engineering exercise seemed like a no-brainer, allowing the company to show off an extra concept car in an entirely different wrapper. The Clipper an all-wheel drive six-seat MPV sitting on the MQB platform, which Volkswagen is keen to expand beyond the Golf and the next-generation Scirocco, and it features two electric motors producing 149-hp each, one for each axle.

MG Icon wins Best Concept: Beijing 2012

MG Icon at Beijing The MG Icon – an SUV/Crossover Concept – has won the ‘Best Concept’ Award at the Beijing Motor Show from Autoweek Magazine. Just before the Beijing Motor Show kicked off we got the first sketches of the MG Icon, a compact, funky SUV Crossover in the mould of the Nissan Juke with an MGB bonnet and grill. Sounds odd, but looked pretty good.