Pierre Authier: I'm not moving to Opel/Vauxhall

As the ongoing General Motors designer saga continues, the latest Opel/Vauxhall Vice President of Design elect, Pierre Authier has taken his name off the shortlist for the Rüsselsheim. Car Design News had received information from a reliable source within PSA about Authier's supposed move, however we have since spoken to Pierre, who was keen to put the record straight: “I read the flattering article on my recruitment as VP of Design for Opel/Vuaxhall, but this information is false,” he told CDN. “I am really enjoying my position at Peugeot and with the 208 family team that has made such incredible work.” The search for the missing piece in the GM puzzle continues.

Akio Toyoda waves family flag, heir makes crisis personal challenge

The reclusive Akio Toyoda is taking the rare step of waving the family flag, as the scion to Toyota Motor Corp.’s founding dynasty tries to steer the world’s largest car company out of a spiraling safety crisis. In testimony prepared for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, President Toyoda pursues a rare personal tack on the emergency, saying “my name is on every car.” “As you well know, I am the grandson of the founder, and all the Toyota vehicles bear my name,” Toyoda says in prepared comments circulated ahead of Wednesday’s committee hearing in Washington. “For me, when the cars are damaged, it is as though I am as well.” The intimate reflection is a departure for Toyoda, who has spent most of his career sidestepping public discussion of his lineage.

Vauxhall Astra VXR Extreme (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 30 January 2014 12:50 Meet the Vauxhall Astra VXR Extreme – the most hard-core hot hatch ever to wear the Astra badge. Inspired by the Astra Cup racing car, it’s essentially an Astra with ‘Speciale’ or ‘GT3’ treatment applied to it, in the vein of Ferrari and Porsche’s fire-breathing specials. Expect less weight, less refinement – and a lot more on-track performance.