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Citroën designers: Design students have 'golden opportunity'

Today's car design students "have got a fantastic opportunity in a very different world," say Citroën designers. Though the automotive industry has been suffering in many regions in the current economic climate, the next generation of car designers "have got a fantastic opportunity," says Andrew Cowell, Senior Design Manager at Citroën, in conversation with Car Design News at the Royal College of Art, London. "The industry will evolve quite a lot, and these guys (the students on the postgraduate Vehicle Design course) will come out into a very different world." "They'll start in a very interesting period", says Alexandre Malval, Citroën Design Director and himself a graduate from the RCA course.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage Roadster (2012) first pictures

Aston Martin has finally taken the roof off the V12 Vantage, creating the new 2012 V12 Vantage Roadster, pragmatic nomenclature fans. Mechanically identical to the hard-top, it's on sale now, priced at a nice, round £150,000. Just a soft-top V12 Vantage, then?

Renault Twin-Z concept (2013) first official pictures

This is the Renault Twin-Z concept (say it 'Twin-Zee'). Although it packs the usual concept car madness of suicide doors, a pared-back cabin and LEDs everywhere, it actually previews the look – and drivetrain – of the next Renault Twingo. The big news is that it'll be rear-engined, rear-drive, and offer an electric option for less money than the £13k Renault Zoe EV.