07 08 09 Audi Q7 Audio Equipment Receiver Controller 271291 on 2040-parts.com

Interior Motives China Conference 2014 – Day 1

The seventh edition of the Interior Motive's China Conference has just taken place in Beijing, ahead of the world's most important motor show and in the world's largest car market. The theme of this year's event, ‘Mobilising the new urban landscape' is extremely pertinent to anyone who has experienced the city's congestion and its air quality. During the event's two days, the presenters explored our future relationship with the automobile, from increasing levels of autonomous drive in our cars, to the varied definitions of the word luxury, and how that impacts on customer expectations right across the globe.

2011 Ford Explorer set to debut new curve-control technology

During our first test drive, Dave Messih speeds around a curve at 50 mph. His foot never touches the brake, and the 2011 Ford Explorer prototype we're in knocks down a barrier of safety cones. OK, that's fun.

The Future Role of the Vehicle Designer

The vehicle design department at the Royal College of Art hosted the second in a series of five lectures looking at the future of the profession last week. Moving on from the previous week's topic of sustainability, this debate explored the future roles and responsibilities of the vehicle designer. Head of department Dale Harrow began by posing the question "Is it time to rethink – do we still need the car?" Although still relevant, Harrow's ultimate answer to this was that the profession was about to see marked change, with the end to an era where "designers are locked behind closed doors in studios".