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Aston Martin to use Mercedes AMG V8 engines (2013)

It’s a new era for Aston Martin: the Gaydon brand has announced today (25 July 2013) that it’s in the early stages of a deal with Mercedes’ in-house tuners AMG, which will allow it to use Mercedes-honed engine and electronics technology. Has Aston Martin sold its soul to the Germans? Not quite – Daimler AG is set to take only a 5% share stake in Aston Martin, sitting alongside majority shareholders Investment Dar and Investindustrial.

Mercedes-Benz to drop the R-class in the U.S.

Mercedes-Benz will drop the slow-selling R-class wagon from its U.S. lineup after the 2012 model year. But the German automaker will continue to build the R-class at its plant in Alabama for export to other markets.

Peter Stevens and Julian Thomson lead a discussion on the past, present and future of car design

As part of its sponsorship of London's Clerkenwell Design Week, Jaguar and the Royal College of Art brought together three generations of the design school to discuss the past, present and possible future of car design. Held in a suitably grimy warehouse in east London – with the sculpture by RCA students Ewan Gallimore and Claire Mille's we showed you earlier this week sat outside – Professor Dale Harrow, dean of the School of Design and head of its Vehicle Design program introduced Professor Peter Stevens, Julian Thomson, Jaguar's advanced design director and Alexandra Palmowski project designer advanced colour and material at Jaguar took the audience through their careers. Charismatic as ever, Peter Stevens kicked off proceedings that moved chronologically through the decades by explaining how he first became interested in "the art if car design, allied to the science of how they work" through his artistic parents and uncle – journalist and motoring adventurer – Denis Jenkinson during the 1950s and 60s.