Bmw E65/e66 Orignal Wood Handle Handles Roof Rest Rare Individual Europe Oem on 2040-parts.com

Michelin Challenge Design 2007: The not so ugly truth about rising vehicle safety standards

Can cars be safe and beautiful at the same time? That may not have been the case a few decades ago when automakers were forced to hang those big, ugly so-called federal bumpers off the ends of their vehicles.  With vehicle safety standards on the rise around the globe are designers today feeling a little '70s deja vu when it comes to meeting the challenges of making cars safe as well as more fuel efficient? "(Back then) we said it was the end of automotive styling," says Patrick Le Quement, senior vice president for corporate design at Renault and one of the world's most influential automotive designers.

Landwind Fashion

Chinese manufacturer Landwind are entering the heated midi-MPV market with the Fashion, which is available with either five or seven seats. This pitches it directly against the Renault Megane Scenic and the Opel Zafira, which in particular is enjoying buoyant sales. The Fashion will hope its low starting price of about US$16,000 will help it steal some of those customers, though taller ones may be put of by a tail-gate that only opens to face height.

Ariel Atom V8 (2010) first official pictures

This is the really rather mad Ariel Atom V8. That’s right, this tiny little track-biased car has an eight-cylinder engine driving its rear wheels. And it’s a 3.0-litre V8 that produces 500bhp at 10,600rpm, to give the new Ariel Atom V8 a Bugatti-beating 909bhp/tonne.