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Kia to launch a new range-topping V8 saloon dubbed K9

Kia will build their rumoured rear-wheel drive V8 saloon - but it won't come to the UK, sources in Korea have confirmed to CAR.Following the domestic badge hierarchy, this new range-topper would logically be called the K9. Perhaps that dog-inspired badge may explain why the car won’t come to Europe, but US sales are expected.  Kia’s new range-topper: the ‘K9’ The new large Kia saloon was scheduled to be shown in 2011, but it has now been pushed back to a 2012 launch. The new saloon would sit above the front-drive 3.5-litre V6 K7/Cadenza saloon in the Kia line-up. CAR understands the new exec will be ready by May 2012.   The K9 represents the first application of sister brand Hyundai's rear-drive technology from the Genesis and Equus. Expect Hyundai's 'Tau' V8 engine under the bonnet, along with the upcoming eight-speed automatic transmission which arrived in the Genesis R-Spec saloon at the 2011 Chicago auto show.

Alfa Romeo to dump front-drive hatches for rear-drive saloons

Alfa Romeo is set to drop the Mito and Giulietta hatchbacks around 2015, as it switches to solely rear-wheel drive models, CAR's Georg Kacher reveals today (Friday 19 July). The sensational news, which will be music to car enthusiasts' ears, is part of a radical, new plan involving closer collaboration between Alfa Romeo and Maserati. Starting in 2015, Alfa will roll out a BMW 3-series rival, followed by a 5-series rival in 2016.

Art Center Summit 2009

The Art Center Summit, now in its third year, has finally seen the rest of the world catch up with its preoccupations. Initially conceived in 2006-07 to bring government, academic, and business leaders to Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, to discuss issues related to mobility and sustainability, the summit has benefited from the financial turmoil that has recently gripped the world. Previously, the event was highly speculative and appealed mainly to designers working in the advanced mobility community; this year, the summit occurred against a backdrop of meltdown in the US auto industry, chaos in the global financial sector, and a growing realization - supported by the incoming Obama administration - that energy and transportation policy will form a key part of a Green future.