Deflecta-shield Model 3036zc on 2040-parts.com

New car sales still accelerating

NEW CAR SALES raced ahead again last month, according to official figures. A total of 72,163 new vehicles were registered in August 2014 - a 9.4% rise on August 2013 and the 30th consecutive month of growth, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. Last month's figure took the year-to-date total to more than 1.53 million - a 10.1% rise on the total for the first eight months of 2013.

Video: A look inside CATLY's studio walls and Toyota FT-1 concept development

Motor Trend has taken a look inside the studio walls of CALTY to produce a documentary of the design development of a star of last week's Detroit auto show, the Toyota FT-1 concept. Toyota's Californian design studio has been responsible for some of the company's best recent work including the Lexus LF-LC concept. In this episode of Downshift, Motor Trend spoke to some of those behind the FT-1's design – Kevin Hunter, CALTY Research president, studio chief designer Alex Shen and William Chergosky, interior chief designer.

Follow Coventry University students' grad projects on their Tumblr

We always aim to highlight as many college exhibitions as possible, but with so many graduating students each year, it's not surprising some are taking the promotion of their work into their own hands. The transportation and automotive design students at Coventry University have done just that by setting up a Tumblr highlighting the development of the final projects we'll see towards the end of May. The quality and variety of work looks very promising, especially considering they're some way from finished.