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Lorenzo Ramaciotti visits RCA for 'Two of a Kind' project

Lorenzo Ramaciotti, Fiat-Chrysler's head of global design, has visited the Royal College of Art as part of the Fiat ‘Two of a Kind' project explaining how Italian design has become world-famous in all fields in a talk themed ‘The Roots of Italian Car Design'. The ‘Two of a Kind' project asks four teams of four Vehicle Design students to design innovative exterior and interior proposals for how the Fiat 500 and the Panda might look in 2020, taking interactivity, digital interface, sustainability and global appeal into account. Maserati brought along a Quattroporte, a GranTurismo Sport as well as an Alfa Giulietta Sportiva to complement his talk in the hope it would encourage students to consider what the carmaker believes are the three concepts of the legacy of Italian car design: sportiness-dynamism; elegance-balance; and character-personality.

BMW X1 confirmed for United States

One of the worst-kept secrets in the car world has been confirmed: The BMW X1 is coming to the United States in 2011. It likely will come with rear-wheel and all-wheel drive and a variety of gasoline and diesel engines. BMW said it would announce the powertrain specifics closer to the launch as it factors uneven fuel prices in the United States.

Local Motors reveals 3D-printed car design

Local Motors has chosen the design it will 3D-print during the course of the International Manufacturing Technology Show (ITMS) in Chicago, IL, which runs from 8-13 September. Called Strati, the concept was judged the best entry in Local Motors' first 3D Printed Car Design Challenge. It was created by Italian designer Michele Anoé, and his design 'will inform and influence' the car to be printed during the course of the ITMS.