Car Designers Blackmailed

A London court has found former design student Guy Lloyd-Parker guilty of blackmailing US car designers. The London College of Fashion graduate had claimed that 95 car design sketches were stolen from him by two college lecturers in 1994, eventually resurfacing as final designs in the form of the Audi TT, BMW Z3, Mazda RX-8 and the Volvo XC90. Lloyd-Parker, having failed to successfully sue the college, began sending menacing letters to California-based Volvo Design Director Geza Loczi, former BMW and Aston Martin designer Henrik Fisker, and ex-Mazda designer Tsutomu Matano demanding £90,000.

Pininfarina reveals New Stratos

Pininfarina has revealed a one-off supercar called the New Stratos for German collector Michael Stoscheck. The car has a 4.3-liter V8 and is meant to channel the spirit of the legendary Lancia Stratos rally car of the 1970s. It was shown on Monday on the Paul Ricard circuit at Le Castellet.

BMW M6 Competition Package (2008): first pictures

By Ben Whitworth First Official Pictures 11 August 2008 16:30 BMW has given its top-end 6-series performance models a visual and dynamic boost. The top-drawer M6 is now available with a £2180 Competition Package that drops the front and rear suspension by 12mm and 10mm, retunes the DSC Dynamic Stability Control and ABS settings, and throws in a modified Variable M differential. There are also unique alloys shod with Pirelli P Zero Corsa System rubber and a restyled bonnet.