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Jason Castriota to head Saab Design

When Car Design News spoke to Jason Castriota about the new design consultancy he had set up in New York and Turin back in March, the designer told us he was working on a very exciting automotive project that he couldn't talk about at the time. It turns out that automotive project was for Saab, as last week the Swedish automaker announced it had hired Jason Castriota Design to oversee the development of a new generation of Saab products – the first to be completed under the tenure of its new owners, Spyker. Castriota's new appointment marks the shift from Saab's former position – where the brand was an integrated company within GM – to its newfound placement as an independent automaker, with Castriota essentially filling the role previously occupied by Mark Adams, GM Europe's Vice President of Design.

Aston Martin Vantage upgraded for 2012

Aston Martin's Vantage receives upgrades for 2012, with the base Vantage V8 getting the most attention. The Vantage V8 retains the 4.7-liter, 420-hp V8 and six-speed manual as standard equipment, but it now will be offered with the optional seven-speed Sportshift II from the Vantage S. The automatic transmission has closer ratios, a lower final drive ratio and quicker shifts than the previous Sportshift unit.

Peugeot RCZ R UK price from £31,995

The new Peugeot RCZ R (pictured) will cost £31,995 in the UK The Peugeot RCZ is an appealing little sports coupe from Peugeot which, with a different badge and greater performance, might garner more kudos than it does. There’s little Peugeot can do about the badge, but they have done something about the power on offer with the arrival of the RCZ R at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this summer. Now, the Peugeot RCZ is about to go on sale in the UK – order books open on 18th November – and it will cost a not unreasonable £31,995.