Monterosp 2000 Antenna 462102 on 2040-parts.com

The Future Role of the Vehicle Designer

The vehicle design department at the Royal College of Art hosted the second in a series of five lectures looking at the future of the profession last week. Moving on from the previous week's topic of sustainability, this debate explored the future roles and responsibilities of the vehicle designer. Head of department Dale Harrow began by posing the question "Is it time to rethink – do we still need the car?" Although still relevant, Harrow's ultimate answer to this was that the profession was about to see marked change, with the end to an era where "designers are locked behind closed doors in studios".

Hennessey Venom GT hits new, unofficial, speed record (video)

The Hennessey Venom GT (pictured) hist 270.49mph on a NASA runway Top speed records for production cars is starting to seem pretty irrelevant as there’s almost nowhere an owner can ever hope to hit those record speeds. And the performance of cars like the new McLaren P1 – where  performance and handling are much more the focus than outright top speed – has added the the irrelevance. But that doesn’t stop some car makers aiming for the bragging rights of the world’s fastest production car, and John Hennessey and his Hennessey Venom GT are back with another claim on the title.

Hyundai makes the 2013 Santa Fe a sexy, stormy beast

Hyundai in Holland has produced an advert for the 2013 Sante Fe concentrating on its ability to blow women away. The new Santa Fe is a big step up from the old model and looks good, will be properly bolted together and promises to be a more than a half decent offering from Hyundai. But the new Santa Fe isn’t just heading in to Hyundai UK showrooms, it’s going on sale across Europe.