Osc 1684 Radiator on 2040-parts.com

Nissan Versa hatchback previewed by Japan-market Note

The Nissan Versa hatchback will be redesigned, with styling similar to that of the new Note subcompact that the automaker revealed in Japan on Monday. Nissan said the Note will go on sale in Japan this fall and in Europe in 2013. The carmaker did not say when the Versa hatchback will go on sale, but the car is expected to reach showrooms early in 2013.

2012 Mazda3 Facelift arrives in the UK. Price from £13,495

The 2012 Mazda3 arrives in the UK The 2012 Mazda3 Facelift arrives in the UK this month with minor tweaks and a starting price of £13,495. The Mazda3 is a car you can easily overlook when scouring the market for a compact family car, which is a shame. It’s a good car and, with the facelift for 2012 chucking in a few tweaks, is more appealing than before.

Design Services: Car Menu launched

Within almost every automotive design department throughout the world, their comes a time when a junior designer is dispatched to find a picture of some new model's tail lamp, the side view of a particular class leading competitor or examples of several new cars' colour and trim packages. Whilst looking at the competition is not necessarily a healthy way of finding ideas, it is often essential to demonstrate what is feasible, check in-house proposals are not too derivative, or show how advanced a design theme is relative to the same type of cars on the market. But even if the particular aspect of a car can be found, press packs and magazines typically show cars in the flattering light of an exotic location or being drifted around a corner on opposite lock; rarely are these images particularly useful.