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CAR interviews BMW design chief Adrian van Hooydonk (2009)

By Guy Bird Motor Industry 03 November 2009 09:22 CAR: Chris Bangle once told a great story about sending BMW designers to study with an origami master to gain influence. Judging by the Vision EfficientDynamics concept it looks like you were on that trip? Adrian van Hooydonk: I didn’t go along but in the recent past our designers have experimented with a lot of things – folded metal, folded paper, even plywood – and on this concept car maybe all of that came to fruition.

VW Golf R 400 could get more than 400PS – which makes a bit of a nonsense of its name

The VW Golf R 400 (pictured) may not actually be an R 400 The Beijing Motor Show last month saw the debut of the VW Golf R 400, an extreme take on the VW Golf R with a full 400 PS (395bhp) at its disposal. When Volkswagen revealed the R 400 as a concept we did note that it looked more production-ready than concept, and it took VW less than a week to confirm that the Golf R 400 was indeed heading for production. Now, just to muddy the waters a bit (or raise expectations), VW’s R&D chief Heinz-Jakob Neusser has said that when the Golf R 400 does arrive it could well be with more than 400PS.

Alfa Romeo Zagato TZ3 Stradale

Following on from the Villa d'Este Design Concept Award-winning TZ3 Corsa, Zagato has announced the production of nine more TZ3 models. Unlike the 8C-based TZ3 Corsa, the new Stradale will be based on a Dodge Viper ACR platform and V10 drivetrain, making it the 'first American Alfa Romeo' according to Zagato. The car is said to be a tribute to Alfa Romeo and Zagato's street legal heritage, and continues the line of cars that ended with the S.Z.