Rear End Dragster on 2040-parts.com

Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez on the Mercedes tie-up, the rise of turbo cars and the end of the Lagonda SUV project

MSN Cars is in Palm Springs, California, to drive the new Aston Martin Vanquish Volante and V12 Vantage S. Aston Martin, voted the second coolest brand in the world behind Apple, is celebrating its 100th year. Over an informal dinner, MSN Cars was given an exclusive chance to talk shop with Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez to see what the future holds for the Gaydon-based company.

Video: CDN-GM Interactive Design Competition featured by Faces of GM

'Faces of GM', one of General Motor's social media initiatives, has released its latest video featuring our recent collaborative contest, the CDN-GM Interactive Design Competition. Starring several of the winning students as well as the prize-giving event at the Detroit auto show last month, the video features a number of judges and mentors including Mark Adams, executive director global Buick and Cadillac Design. GM and Car Design News's online contest aims to find the next generation of GM designers by presenting a challenge for students to tackle before being mentored on how to improve their designs.

McLaren 12C Concept showcases McLaren Special Operations (MSO) goodies

The McLaren 12C MSO Concept (pictured) highlights McLaren’s MSO upgrades Unless you’ve ever been and bought a supercar (or a high-end luxury car) new, you may not realise that the regular options list is just the starting point for individual customisation. In fact everyone, from Ferrari to Rolls Royce, will do pretty much whatever you want to your new car if your pockets are deep enough, and it’s a game – and a cash cow – McLaren are keen to make the most of. That’s why we had the extreme McLaren X-1 project a couple of years ago, but that went a lot further than most Mclaren buyers want to go with their new car.