Seat Leon Mk2 2008 Exhaust Hanger on 2040-parts.com

“Where is the sustainable vehicle design?”

The notion of a 'new paradigm in car design' was a theme running through talks by five panelists at London's Royal College of Art last week, who debated "Seriously now, where is the sustainable vehicle design?" Despite disparate backgrounds, there was broad agreement that a truly sustainable form of personal transportation is unlikely to come from an established automotive firm any time soon. Panelist Rob Holdway of Giraffe Innovation was most vocal in his approach to the subject, saying "Frankly, I think the car is unacceptable - we hear a lot about the sustainable car, but I don't think there is such a thing as a sustainable car". The audience - made up mainly of RCA students - also heard from Nico Sergent of Riversimple about how the company's seven-point business model, and its open source strategy, incentivized the company to build a truly sustainable car and mobility package that the current auto model simply doesn't allow.

Toyota GT86 Convertible teased by FT-86 Open Concept for Geneva

A roadster version of the Toyota GT86 now seems certain as Toyota tease an open-topped roadster for Geneva with the FT-86 Concept. It took Toyota a long time to deliver the promise of an ‘affordable’ sports car, but the Toyota GT86 has delivered a proper driver’s car at a sensible price (and you can even have it as a Subaru BRZ if you choose). So a success with a single sports car model can mean only one thing – more versions of the same car.

Ford Ka

These are the first images of the all-new Ford Ka, set to be unveiled at the forthcoming Paris Motor Show in October. This is the first redesign since the original Ford Ka - widely considered to be an automotive design icon - was launched at the 1996 Paris Motor Show. Back then, the Ka was praised for its 'New Edge' styling, helping Ford sell 1.4 million vehicles over its 12-year life.