VW's new modular platform could spark a revolution

MQB. Remember those letters. You might be hearing them a lot in the coming years if Ulrich Hackenberg's platform experiment works.

Subaru SHARC wins LA Design Challenge [w/video]

Subaru's SHARC (Subaru Highway Automated Response Concept) has been named the winner of the 2012 LA Design Challenge. The judges chose the futuristic drone as the best embodiment of the 'Highway Patrol Vehicle 2025' with the judges declaring that the studio captured "the vision of Design Challenge theme by combining functionality and problem-solving technology around a dynamic and plausible story" from a choice of designs from six other automotive design studios. Studios from BMW DesignWorksUSA, General Motors, Honda North America, Honda Japan, Mercedes-Benz submitted concepts that would create a highway patrol vehicle for 2025 that tackled the ‘protect and serve' aspect while considering emissions, population growth and transportation infrastructure.

Safety probe: BMW 7-series rolling away in 'park'

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating a potential problem with BMW 7-series sedans of not properly shifting into park. The issue sparked NHTSA's concern when it received a complaint that a 2006-model-year 7-series rolled away after the owner parked and exited the vehicle. BMW also submitted similar incident reports in which other 7-series cars rolled away from their owners.