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Maeda named new Mazda design boss, replacing van den Acker

Ikuo Maeda is the new head of design at Mazda Motor Corp. The man who is credited with styling the Mazda's flagship sports car takes over for Dutchman Laurens van den Acker, 43, who has decided to leave the company "to pursue other interests," the automaker said in a statement today. Van den Acker, who joined Mazda in 2006, will remain at the automaker until April 10 to ensure a smooth transition for Maeda, Mazda said.

Subaru Impreza

Another follow up from an earlier teaser shot is this, the 2012 Subaru Impreza, which is making its debut at the NY auto show. Digressing further from its infamous rally-bred history, the latest Impreza is being billed as the most economical AWD car for sale in the US market, and Subaru is also keen to stress the increased ride comfort and interior space of this model, which is claimed to offer unprecedented levels of refinement from an Impreza. The cars exterior, however, does have some nostalgic references, with the bold arches said to 'emphasize its sporty roots and standard All-Wheel Drive performance'.

IDSA's 3D-printed car design contest gets underway

Aspiring designers have the chance to see their 3D-printed car designs launched down a miniature model of a ski jump and crash in the Launch Day 2013 competition due to take place at the 2013 IDSA conference, which runs from 21-24 August. Up to five designs can be entered for free until 12 August in the competition, organized by The Industrial Designers Society of America. All submissions will then be judged for both aesthetics and for "using unique attributes of 3D printing" which will whittle them down to just 10 designs that will be printed before the launch.