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News watch Jan 2010: today’s auto industry news

Wednesday 20 January 2010• Rolls-Royce has appointed Torsten Mueller as chief exec from the end of March 2010. He is currently BMW's global product management boss and will replace Tom Purves who will retire after 25 years with the BMW Group (Rolls-Royce)• Japan has bowed to pressure and extended its scrappage scheme to include American brand vehicles. Many had been barred from the scheme because they had different fuel economy standards (Automotive News, subscription required)• New GM Europe CEO Nick Reilly has vowed that Opel and Vauxhall will become a global company.

Range Rover designers talk tactics [w/Video]

Range Rover designers and engineers have come together in a short video to discuss the reasons and influences behind their decisions when it came to designing the brand's fourth-generation flagship SUV. Developing a new Range Rover is always going to a difficult job, given its status as the world's best 4x4 and its avid fan base, and in this video we get a chance to hear from the people who influenced this latest model. Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Design Director and Chief Creative Officer, explains: "Great design is the gateway to customer desirability, it's about making that personal connection.

Next Mazda MX-5/Alfa Romeo roadster engines?

The last manual-transmission diesel convertible we drove was the Volkswagen Beetle. It was a fine little cruiser -- “joyful” is a word we bandied about a lot. But a diesel Miata?