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Mercedes-Benz inaugurates Advanced Design Studio in Beijing, China

Mercedes-Benz inaugurated its global Advanced Design Center in Beijing, China, yesterday, Thursday July 21. The Beijing design center, Daimler's fifth advanced design studio worldwide, further reinforces the growing importance of the Chinese auto market and Beijing in particular; the city is increasingly influencing changing needs and trends. The new 1,000 square meter Advanced Design Studio employs a total of around 20 designers who will contribute to the future design of Mercedes-Benz automobiles, competing and working with the company's other studios in Germany, Italy, Japan and the USA.

Autoweek archives: Pontiac Firebird Type K wagon

This Autoweek archives piece comes from March 1980, when Bob Irvin and Bob Hall explored the fabled--and failed--Pontiac Trans Am wagon. In the late 1970s, the Pontiac Firebird Type K (Kammback) was explored as a way to inject some life into the aging F-body lineup. After a concept build by Pontiac Motor Division, vice president of design Bill Mitchell had two 1977 models constructed in Italy by famed Ferrari designer Sergio Pininfarina.

One Lap of the Web: Mini challenges Porsche; kit cars; and brand loyalty

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. Mini wished the Porsche 911 a happy 50th anniversary.