Aston Martin Rapide – First customer car

The first Aston Martin Rapide leaves the factory It may not seem the biggest news in the world – Aston Martin Rapide leaves factory for customer’. After all, that is rather the point. But the gestation of the AM Rapide seems to have been so long it’s quite hard to remember who owned Aston Martin when the Rapide first poked its very elegant nose above the parapet, so it seems a big deal that complete cars are now heading out to customers.

Volkswagen Beetle Dune concept for Detroit Motor Show

Volkswagen Volkswagen has announced a Beetle Dune concept will take to its show stand at the 2014 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) next week – promising to bring a bit of beach buggy sunshine to the polar vortex chilled show halls of Detroit. So far VW has only released the pair of design concepts pictured here, but together with a few choice details you can clearly figure out what we’re dealing with here. The Dune is a Beetle that’s been given a rugged off-road makeover.

Fun with fiberglass: Petersen exhibit celebrates moldable material

To be an artisan in aluminum or the Stradivarius of steel, you need about 40 years as an apprentice working metal with pinchers and pullers and to spend a lot of time rolling sheets back and forth through an English wheel. To make something out of fiberglass, all you need is resin. The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles is celebrating all things fiberglass--especially the cars--with an exhibit that runs through Oct.