Vintage Bergstrom Fan Defroster Defrost Truck Bus Commercial (ma0031) on 2040-parts.com

Design Services: Ficosa International

In the hierarchy of car design the exterior of a powerful sports car is usually regarded as the highest level whilst the design of some of the smaller functional components tends to sit at the bottom. But even for companies not obviously dependant on sexy curves to help them make money, design is increasingly being recognised as a critical ingredient for commercial success. Whilst most large suppliers have grown their design capability over the last decade, few have truly embraced the potential of having a focus on Design within their corporate strategy.

Jesse James brings hydrogen land-speed record back to America

Six years after he got the idea and bought the streamliner, Jesse James has set the world record for hydrogen-powered speed. Late afternoon on June 16, James flew across the windswept dust of El Mirage dry lake bed in the California desert and tripped the lights at 199.712 mph. That was 14 mph faster than the previous record of 185 mph, set in Germany by BMW in its hydrogen-powered H2H.

2015 Mercedes-AMG GT teased

If you’re glum that the thunderous Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG is no longer in production, don’t be. There’s a new hot rod with a three-pointed star in town. This is the first picture of the new 2015 Mercedes-AMG GT – a sports car from the German firm that will go up against the Porsche 911, following its debut at the 2014 Paris Motor Show.