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BMW and Local Motors announce contest winners

BMW and Local Motors have announced the winning ideas in the Urban Driving Experience Challenge after phase one of the contest closed on 16 October. Anthony Franze of Australia won first prize and a cash award of $7,500 with his design for a premium car sharing service called ‘BMW Reward Me.' He also earned himself a trip to Munich, Germany, to meet with the head of BMW's Group Research and Technology, Dr. Christoph Grote.

New MINI 5-door Hatch revealed – but will you fit through the back doors?

The 5-door MINI hatch arrives We’ve already had the more BMW-like new MINI arrive, and now, for the first time, we get a MINI 5-door hatch to try and extend the appeal of the MINI range to families. The 5-door MINI gets an extra 72mm in the wheelbase and a pair of doors at the back – which do look very tight for full-size people to use – and there’s also an extra 15mm of headroom, a bigger boot and seating for three in the back. In terms of design, there’s little to choose between the 5-door and the 3-door, but the new 5-door does look a bit like the off-spring of the new MINI and the Countryman; just a little dumpy.

Jaguar C-X17 concept (2013) design boss Ian Callum on interior design

As with all concept cars, the Jaguar C-X17’s interior is the least production-viable element of the entire design, but it does give vital clues to the direction that design boss Ian Callum and his team are evaluating for the future. The focus is on clean, strong, flowing design, one that shuns clutter for pared-back simplicity. Open the door and you’ll notice both the sense of space and the small F-type steering wheel and four individual bucket seats, the latter two elements suggesting a nimble, involving driving experience.