Design Engineering and Styling Publications

Aerodynamic considerations plainly play an important part in car design, but are they a challenge or an opportunity for a designer? “A bit of both,” says Peugeot's Gilles Vidal. “You know that you won’t achieve the best possible aerodynamic score because if we do so it will most likely be an ugly car.”

New York City’s Lincoln Center served as the backdrop for Ford's “reboot” of its luxury brand as the Lincoln Motor Company. The revival begins with the MKZ midsize sedan, but further differentiation could come from more exclusive high-performance versions of existing powerplants, plus perhaps European engines. And Ford’s rear-drive architecture, used by the Mustang, and it is being evaluated for luxury performance car use.

When Mark Fetherston, as Team Leader External Design Compact Cars, was given the chance to take on a key role in the creation of the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class range, he was delighted. But the task had an added frisson: the Management Board did not want evolution, it wanted revolution.

The concept from the 2012 Paris Motor Show could be a hint at the future design direction for the Daimler subsidiary’s compact Fortwo two seater.

The company used the 2012 Paris Motor Show to display the Active Concept Tourer that looks set to compete with FWD rivals such as the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz B-Class.