The theme for this year’s Design Challenge forces designers to envision vehicles that are at once both kind to the environment yet stylish and exciting to drive at the same time. The catch? Each vehicle concept must weigh no more than 1,000 pounds, seat four adults, be efficient and safe and provide a rewarding driving experience. Sustainable materials, highly exotic designs and a vision of the future are expected from the entrants, and (more…)

The Panoz Abruzzi is powered by a front-mounted V8 engine producing 640 horsepower and over 600 pound-feet of torque, while it’s styling is derived from pre-war classics such as the 1935 Delahaye.

It has been five years since Don Panoz and his racing team have experienced a win in the American Le Mans series. They plan to (more…)

Said to be more closely inspired by the second-generation Charger of 1968-1970, the rear/all-wheel-driver picks up the classic model’s full-width rear taillamps but goes without the original’s hidden front lighting. That massive ‘race track’ brake lamp assembly, incidentally, is illuminated via 164 LEDs. The nose appears to be more closely derivative of the outgoing model, albeit with a prominent grille assembly that sits a bit more proudly ahead of (more…)

Heck, the blokes over at Top Gear even tried to sell a Brera to an art museum on exactly that basis. Actually turning an Alfa into a work of art – you know, one you can hang on your wall – takes another kind of talent altogether.

That’s where Federico B. Alliney comes in. Alliney is the artist to whom James Cameron turned to render his vision of how the Avatar world should look. And say what you will about overgrown Smurfs romping through (more…)

Luxury crossovers are a dime a dozen, and automakers are clamoring to be a part of the small CUV segment. In just the past few years, we’ve been introduced to the Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz GLK, Volvo XC60 and Infiniti EX35, among others. But as the X3 aged, its unusually harsh suspension and not-so-great interior plagued sales. In 2004, BMW moved roughly 35,000 X3s off dealer lots, and just last year, that number dropped to less than 10,000. Things aren’t (more…)