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Earlier in the week, we brought you the first pictures and video of the exciting, ground-breaking BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept car. As mentioned in the post, BMW has built the Vision as a rolling representation of technologies it will adopt in the immediate future.

BMW has now released a second official video that sheds light on the design process of the Vision. Design geeks, rejoice!

[Source: BMW]

Sometimes, older is better. To celebrate its 100th year as a car company, Audi recently updated its logo, giving it a shinier look and changing both the font and the positioning of the Audi name with respect to the four rings.

Below, you can compare for yourselves and also take a quick trip back to the Auto Union origins of the Audi logo.

Of course, this is subjective but I will miss the unique, backswept Audi font. What do you think?

2009 Audi logo

Former logo

Audi logo design progression

[Source: Autoblog]

What do you do when you already make the world’s best-selling roadster, know for its straight-forward design, light weight and intuitive handling? You make it even lighter and improve its dynamics.

The Mazda MX-5 Miata Superlight is a concept car conceived in the company’s design studio in Oberursel, Germany. The intention is to refine every aspect of the car, from acceleration and handling to fuel economy and lower emissions.

Mazda does not intend to build the Superlight as seen here. However, given its good looks, we would not be surprised to see an enterprising aftermarket company emulating the ...

These are a few interesting future transportation concepts imagined by students at Swansea Metropolitan University in the UK. We have included the design descriptions verbatim in order to stay true to the designers' intended messages.

Ferrari F75 Mugello by Adam Flay

The Ferrari F75 Mugello is a design study aimed at producing an archetype for future eco-friendly supercars. The concept is powered by a mid-mounted electrical motor and twin turbine boosters, providing a sustainable solution for the supercar of tomorrow’s world with no compromises on performance, style or beauty.

The concept also rejuvenates Ferrari’s classic surface language to ...

Ever wonder whether you could be as comfy as you are in living room while someone drives you down the road in a solid, German automobile? If you have indeed had such a day dream, rejoice because Audi has created a concept vehicle just for you: the Audi Contact!

As you can see in the pictures, the Contact's huge swing-open door can connect to another Contact's in order to create a large common area for you and your mobile living room-loving friends.

Will Audi build it? Who knows, but it is an amusing concept nonetheless.

[Source: thedesignblog]

To close the week out, we have a behind-the-scenes walkaround of BMW Group's Southern Calfornia design studio, Designworks. While the studio is famously responsible for the first X5 SAV, it is a full-service agency that serves non-automotive clients. Designworks president Verena Kloos introduces you to a few such examples.

You can see more of the tour here.

[Source: BMW and motorauthority]

Yes, another car we will not get here in the US: the Audi A5 Sportback. Audi showed off the concept at the Detroit Auto Show this year and has now released this teaser picture of the car's rear corner. Thanks Audi, show us just your shoulder and then tell us we can't have it!

Regardless, watch this neat little video of Head of Audi Group Design, Wolfgang Egger sketching the Sportback and describing the design language.

[Source: Audi]

In this final episode of Inside Project M, which followed the story of the Bertone Mantide supercar, you can see how this striking automobile was built - literally. Also, you will, for the first time, see the car in motion. Yes, this is a REAL car, not some auto show mockup.

We have certainly enjoyed getting this rare look into the world of car design, especially one inhabited by the truly talented Jason Castriota. The greatest thing is, he is just warming up.

[Source: InsideProjectM via YouTube]

We are inching toward the end of this supercar chronicle. Hopefully, you have been following the story of the Bertone Mantide, a supercar based on the Corvette ZR-1. If not , you can catch up by watching the previous episodes here.

In this installment, Jason Castriota gives a detailed technical explanation of how Bertone improved the performance of the base donor conor as it was transformed into the Mantide.

[Source: YouTube]

For your daily automotive video fix, we have a closer look at the Corvette ZR-1-based Bertone Mantide. Here, you can see the Chinese ogling over it at the recent Shanghai Auto Show.

If you have not been following this story, click here to see the previous episodes.

[Source: Inside Project M]

As promised, we are bringing you our full interview with Henrik Fisker at the 2009 NY Auto Show. The discussion is wide-ranging, from a brief overview of Fisker’s previous automotive creations and sexy “”green” cars to why he based Fisker Automotive in the United States.

Click here for our previous posts on Fisker Automotive.

Below are pictures of a few cars he designed before going on to launch his own car company.

BMW E1

BMW Z8

Aston Martin V8 Vantage

For those of you patiently following the construction of Bertone’s top-secret new supercar, the wait is over: here is the Bertone Mantide, Jason Castriota’s rendtion of a Corvette ZR-1. The car was unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show and although we are not there to see this beast in the flesh, something tells us it is the showstopper.

One thing is for sure: Castriota's first creation under the Bertone umbrealla is a markd departure from his previous, more classical work at Pininfarina. But then again, what else did you expect from the historically-wild design house of Bertone ...

We are inching closer to the unveiling of Bertone's new supercar, designed under the direction of Jason Castriota. In this episode (see previous segments here), we learn that this one-off supercar is based on the running chassis of a Corvette ZR-1, itself a bargain supercar.

Here's a video of the ZR-1 being put through its paces on the autobahn, appropriately driven by a prototypical German test engineer.

The Bertone interpretation of the ZR-1 wil be revealed at the Shanghai Auto Show today. We can't wait to see it.

[Source: YouTube]

In this segment of our coverage, we briefly talk about the new Honda Insight (sorry, we just could not get too much more excited about it), the new generation of iDrive in the new BMW 7 series (dubbed 'Version 4.0', it will make its way across the entire BMW model lineup), and the remarkable story of the Alfa Romeo BAT 11.

This last story needs some more context. Dr. Gary Kaberle of Traverse City, Michigan owned the rare Alfa Romeo BAT9d for over 30 years before selling it in order to finance his late wife Deb’s breast cancer ...

We are inching closer to April 20th, when Jason Castriota's new supercar will be revealed in Shanghai. In this segement, you will hear Jason talk about that oh-so-ageless supercar, the Lamborghini Countach.

[Source: Youtube]

Here is episode 4 in the Inside Project M documentary on Bertone’s one-off supercar being designed under the direction of Jason Castriota. Reminder: the car will be unveiled at the Shnghai Auto Show on April 20.

[Source: YouTube]

Episode 3 of Inside Project M takes us a bit closer to the supercar being designed by Jason Castriota at Stile Bertone. Watch to hear just how outlandish the designers involved are promising the car to be.

[Source: InsideProjectM via YouTube]

This is the second installment in a documentary covering the genesis of a new supercar being designed by Jason Castriota, Design Director at Stile Bertone. Click here to see the first episode.

At rightpedal, we are a big fan of Jason Castriota’s. The young Italian-American born right here in New York state has left an indelible mark on the design world with such unforgettable beauties as the Maserati Birdcage 75 concept car, the one-off Ferrari P4/5, the Maserati Gran Tourismo and the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano.

Castriota, who previously worked at Pininfarina, was recently named the Design Director at Stile Bertone, another legendary Italian design firm responsible for historic cars such as the Lamborghinis Miura and Countach. The video here is part one of a documentary series called Inside Project ...