�??Need for change�?? in automotive design: Bangle

Outspoken former BMW Group design chief Chris Bangle believes today�??s car designers are stuck in a rut and says the industry�??s inability to view itself objectively is holding back progress.

Bangle told industry journal Automotive News Europe the current crop of automotive designers is trapped in a phase he calls �??mannerisms�?�, employing the same techniques and elements as they have for years.

�??There is a real need for a change and that�??s just not happening,�?� Bangle said.

The pioneering designer, whose resume includes the fabric-skinned, shape-shifting 2008 BMW Gina sports car concept (pictured), says there is a lack of innovation in the industry.

�??Even concept cars today simply anticipate the next production model coming down the line. Is this innovation? No. And at the end of the day this is what�??s preventing car design from moving into a new era,�?� he said.

Bangle left the Bavaria-based car maker in 2009 after almost 18 years as the company�??s chief of design responsible for BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce to create his own design firm in Turin, Italy.

A number BMW�??s of most polarising and controversial designs were penned under his leadership, including the previous-generation 5, 6 and 7 Series models, the original Z4 sports car and the current X6 crossover.

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Holden Commodore SS Walkinshaw Performance W310 pack released

Walkinshaw Performance has released the W310 performance package for the all-new Holden VF Commodore SS.

The first enhancement package developed for the VF Commodore by the Melbourne-based Holden tuner and the first in the new �??W Series�?? of upgrades, the W310 pack combines a host of mechanical enhancements to boost the 6.0-litre V8�??s output from 270kW/530Nm to 310kW/580Nm.

Included in the VF Commodore SS W310 pack are Walkinshaw ceramic-coated headers, high-flow catalytic converters, a Walkinshaw stainless steel cat black exhaust system, Walkinshaw cold air intake, a custom ECU calibration and a W310 build plate and rear deck-lid badging. (The wrapped carbonfibre-look bonnet and bootlid spoiler are not part of the package.)

The SS W310 is backed by Walkinshaw Performance�??s driveline warranty, which lasts for the life of the standard manufacturer�??s warranty �?" three years/100,000km.

Walkinshaw Performance general manager Tony Harris says the W310 pack is the best performance package the company has ever produced.

�??The final figures are impressive as our previous power pack saw gains of up to 10 per cent,�?� Harris said. �??With the W310 package it�??s more like 20 per cent, and we did this without compromising the driveability of the vehicle.

�??One of the highlights of this package is the all-new exhaust system that brings back the growl V8 owners love so much.�?�

The W310 pack is priced from $6495, totalling $48,485 when added to the price of the Commodore SS manual and $50,685 with the automatic.

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Maserati GranCabrio MC: $355K sports flagship launched

The Maserati GranCabrio MC is now on sale in Australia, bolstering the Italian brand�??s convertible line-up with a new flagship performance variant.

Priced $17K above the GranCabrio Sport on which it�??s based, the $355,000 Maserati GranCabrio MC scores a host of unique mechanical upgrades, aero revisions and sports trim features.

The GranCabrio MC teams its 338kW/520Nm 4.7-litre V8 inherited from the Sport, with Maserati�??s most aggressive gearbox, the MC AutoShift six-speed automatic transmission, which it borrows from the hardcore GranTurismo MC Stradale coupe.

With launch control activated, the GranCabrio MC launches from 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds, and powers on to a top speed of 289km/h.

The exhaust outlets have been repositioned to mirror those of Maserati�??s Trofeo and GT4 racing cars, enabling the Italians to fit a secondary silencer for the Sport mode that increases the volume and provides a deeper bass sound with a more distinctive crackle on overrun.

Completing the technical changes is a single-rate sports suspension system, which reduces the roll angle of the car by 10 per cent, intended to sharpen turn-in and increase control in high-speed corners.

New front and rear bumpers and a front splitter with an extended lip see the GranCabrio MC grow 48mm in length over the Sport. Other visual differentiators include matt black-look headlights, black grille bars, bonnet and front guard vents, raised central rear exhaust outlets and a large rear lip spoiler.

Rounding out the enhancements is the revised cabin, which benefits from front sports seats, alcantara and dark chrome trim, alcantara-wrapped steering wheel with larger gearshift paddles, drilled aluminium pedals, and MC badging on the dashboard and instrument cluster.

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Renault granted $544M loan to aid fuel-efficient vehicle development

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted Renault a 400 million euro ($544 million) loan to aid research and development of its next generation of affordable, environmentally friendly vehicles.

Announced at the Renault Group�??s Boulogne-Billancourt head office in France, the loan will fund a major technological and environmental project through which resources will be invested in three key areas.

The first component aims to advance Renault�??s goal to drastically reduce the weight of its future vehicles and optimise their aerodynamics through the use of virtual platforms and prototypes.

The second focuses on the development of a �??new-generation powertrain concept�?� for future commercial application, with the program to also investigate new industrial solutions for manufacturing the powertrain.

Finally, the investment will help fund the development and production of the next-generation Renault Twingo, which will be underpinned by a new �??compact, modular and accessible�?� architecture.

Renault says it is targeting �??very competitive CO₂ emissions levels�?� from the new Twingo city car, which will draw design inspiration from the Twin�??Run and Twin�??Z concepts when it launches in 2014.

EIB vice president Philippe de Fontaine Vive said the loan demonstrated the bank�??s commitment to innovation.

�??Cutting-edge technologies are a spearhead for the future in terms of sustainable development and competitiveness,�?� de Fontaine Vive said.

�??Through our support for innovation, we are preparing the future of the European motor industry. And the first to benefit will be the EU�??s citizens, in their daily life.�?�

The agreement builds on the existing partnership between the EIB and Renault Group and takes the total amount of finance provided by the EIB since 2009 to almost one billion euros ($1.36 billion).

Last month,� Renault� signed on as the sole supplier of electric powerplants to the all-electric� FIA Formula E� championship series set to debuts in 2014.

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