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Nissan sketches future compact car plans

Nissan has unveiled a sketch of a compact car that it plans to sell around the world. The carmaker released few specifics, but the vehicle will be sold in more than 150 countries and is set to launch first in Thailand in March 2010. The car will qualify as Thailand's first “eco-car,” which is a government policy to help promote energy-efficient vehicles.

Worth a read: Wired's 'Why Getting It Wrong Is the Future of Design'

Wired has just published a series of short articles entitled 13 Lessons for Design's New Golden Age. While there are some interesting examples cited in the piece, the concluding article, ‘Why Getting It Wrong Is the Future of Design' by the former creative director of Wired magazine, Scott Dadich, feels like it has particular resonance for car design. Dadich's Wrong Theory uses disruptive examples from the world of art, plus his own experience of working at Wired, to explain how design goes through phases: establishing a direction, creating a set of rules that define that direction and finally someone who dares to break from that direction.

Scat Pack is back for Charger R/T and Challenger

To the delight of Mopar fans, Dodge brought back the Scat Pack last November at the SEMA show. At the time, the company teased upgrade packages for the Charger, Challenger, and Dart. Dodge has just now announced details on the upgrades that'll be available for the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 engine found in the Charger R/T and the Challenger.