Test Drive: 2017 Aston Martin DB11

Behind the wheel of the new voluptuous new sports car

On the narrow Tuscan roads, it’s the width of the new Aston Martin DB11 that is especially noticeable, though planting your foot on the accelerator, the brawny 5.2-liter V12 makes a convincing plea of its own. The DB11 (which is set to hit dealerships next month) is the first of an entirely new line of hand-built sports cars to come from Aston’s Gaydon headquarters in …

London Design Festival 2016: “Forest” Installations

MINI's small escapes in the middle of the bustling city

In bustling London, there aren’t many places to hide away peacefully, but thanks to a collaboration between Asif Khan and MINI there are now three. The MINI LIVING Forests are located in Shoreditch, as part of London Design Festival, and provide an escape for people looking for a little timeout. Each temporary pavilion has been created (and named) for a specific purpose—Connect, Create and Relax—and …

Test Drive: 2016 Ford Focus RS

This performance-oriented people’s car achieves a hyperfocal plane

Designing a car is a study in trade-offs. Manufacturers have to balance performance with economy, comfort with technology, cost with quality. Driver input versus computer control. All of these endless compromises are constantly being checked against strategies, budgets and timelines. And even when a company gets all the balances right, the resulting car can fall flat. The blueprint, as they say, isn’t the product. Which …