The Continental: Another Detroit Designer for Opel, the New Mitsubishi Outlander, a Manual Confirmed for the M3, and the End of the Road for Audi’s V12 TDI

Each week, our German correspondent slices and dices the latest rumblings, news, and quick-hit driving impressions from the other side of the pond. His byline may say Jens Meiners, but we simply call him . . . the Continental. On August 1, GM's ailing German subsidiary, Opel, gets a new design chief: David G. Lyon, currently responsible for Buick and GMC design, as well as GM's interiors and "global cross brand design." Lyon's taste for retro design was established by the 2000 Buick LaCrosse concept, and an early claim to fame was the popular if somewhat flat 2001 Buick Bengal concept. He also had a hand in the first-gen Cadillac CTS and the Chevy Volt, among many others. It will be good to have another American—and a good design executive, too—running Opel design after current design chief Mark Adams returns to head Buick and Cadillac. Lyon has his work cut out for him. If Opel ever wants to prosper again, its employees need to dispose of any anti-GM attitude sooner rather than later. Read full story » from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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