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I was at Pebble Beach this weekend for, amongst other things, the unwrapping of the new Cadillac Sports Tourer. It went down really well with the mainly US audience and it deserved the praise: it’s a fine looking thing in the metal and a lot more handsome...

Given that Aston Martin chief Dr Ulrich Bez once spent many months of his life painstakingly developing and building making a small batch of ultra-lightweight racing bikes of his own design, you’d expect him to love the art component of great engineering.

Since taking the controls of Aston Martin in 2000, he has continued to talk fervently of cars as art, insisting that the Aston models he has created are appreciated for their fine detail, and photographed with loving care.

However, this new venture, the One-77, values the art component of a car more highly than anyone has ever done before.

So we’ve seen pictures of the new Ford Ka, and I have to say I’m not sold on it yet.

Okay, so the gaping Ford face was always going to be an awkward addition to such a small car, and following in the footsteps of a phenomenon like the original Ka was also never going to be easy.

But am I the only one that thinks it looks like the stunted lovechild of a new Fiesta and a Vauxhall Corsa?

Modern cars are notoriously hard to judge from press pictures and, judging by the new car standing in front of me, the Ferrari California, is no different.

There are aspects of the car which are unusual – the rear deck is high and so the rear elevation is remarkably deep and aggressive.

Luc Donckerwolke, boss of Seat design and before that the man behind Lamborghini, recently told me: “If we [designers] do our tasks, we can create a clean conscience for car buyers and change the way people live with cars.” 

This was in reply to a question about how he thinks car designers will have to react to environmental pressures.

Donckerwolke’s response was an unexpected one, as I have always assumed that engineering was the main answer to the environmental questions. Yet, when you think about what makes a car sell, the only conclusion is that Seat’s design guru is right. As he says, “Designers are the ambassadors of a new era – a way of living.”

Engineering clearly paves a way for the essential new fuel solutions, but cars sell mainly because they are a practical means of transport that has become essential to modern lifestyles.

Land Rover's latest incarnation of the Defender will certainly get heads turning... and quite possibly a few stomachs. I saw the SVX soft-top at the Geneva motor show and instantly felt that the Defender’s timeless concept - the flat panels, front and rear beam axles, minimal electrics and hose-clean interior – had been Islingtonised. It’s like finding your local pig farmer has taken to wearing high heels, a tiara and pearls.