Pininfarina to Design Handsets for Motorola

In an attempt to out RAZR the RAZR, Motorola has enlisted the services of Pininfarina - famed designers of Ferrari and Maserati sports cars, as well as influential designs such as the torch for the 2006 Torino Olympic Games - to design future handsets.

The deal runs from March 2006 to March 2009, with Pininfarina dedicating a team of ten designers to the project. This is not the first time Motorola has contracted the design firm, as the companies had a short-term agreement during 2004.

Pininfarina would not disclose the value of the deal, but has mentioned that mobile handset design now makes up 30% of its business after only two years of working with the devices.