Far from shabby, the interiors of the Eurostar trains-- connecting Great Britain with the rest of Europe-- were last outfitted with new upholstery in 2004/05 under the guidance of French design guru Philippe Starck. But the high-tech, high-speed train is ahead of the game; Eurostar has already appointed a hot-shot new designer for the train's makeover. Pininfarina-- of Maserati and Ferrari fame-- snagged the contract, and the 28 trains in the Eurostar fleet will see stylish new interiors by 2012.

Pininfarina is not new to the train game; the design firm has also decked out Italy's high-speed trains, light rail cars in Lille, France, and trams for cities in Greece, Sweden, Turkey, and Italy. Nota bene: Pininfarina has also dabbled in hotel design; The Keating in San Diego (a sexy urban resort located downtown) is its first hotel creation.