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Karim Habib to Head Exterior Design at BMW

It was only a matter of time before we expected a talented designer to fill the position vacated by Anders Warming when he was promoted to the role of Design Director at Mini. News of that new appointment was revealed today and, as of March 2011, Karim Habib will become the new Head of Exteriors at BMW Design. No stranger to BMW Design, Habib comes back to the Munich-based carmaker after a two year absence, during which time he worked for rival German carmaker Mercedes-Benz.

Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon TI is spotted in metro Detroit

It's tough to say what a metro Detroit sighting of this manufacturer-plated Alfa Romeo 159 TI Sportwagon portends for the Italian automaker's long-anticipated return to the American market--probably nothing. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne's plan to bring Alfa Romeo back to the United States features the sporty, limited-edition 4C coupe, the subcompact MiTo and the midsize Giulia, but not the out-of-production 159. Still, a domestic sighting of a brand-new Alfa Romeo is a rare enough occurrence that we're happy to share these photos without further comment.

Concept Car of the Week: Vauxhall VX Lightning

Both Ford and Vauxhall celebrated their 100-year anniversaries in 2003, but despite much of the attention being focused on the American giant, GM's UK subsidiary unveiling its own birthday present: the VX Lightning. Revealed at the Dorchester Hotel in London in May, the Vauxhall Lightning concept was a joint project between the GM North America (GMNA) Advanced Design Studio in England and the Opel/Vauxhall Design Center in Rüsslesheim, Germany. The Vauxhall ‘V' brand motif is a recurring theme throughout the car, despite the company's relative lack of global recognition.