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Seat Ibiza (2008): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 02 April 2008 13:06 Seat's new Ibiza - unveiled today - spearheads a new model offensive from the Spanish company. The Barcelonan bosses hope that more and improved models will transform the brand from a bit-part player within the VW empire to a major manufacturer producing nearly a million cars a year.The new Ibiza certainly looks the part. These first pictures confirm that it will become one of the sleekest superminis around, as hinted at in the Bocanegra concept at last month's Geneva motor show.

The Jaguar F-Type's a closet Star Wars geek

Our friends over at Jalopnik are currently at Jaguar F-Type media event over in Seattle, where they had a chance to catch up with its design Wayne Burgess (check out our full interview with him here), who revealed some interesting sources of inspiration for some of its detailing. The first is a real easter egg - a detail that once you've discovered it you can't help but see - the front lamp cans are based on Star Wars' TIE Fighter. What has been seen can not be unseen.

Carlos Ghosn's automaker mantra: Go big or you'll go away

Size matters in auto company survival, Renault and Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn told an audience in Detroit on Tuesday. To cope with the escalating costs and scope of a global industry, successful automakers must complete a trifecta--be able to compete in every technology, every market and every segment, Ghosn said during a luncheon speech at the Detroit Economic Club “No 3 million-unit carmaker can make it,” Ghosn said, explaining why his Renault-Nissan alliance forged an alliance with Germany's Daimler AG. Competency in one or two of the three skills is not enough, and only very large companies can afford all three, he said.