Mike Simcoe is probably GM’s best North American design boss for years, and the way he gave Holden a sense of style is to be commended. However, as all bosses must do, he must defend things that were started by other GM staffers. (I remember well when Ian Callum of Jaguar had to talk up the X-type and the last Geoff Lawson-designed XJ, knowing that he liked neither.)
   Here’s Mike talking about the Daewoo Lacetti Premiere, and it’s the first time I have ever heard anyone call a Daewoo ‘aspirational’. It is, of course, sold in most countries as the Chevrolet Cruze—a name once given to a rebodied Suzuki Wagon R—and Down Under as the Holden Cruze.
   It’s much smarter than the outgoing Lacetti and chief designer Taewan Kim has done an amazing job on how sharp this car looks, but I’m still not sure if ‘aspirational’ is a tag that can be applied to anything bearing Daewoo or Chevrolet badges. It’s just a market positioning thing. If I had to buy anything on this platform, make it the Opel Astra I.

A few months ago, Lucire brought readers the first non-embargoed image of the new Jaguar XJ. To promote a good cause with the new model, the company is giving away the first one destined for showrooms off the production lines to help the NSPCC.
   Esther Rantzen visited the Stratstone Jaguar dealership in Luton to back the Jaguar Prize Competition, which aims to raise £1 million for the NSPCC’s helplines, including ChildLine, which she founded. The new luxury saloon, worth more than £62,000, is Jaguar’s flagship model and will launch in showrooms in the New Year.
   The money will help grow ChildLine so it can answer every call, text and email from children. It will also go toward developing the NSPCC helpline for adults worried about a child.
   ‘Children can now text and chat to a ChildLine counsellor at www.childline.org.uk as well as phone on 0800 1111. However, there is much still to be done before we can be there for all children. The Jaguar Prize Competition takes us one step further to raising the funds we need to do this,’ says Rantzen.
   The competition runs until November 25 and the winner will be announced on December 1. Entrants must correctly answer three questions about the new Jaguar XJ to be in for a chance to win the car.
   Each entry costs £125 and there is no limit to the number of entries per person. More information is at www.jaguar.co.uk/nspcc.

The Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) saw numerous débutantes from the car companies, trying to look positive in one of the toughest years ever. Below are videos from BMW, where Dr Norbert Reithofer, chairman of the board of management, is joined by German chancellor Dr Angela Merkel; and from Renault, where boss Carlos Ghosn gives insights, in English with French subtitles, into zero-emissions’ electric cars that his group would release to the public at a promised affordable price by 2011. Jan Åke Jonsson of Saab talks about the new Saab company and the new 9-5 is shown, replacing the Swedes’ long-in-the-tooth Opel Vectra B-based version. Finally, the Jaguar XJ receives its Frankfurt début, and Ian Callum, design director, gives a press conference about the car’s styling.

BMW

Renault

Saab

Jaguar

Remember that weekend after Michael Jackson died? It was a bit surreal, as Elyse Glickman discovered when she attended one of the BET Awards’ suites, specifically Rohn Padmore’s Red Carpet Suite—we feature her report today on the main part of the site. Meanwhile, we see that Elle Macpherson in fact drives a Fiat 500, and has endorsed the 500C convertible—we have the pics. (It would have been overkill to run this article too soon after our Jaguar XJ ones, since Elle was at that, too.) Also in car news, BMW wants a slice of the cheaper end of the market, so its Mini division has launched the First model (right), which starts at under £11,000—still a bit more than the base Fiat 500, but closer to the 1·4-litre models in that range.

For those wondering what it was like to see the new Jaguar XJ and hang out with supermodel Elle Macpherson and Bond girl Rosamund Pike (and even the Hoff), we have party pics from last night’s launch at the Saatchi Gallery. Don’t forget our videos at Lucire TV showing everything from the Jaguar XJ driving on the road and interviews with key people such as design director Ian Callum, selected images of the new car, and Lucire’s world exclusive from yesterday revealing the first official photograph of the new car.

After a heady launch last night at the Saatchi Gallery, here are some videos of the new Jaguar XJ. We begin with a video of the new cars being built at Castle Bromwich, before looking at one of Jaguar’s most beautiful new models in a 360-degree segment. There’s the interior, then the XJ in motion. We also feature videos from Jaguar boss Mike O’Driscoll, design director Ian Callum, and XJ programme lead Mick Mohan. There’s no mention of the hybrid model yet, as the marketing focuses on the design and beauty of the new XJ.

We know a few publications broke the embargo yesterday with these images. We preferred to stick with the embargo time of 8.30 p.m. BST (while we exclusively revealed the one photograph to the world that wasn’t covered earlier in the day). Now, post-launch, we can show a few more photographs of the new Jaguar XJ. Enjoy what might be 2009’s most stunning automotive débutante.

Images of the new Jaguar XJ are surfacing—below is the first official, non-embargoed photograph of the highly anticipated new model, exclusively revealed here at Lucire. The launch is in London tonight at 8.30 p.m. BST, hosted by Jay Leno and Jaguar boss Mike O’Driscoll.

   Jaguar has been issuing teasers of the new XJ for months. The car, styled under acclaimed Jaguar design boss Ian Callum, is a huge departure from the previous model, which continued a look started by the original XJ6 launched in 1968.
   With an aluminium frame and panels, the new XJ is similar to the outgoing car under the skin, but has a far more modern and dramatic look.
   Callum had been keen to return Jaguar to a more forward-looking design theme after years of both stagnation and retro design.
   From the front, there is a passing resemblance to the Jaguar XF, but a six-light glasshouse and a rising waistline give a greater impression of length for the range’s flagship.
   It is at the rear where the new Jaguar XJ has surprised observers, with thin taillights that have a hint of Bentley Continental to them. However, they continue to a point on to the horizontal surface on either side of the bootlid.