This very attractive estate is the new BMW 5-series Touring, unveiled officially today. It’s more elegant than its predecessor, and has many of the features of the saloon announced last year.
   There is an optional eight-speed automatic transmission to aid fuel economy, and, depending on the model, brake energy regeneration and an automatic start–stop function.
   Other driver aids include a Parking Assistant, collision warning with brake activation in conjunction with active cruise control, lane-change and lane-departure warnings, BMW Night Vision with detection of persons, as well as Head-up Display.
   The BMW 520d Touring reaches 54·3 mpg (5·2 l/100 km) with carbon dioxide emissions of 137 g/km.

On the site today are the Massey University graduate collections from late last year. Shown here are some of the designs from Uma Lele, who’s working with us at Lucire now. As her garments weren’t among those in the official selection we received (beautifully shot by Lisa Wilson), we decided to give our Uma a bit of an extra nudge here at ‘Insider’. Have a glance at what her fellow graduates came up with here.

Normally, we don’t profile concept cars in Lucire: cars that appear at shows but are not available to the public. They usually demonstrate the company’s advanced thinking, but they tend not to be things we can buy for some years.
   However, we’ll make an exception for the Porsche 918 Spyder concept shown at the Salon de Genève. This mid-engined sports car is a hybrid that can see 100 km/h in 3·2 seconds, weighs less than 1,400 kg, and has carbon dioxide emissions at a possible 70 g/km. Excuse the cheesy voiceover, claims of ‘Porsche DNA’ and the soundtrack: the message itself is more important here.

Photos by Nix

We’ve been fans of Claudia Jaffe for over a year. Venezuela-born, California- and Italy-trained, and dividing her time between Wellington and Auckland, Claudia’s jewellery and lights are wonderful items of art. You might be able to press her on some of the stories she can tell from her time at Cartier in London. And 2010 might be the year where we’re going to hear more about Claudia as the fashion world begins to take notice: she blends a European sensibility with a New Zealand inspiration, with a dose of edgy to go with it all. See www.claudiajaffeart.com for more information.

On February 11, Kate Moss and Longchamp showcased their new collaboration at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, Paris. On the same day, the company had done the same at Selfridges in London, with both stores featuring a modern, zebra-themed area in which customers can check out the bags close-up.
   Paris shoppers can find Longchamp located at the Mogador entrance of Galeries Lafayette. Large promotional graphics from the campaign adorn not only the exterior on Boulevard Haussmann, but down from the famous domed roof inside the store.
   The launch of the Longchamp suite at Galeries Lafayette on the Grands Boulevards follows the January 27 announcement of the co-branded Kate Moss for Longchamp collaboration at the Ritz.
   Moss herself had modelled for the brand before. This was her first designer collaboration with the company.
   The video below features behind-the-scenes footage from the commercial.

A Porsche hybrid? That’s exactly what the Stuttgart manufacturer is planning to launch on March 4 at the Salon de Genève: a hybrid version of its 911 GT3.
   Dubbed the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, the car was developed for racing. The electrical front axle drive has two electric motors developing 60 kW each, supplementing the 480 bhp flat-six engine at the rear. An electrical flywheel power generator delivers energy to the motors, instead of batteries.
   Porsche claims that its founder, Ferdinand Porsche, came up with the first car with hybrid drive 110 years ago, called the Semper Vivus. The 1900 model, built for k.u.k. Hofwagenfabrik Ludwig Lohner & Co. of Wien, featured two combustion engines and an electric hub motor, and could store energy in a battery.

Audi has released its first official video, along with accompanying photographs, of its A1 model, to début at next month’s Salon de Genève car show.
   The emphasis of the new model is on quality, which Audi says its young buyers want in a compact package. The A1 model is aimed squarely at the BMW Group’s Mini and the Alfa Romeo MiTo, Lucire’s Car to Be Seen in for 2009.
   The Audi A1 shares a platform with the latest Seat Ibiza and Volkswagen Polo, which had won European Car of the Year at the end of 2009.
   Audi says that the two diesel and two petrol engines produce between 63 and 90 kW, delivering between 3·8 and 5·4 l/100 km (c. 43½ and 62 mpg US). The 1·6 TDI manual, delivering 66 kW, emits 99 g of carbon dioxide per kilometre. All models feature a recuperation system that allows them to recover energy while braking, and an automatic stop–start system. The cars are available with Audi’s dual-clutch seven-speed gearbox.
   The entry-level price is expected to be c. €16,000.

We have already tried the Volvo XC60 with collision avoidance—and in good Swedish tradition, the new Volvo S60 takes the safety idea a step further.
   Newly announced today, with its world première at the Salon de Genève on March 2, the S60’s pedestrian detection, using a camera and radar, has a full automatic brake. It can detect pedestrians who walk into the road in front of the car, warn the driver, and automatically apply full braking power if the driver does not respond in time.
   The car can avoid hitting a pedestrian at under 35 km/h. Over this speed, the car will reduce speed as much as possible to help minimize injuries to the pedestrian. The system will detect children over 80 cm tall.
   The new chassis includes new stability control and traction control measures. Below are videos of the S60 in motion and a full explanation of its party trick.