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Seat IBL Concept is a glimpse into the automaker's future [w/video]

Spanish automaker Seat has chosen the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show as the venue where its future styling direction will be shared with the world. The vehicle upon which these styling cues have been implemented is called the Seat IBL Concept, and it's a modern minimalist language that incorporates lines familiar to the automaker in a forward-looking (if conservative) way.
The IBL is the latest in a line of Seat concepts car shown to the world, starting with the IBE concept shown at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. The automaker feels that the IBL represents a blend of sedan and coupe appeal through the combination of its spacious interior and sporty exterior appearance. We feel that the anything with four doors is a sedan, plain and simple. Still, that doesn't mean a sedan can't have strongly styled lines that work to evoke the mental notes of a coupe.
Despite our issues with automaker jargon, we think the IBL provides a touch of subtle muscle with its pushed out wheel arches and strong shoulder line. The lower fascia is aggressively angled to mimic the powerful tone, and the fascia lines are nicely complemented by the angular LED headlamps and daytime running lights.

Race recap: 2015 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is Germany rising as sun sets

Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver Nico Rosberg Rosberg doesn't attribute anything mystical to the form that got him ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton. He said simply, "Before it was close in the other direction, now it's close in this direction." Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda went further, saying Rosberg's "brain has switched." Under the desert spotlights it switched so far ahead that Lewis Hamilton qualified nearly four tenths behind the German. Kimi Raikkonen flew the scarlet for Ferrari in third position. Being three spots ahead of Valtteri Bottas gave Raikkonen a huge advantage in locking up fourth position in the driver's championship. Even if he doesn't care about it, as he's publicly stated, Ferrari probably does. Teammate Sebastian Vettel was classified 16th after the German slowed down after making a mistake on his final hot lap, and neither he nor his engineer realized how quickly times were falling on a cooling track. He'd be promoted to 15th when Lotus driver Romain Grosjean was penalized for a gearbox change. Sergio Perez knocked it out of the park for Sahara Force India, claiming fourth ahead of Daniel Ricciardo in fifth for Infiniti Red Bull Racing. Williams driver Bottas was in sixth, in front of the second Force India of Nico Hulkenberg and the second Williams of Felipe Massa in eighth. Daniil Kvyat ensured both Red Bulls were in the top 10 with his ninth position, and Carlos Sainz got the upper hand in qualifying over his Toro Rosso teammate Max Verstappen for the final time this year, rounding out the top 10. Beyond Nico Rosberg's mind, one of his weaknesses was his slow starts. Those are stronger, too, the German tearing off away from the field when the lights went out. Hamilton bogged enough to have to defend from Perez behind, the Mexican trying to slide between Hamilton and Raikkonen on the run to the first corner. Rosberg held the lead into Turn 1 and likewise held it through Turn 21 on the last lap of the race, only ceding it during pit stops. Rosberg's 14th victory gets him level with Graham Hill on the wins list – on the anniversary of Hill's death in a plane crash – and marks the first time in his 10-year F1 career that he's won three races in a row. More proof of his strength: the last few races we haven't heard Rosberg ask for regular updates about what Hamilton's doing, he just drives. Hamilton gave it his best but that wasn't enough.

McLaren to launch 650S replacement in 2018

McLaren only launched the 650S last year, but by 2018 it'll be four years old – and the 12C underpinnings on which it is largely based will have been around for seven. Looking at those time spans, it should come as little surprise that Woking is already gearing up to launch its replacement. According to Autocar, the successor to the McLaren 650S is due in 2018. It's anticipated to be based on the same carbon monocoque architecture and 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that's widely used by the company. Frank Stephenson and his team are also tipped to be working on a new design that will depart sharply from the theme that has characterized the P1 (Ultimate Series), 650S (Super Series), and 570S (Sports Series). Look for that appearance to point the way forward for future McLaren models. Expect output to exceed the 641 horsepower in the 650S and possibly even the 666 hp in the 675LT. By the time it arrives, Woking's latest will have to contend with even more powerful versions of the Ferrari 488 GTB and Lamborghini Huracan, which produce 661 hp and 602 hp, respectively, in their current iterations. It remains to be seen, however, whether the new Super Series model will adopt hybrid propulsion like the P1. A hard-top convertible Spider is also anticipated to follow. The new model's internal designation of P14, as Autocar asserts, may finally put to rest the mystery of what Woking was saving that slot for: P11 was used for the 12C (and P11M for the 650S), P12 for the P1, P13 for the new Sports Series, and P15 is said to be earmarked for a new model to slot in between the 650S and P1. Related Video: