Autocar confidential: Seat, BMW, VW Group, Infiniti

Our reporters empty their notebooks to round up this week's gossip from across the automotive industry
This week's gossip from the automotive industry has news of Volkswagen Group's Ulrich Hackenberg, Seat Ateca residual values, BMW rumours and an Infiniti flagship. 
Volkswagen Group's Ulrich Hackenberg
Wondering what Ulrich Hackenberg, former VW Group engineer who left the company last year in the wake of Dieselgate, is up to? A former colleague bumped into him recently in a DIY shop near Ingolstadt, where he said he was spending time looking after his classic car collection. Hackenberg was buying screws.
Seat Ateca's residual values
Demand for the Seat Ateca is likely to outstrip supply, according to Seat UK boss Richard Harrison. “We’ve got limited supply,” he said. “We’re fighting with the factory for more cars, but the positive is that demand will keep residual values high, which makes the Ateca even more appealing.”
BMW rumours
Reports that BMW's board missed the Paris show to hold an emergency meeting on the firm’s EV strategy have been dismissed. “Our board meeting is at the same time each year; it was the same situation two years ago,” said head of sales and marketing Ian Robertson. “There’s always strategy to discuss, but the meeting was business as normal.”
Possible Infiniti flagship
Infiniti is "still studying” plans for a new flagship, according to design boss Shiro Nakamura. The brand has been analysing the possibility for some years, but Nakamura’s tone suggests that a flagship is still some years away.

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