The Auto Blog .ru

Company: Chrysler

Brand: Dodge

Medium: TV Ad

Ad Agency: Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, Oregon.

Product: 2011 Dodge Charger

Campaign: “Never Neutral”

What We Like: The re-do on the 2011 Dodge Charger turned a car that was one half of a two-suits-for-the-price-of-one deal into a slick, polished and nicely sprung sedan that now earns our respect. The “Never Neutral” marketing campaign debuted last week at the Chicago Auto Show and comes across in these ads as a decent tag-line for the Charger. We like the attitude that the Charger is a car for people who still enjoy real driving, don’t moan about pumping their own gas and aren’t necessarily swayed by the reputations of other brands that are now bigger than their current sheet-metal supports. In these two ads, Chrysler takes aim squarely at Google’s self-driving car and Mitsubishi’s online test drive “experience”, (though picking on Mitsubishi at this point is like taunting Urkel), as well as referencing the Matrix movies, which never hurts.

What We Don’t Like: Making a statement about the Dodge brand being for real drivers and sticking a thumb in the eye of a couple of competitors is all well and good, but could we get some edgier writing here? All they could come up with to ridicule Mitsubishi’s online test-drive is, “That’s absurd.” As we used to say in the newspaper biz, “Get me rewrite!”

Strategy: Dodge is positioning itself as the brand of vehicles for those who appreciate that Detroit is still the capital of car-making in the U.S., and that driving a responsive automobile is a fine American value. We absolutely loved the ad from 2010 showing George Washington leading his troops into battle against the British redcoats in Dodge Challengers, and we like the similar attitude on display here. But this approach to selling Dodge’s new image around Americana, American values and for people who relish having a real set of wheels is a bit of a high wire act dependent on the creative teams batting well above .500.

Grade: B-

What do you think? Watch the ads for yourself after the jump.

Continue reading AdSpotting: Dodge Charger gets the “Never Neutral” treatment

AdSpotting: Dodge Charger gets the “Never Neutral” treatment

Hybrids and electric vehicles have have been front and center at auto shows over the past few years, and next month’s Geneva Motor Show is proving to be no different. According to Toyota, the automaker will introduce an iQ EV prototype at the show, equipped with a new flat lithium ion battery capable of 65 miles of travel on a single charge. The rechargeable iQ could prove to be the next generation of the iQ EV II concept from the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.

The iQ EV will supposedly be made available to European buyers as a lease-only proposition sometime in 2012. But will we ever see an iQ EV in the U.S.? Only if the gas-powered Scion iQ paves the way.

[Source: Toyota via World Car Fans]

Toyota bringing iQ EV prototype to Geneva

The Chinese market is becoming increasingly vital for automakers like BMW, which could go a long way towards explaining why the Bavarian company has chosen the world’s most populous nation as the location to unveil such new debuts as the long-wheelbase 5 Series and the Concept Gran Coupé.

Now reports indicate that BMW is planning on returning to the Shanghai Motor Show in April with a conceptual preview of the new M5 performance sedan. Based on the latest 5 Series, the new M5 is tipped to carry a 600-horsepower version of the 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 put to work in the X5 M and X6 M crossovers. Westerners won’t feel too left out, however, as the concept version in Shanghai is anticipated to be followed by the production version at the Frankfurt Motor Show in the Fall.

In parallel to the M5 – and at the other extreme of the range – BMW is also working on the 5 Series hybrid, anticipated to mate a 306-hp turbo six with a 54-hp electric motor for possible debut alongside the M5 in Shanghai as well.

The biennial show in China is also rumored to the debut show for the 2012 6 Series Coupe.

[Source: AutoTelegraaf.nl - translated Image: Dan Roth/AOL]

Report: BMW to unveil M5 Concept in Shanghai

Ugh, fine. We’re sorry. Okay, so that’s not exactly how the BBC responded to Mexico’s Ambassador Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza, but it certainly didn’t fall all over itself in making a formal apology, either.

In case you need a refresher, Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond quipped on a recent broadcast episode of the hit television series, in reference to the Mexican-built Mastretta MXT sports car, “Mexican cars are just going to be a lazy, feckless, flatulent, oaf with a mustache leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat.”

Not surprisingly, a number of the country’s inhabitants were not amused… including the aforementioned Mexican Ambassador, who sent a letter to the BBC as something of a formal complaint. The BBC responded with a letter in return, which included the following statement:

Our own comedians make jokes about the British being terrible cooks and terrible romantics, and we in turn make jokes about the Italians being disorganized and over dramatic; the French being arrogant and the Germans being over organized. We are sorry if we have offended some people, but jokes centered on national stereotyping are a part of ‘Top Gear’s’ humor.

In any case, an apology was demanded and an apology (of sorts) was provided. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we lazy, over-fed and easily amused Americans are moving on. Hat tip to Jesse!

[Source: Associated Press via Google Image: Gareth Fuller/AP]

Followup: BBC apologizes for Top Gear remarks about Mexicans

Up to this point, the only actual vehicle Tesla Motors has offered for sale is the all-electric Roadster. But the Silicon Valley-based automaker has drummed up a ton of interest and money by showing off its next planned product, the Model S sedan. It looks as if that trend will continue, as a report from the fine folks at Car and Driver suggests a new crossover will be shown off for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show. This makes some sense, since Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that we’ll get to see the Model X before the end of the year.

Assuming this report is accurate, it’s worth noting that the CUV’s appearance in Frankfurt will mark the first time Tesla has used a major auto show to introduce a new model – both the original Roadster and the Model S sedan were both unveiled in smaller, private events.

The CUV will be based on the same underpinnings as the Model S sedan, which was designed from the start to allow for future model expansion. C&D speculates the crossover will sport all-wheel drive, though it’s not known exactly how such an arrangement will work. It’s possible that Tesla will craft a second powertrain unit that will power the front wheels independently of the rears. We’d expect a similar lithium ion battery pack to be used in the CUV as is planned for the sedan.

Following the unveil of the crossover, development of both a coupe and a larger, likely three-row sport utility vehicle will move forward in full force. There’s also been talk of a carbiolet and possibly a minivan or MPV. Of course, all of this assumes that the startup automaker, which has partnered up with both Daimler and Toyota, doesn’t run out of money before any of these future vehicles come to market. Here’s hoping.

[Source: Car and Driver]

Report: Tesla Model S-based crossover coming to Frankfurt?

Volkswagen of America will run two ads in the Super Bowl XLV February 6, one for the 2012 New Beetle and one for the 2012 Passat, neither one of which is on sale yet.

The first ad, “Black Beetle,” doesn’t show the actual car, but rather shows a black beetle, as in insect, racing its way passed other insects in the forest. This beetle has a unique shape, apart from the other beetles, and at the end of the ad, gives way to the silhouette of the 2012 New Beetle. The ad is meant to mimic a movie car chase, though I wouldn’t exactly compare it with with Bullitt or The French Connection.

Though the new New Beetle won’t go on sale until this Fall, Volkswagen started hyping its arrival last December when it promised Oprah Winfrey’s studio audience each a free one as part of the show host’s “Favorite Things” string of shows.

When Volkswagen launched the New Beetle as a 1999 model, after almost 20 years with no VW Beetle in the German automaker’s lineup, it re-ignited the company’s fortunes in the U.S. In the early 1990s, VW came close to leaving the U.S. market. But the reveal of the Concept 1 car at the 1994 North American International Auto Show in Detroit lit a fire under interest in VW and sent consumers to showrooms to see the latest Jetta and Passat in droves.

VW is hoping for a build in interest in a new New Beetle this year that will help drive showroom traffic even before it arrives.

Continue reading (and see the commercials)…

Continue reading VW Super Bowl XLV spots push new New Beetle and Passat

VW Super Bowl XLV spots push new New Beetle and Passat

Following in the footsteps of its parent’s at Audi, Lamborghini has made all-wheel drive something of a battle cry. What was introduced as an option on the Diablo VT has now proliferated across every model Lamborghini has made since its introduction. Well… until the Balboni edition came along.

To honor the career of the company’s long-serving test driver Valentino Balboni, Lamborghini rolled out a purist’s version of the Gallardo that did away with the all-wheel drive system in favor of rear-drive only, dropped 10 horsepower and was available with a classic gated manual in the place of the e-gear sequential gearbox.

The Balboni edition – carrying the LP 550-2 designation to mark its metric horsepower output and traction configuration – was set to be the only rear-drive Gallardo available, until Lamborghini announced the Bicolore edition just the other day. Although sold overseas with all-wheel drive, the American version was announced as the first rear-drive LP 550-2 to follow the Balboni.

According to reports coming in from Italy, Lamborghini is now preparing to offer the LP 550-2 as a sort of “entry-level” Gallardo, undercutting the price of other versions while offering the more direct drivetrain set-up. Apparently Lamborghini already sold a number of these LP 550-2s to Asian customers who missed out on the Balboni’s limited production run, and will now offer the bare-bones Gallardo as a regular member of the family.

Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: OmniAuto.it - translated]

Lamborghini to position rear-drive LP 550-2 as “entry-level” Gallardo?

There have been some iconic racing liveries over the course of motorsport history. Martini, Marlboro, JPS… we could go on, but none carry the enthusiasm of the classic Gulf color combo. Maybe it’s because of Steve McQueen’s cult classic Le Mans. Maybe it’s the irony of the pastel colors on brutal racing machines. Whatever it is, it’s an all-time favorite. But would you want your daily driver painted in the baby-blue and orange scheme, complete with sponsor logos?

For most it’s not a tough decision to make, unless they’re driving an Aston Martin at Le Mans or buying a custom Hummer. But customers in Luxembourg now have the rare opportunity to get their hands on an officially sanctioned Gulf-liveried hot hatch.

The special edition Fiat 500 Abarth EsseEsse was initially planned as a one-off contest giveaway, created in celebration of Gulf oil’s 10th anniversary in the principality. In the end they set on making a limited run of ten examples, which are available from Fiat’s importer for BeNeLux for 25,000 euros (about $35k). It features the Gulf livery both inside and out – even the Sabelt racing buckets have their seatbacks painted in the classic scheme.

Those 10 examples are likely to sell out fast, even in a country as small as Luxembourg. The question for the rest of us is, if you had the option, would you buy one?

[Source: Autofans.be - translated]

Gulf and Fiat team up in Luxembourg for a special edition 500 Abarth

The facelifted 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG wasn’t supposed to see the light of day until the Geneva Motor Show this March, but a sizable batch of photos have leaked out giving us a clear look at what to expect in Switzerland.

On the outside, the C63 gets a set of SL-inspired headlamps with ornate light-piping and LED DRLs mounted in the revised fascia. LEDs make their way to the tail lamps, while redesigned 18-inch wheels fill the wheel wells and frame upgraded brakes.

AMG opted to retain the 6.2-liter V8 instead of fitting its new 5.5-liter biturbo mill, so output remains at 451 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. The Development Package will reportedly stick around for 2012, raising output to 481 hp and nixing the 155 mph limiter to allow the C63 to top out at 174 mph. The sports package also includes a few interior tweaks, a carbon fiber trunk spoiler and red calipers that clamp onto 14.2-inch front discs.

However, the biggest change comes in the form of a new transmission. The C63 now sends power to a seven-speed Speedshift MCT auto ‘box which swaps out the conventional torque converter for a high-performance clutch pack said to deliver smoother, more immediate shifts.

After the C63’s big day in Geneva, the revised C-Class will go on sale this fall, with the AMG-fettled version getting a very slight bump in price.

[Source: Carscoop, Car and Driver]

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 leaks out

The crowd at Axis of Oversteer managed to get their paws on the first BMW 1 Series M Coupes to be let loose on American soil. What did they do with the car? While we can imagine the vehicle has already suffered through a pile of hole-shot launches and some serious flinging, the AoO gang also took a spell to load the car onto a set of scales to find out what exactly the baby M weights with a full tank. In a world where manufacturers are increasingly pressed to get their vehicles under the 4,000 pound mark, the 1 Series M Coupe managed to slide in at 3,351 pounds.

That’s mighty skinny considering that the car packs a 340 horsepower turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six under hood. This particular car has a full dance card at the moment. It’s headed from New Jersey to Daytona, Florida to serve as the pace car for this weekend’s 24 Hours of Daytona. We’re guessing that the machine will be right at home among the muscle-bound bruisers going the distance down south.

[Source: Axis of Oversteer]

BMW 1 Series M Coupe steps up to the scales

Pagani Huayra magazine cover – click above to enlarge

We’ve now seen three teasers of the upcoming Pagani Zonda replacement, dubbed “Huayra,” or “C9″ internally. The official details and images have yet to be released, but it appears that the first uncovered image of the Huayra has appeared on the cover of CAR magazine’s Spanish-language edition.

We still don’t have any details about the new Zonda successor, though the magazine’s cover lines tell us that the car will cost about 1 million Euros and production will be limited to 20 units annually. If this is the production car, we’re certainly not unhappy about the addition of gullwing doors to the Pagani design, though that front end is indeed a bit… mouthy.

We’ll keep our eyes peeled for official images and data as the weeks progress. Your guess is as good as ours at this point for things like power numbers, 0-60 times and interior fittings, but since this car does replace the Zonda, we’d expect nothing short of earth-shattering figures.

[Source: Autoblog Spanish (translated)]

Pagani Huayra leaked on magazine cover?

Cadillac has made it clear it plans to enter the rarified air generally reserved for such finely tuned machinery as the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class with the same verve and gusto it’s done with its CTS. And the vehicle it hopes will earn them entrance into the hotly contested market is the upcoming ATS.

We know General Motors will attack the small end of the premium market with a multi-tiered approach, including engines packing four, six or eight cylinders. A new document that surfaced on Cheers & Gears seems to indicate just such an approach, culminating in a fire-breathing ATS-V with a 6.2-liter pushrod V8 engine sending 470 horsepower and 438 pound-feet of torque through either a six-speed automatic or manual gearbox.

Moving down a notch will reportedly get you the same 3.6-liter direct injected V6 engine that powers the bulk of Caddy’s CTS models; 330 horses and 280 lb-ft will be routed through an eight-speed automatic transmission. According to the supposed spec sheet, that combo should net 20 miles per gallon in the city and 30 on the highway using regular-grade gas.

Finally, the rumormill swirls with talk that a turbocharged four cylinder displacing 2.0 liters and putting out 270 horsepower and 250 lb-ft will serve as the base engine for the ATS, mated up to an eight-speed automatic. Naturally, that combo will serve as the fuel mileage leader, managing an estimated 22 city/32 highway rating, though it’s likely to require premium gas.

Certainly, all of this information is to be taken with a suitably sized grain of salt (mayhaps the whole shaker?), but it is in line with what we’ve been hearing for the last year or so. In any case, we ought to find out all the details in due time – Cadillac’s ATS is expected to hit the market no later than the latter half of 2013 as a 2014 model.

[Source: Cheers & Geers via Motor Authority]

Rumormill: 470-hp 2014 Cadillac ATS-V

Saab will be unveiling the new 9-5 Wagon Estate SportCombi at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and what appears to be the first official image has leaked, showing off the hatch’s svelte new rump. The 9-5 SportCombi was caught testing during the automaker’s period of limbo between owners, but now that the company is safely in the hands of Spyker Cars, the stylish station wagon is quickly being readied for production.

Expect powertrains to be carried over directly from the 9-5 sedan, meaning the base turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four and up-level 2.8-liter turbocharged V6 will be available. Saab’s XWD all-wheel drive system will likely be offered on V6 Aero models, and the full suite of optional goodies like adaptive cruise control and bi-xenon headlamps will be available for a price. We’ll have the full details closer to the car’s Geneva debut, and look for the 9-5 SportCombi to arrive in the United States near the end of this year.

[Source: Saab]

Continue reading Saab 9-5 Sportwagon teased ahead of Geneva debut

Saab 9-5 Sportwagon teased ahead of Geneva debut

We’ve been clamoring for a date with the production version of the Toyota FT-86 for longer than we care to remember, but we officially have a new infatuation. Meet the boxer coupe’s younger sister – the TES T-Sport Concept. If our Google Translator is to be believed, the car supposedly originated from an inner-company survey that asked what type of cars Toyota engineers would most like to see built. Apparently the overwhelming answer was a fun-to-drive, affordable sports car.

Color us stunned.

From there, the Toyota Engineering Society set about crafting their vision of a low buck machine that could still slather a smile on your face. Power comes courtesy of a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine with around 110 horsepower, and this thing hits the scales at less than 2,000 pounds. That sounds like a winning combination to us. The T-Sport Concept wears some plenty funky styling, but we certainly wouldn’t hold that against a would-be Mazda MX-5 competitor. As with most things awesome that hail from auto shows, there’s little likelihood that the T-Sport will ever see production. Head over to AutoGuide to get a closer look at the two-seater.

[Sources: Caradisaic, AutoGuide Image: AutoGuide]

TAS 2011: Toyota concept is the FT-86’s little sister

Even though the Mazda Shinari concept probably won’t see the light of day as a production car, its design will indeed influence the next crop of Mazda’s production vehicles. Case in point: The Minagi concept that is set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Take one look at this crossover concept’s front end and the Shinari influence is crystal clear.

When the Minagi comes to life, it will slot below the CX-7 within Mazda’s lineup. In fact, we’ve already spied a test mule for this new small CUV, dubbed CX-5, meaning Mazda’s plans for production are moving forward at a rather rapid pace. A good thing, since we’re eager to see how this Shinari-inspired crossover looks in motion.

[Sources: Autokopen (translated)]

Mazda Minagi Concept leaks out ahead of Geneva debut

If you live in Florida and are getting ready to take the test to get you’re learner’s permit, you better head to Google Maps and find the location of the nearest DMV. For the past decade, potential new drivers had the option of taking their permit test online. This practice just came to a screeching halt when they found that a large percentage of drivers passing the online test failed the in-person version. How large? Over 50 percent.

Emotions are predictably mixed, but we’re all for fine-tuning a program that gives people the privilege of piloting two-ton murder mobiles. Having smarter drivers on the road leads to a better motoring experience for all of us. It’s even plausible that a more knowledgeable pool of drivers could lead to fewer accidents and reduced insurance premiums.

Hop the jump to view My Fox Orlando’s segment on the matter.

[Source: My Fox Orlando]

Continue reading Florida cancels online learner’s permit test after finding over 50% can’t pass test in real life [w/video]

Florida cancels online learner’s permit test after finding over 50% can’t pass test in real life [w/video]

Straight from the “Never Expected To See This” file is a story regarding plans for all those banned and discontinued cans of alcoholic energy drinks that were taken off the market late last year. Instead of bring poured on the ground in honor of all the parties that will forever be less exciting due to the inability of people to mix their own guarana-filled sugar water with vodka, leftover Four Loko (and other drinks) will be turned into ethanol thanks to recyclers like MXI Environmental Services in Virginia.

According to the Associated Press, drink producers, which have been sitting on a lot of the unopened cans, are shipping them to Abington, Virginia, where MXI will distill the alcohol from the drinks and sell it to a flex-fuel blender. The cans then go to an aluminum recycler, and the water in the drink and the cardboard packages are also reused.

MXI’s Vice President of Operations at the facility, Brian Potter, tells the AP that a “couple of hundred truckloads,” each carrying 2,000 cases, are on their way to MXI, which can process four truck a day. “There are about 30 different products involved, and we’ve only seen a couple of them at this point. It could go on for several months,” he said.

[Sources: Associated Press, Domestic Fuel Image: Elaine Thompson/AP]

Banned Four Loco energy drink recycled into ethanol?

Take a close look at the photo above. You’re looking at Audi’s next generation MMI system being demoed during this morning’s keynote at CES. The circuit board to the left is packing NVIDIA’s Tegra chipset – the same processor powering a range of tablets and netbooks – and to the right is Audi’s new scroll wheel, which has grown considerably. The reason for the added girth? Audi is incorporating the much-lauded MMI Touch interface directly into the scroll wheel. MMI Touch – which originally debuted on the A8 and is making its way to the A7 and all-new A6 – will continue to move down through the ranks of Audi’s line-up and will debut on the next generation A3, likely to arrive within the next two years.

The revised MMI Touch will continue to include handwriting recognition, but will also handle scrolling and possibly gestures for panning, zooming and other functions. If you’ve used an iPhone, iPad or MacBook touchpad, you’ll be right at home.

We also got a sneak preview of the Tegra’s performance as it seamlessly rendered Google Earth, a new circular navigation menu and full 3D graphics. Audi claims to have over 100 engineers and user interface experts working on its infotainment software, and from what we’ve seen today, we believe them.

CES 2011: Next generation MMI, Touch debuting on Audi A3

German wheel manufacturer BBS has declared bankruptcy, and it’s not the first time. Back in 2007, BBS was plagued with financial difficulties but Punch International stepped in to provide much-needed capital. The news of a second bankruptcy, which was filed on December 30, apparently came as a shock to the hundreds of employees and even corporate partner IG Metall. The latter was getting ready to put a few million bucks into BBS and rival company Ronal was ready to buy BBS’ Herbolzheim factory. We can only hope that BBS makes a strong recovery and we’re not forced to look at BBS Bear wheels. [Source: Faz via Fourtitude]

Report: BBS files for bankruptcy… again

Car and Driver has found a couple of revisions to the Jaguar XF for 2011 that haven’t really been crowed about. Anyone who’s ever been tempted to punch the dashboard after poking at the unresponsive touch-sensitive glovebox “target” will feel gratified to see the new pushbutton Jaguar has put into the 2011 Jaguar XF. The mechanism is still electrically actuated, but the change to a real switch will likely make getting at the contents of the glovebox less like playing the slots.

An electrically heated windshield also makes its way to the Jaguar XF from the Land Rover encampment. Most significantly, the 2011 Jaguar XF lineup is exclusively powered by the 5.0 liter V8, previously an optional upgrade from a 4.2-liter base engine with the Premium package. Larger front brakes, also previously part of the Premium package, are now standard. And finally, 2011 XFRs will be easy to spot with their blacked-out grilles. Now, about that super-slow touchscreen…

[Source: Car and Driver]

Jaguar ditches touch control glovebox on 2011 XF