has once again proven itself capable of crafting some seriously clever advertising, and with the Super Bowl quickly approaching, all eyes have turned to the automaker to see what the company has in store this year. In order to stoke even more interest, Volkswagen has released what it calls an ad for an ad in its “” spot. According to Automotive News, Volkswagen wanted to get fans excited about its spot for the Super Bowl and set about casting 12 dogs. The production team specifically chose the pups based on their resemblance to certain Star Wars characters instead of their vocal ability.
The clip was then shot just like a music video, both with all the dogs together and with each of them individually. The final track was crafted using a mix of archived dog barks which were then layered with new sounds from the dogs on stage. Certain barks were then pitched to catch the tune required. to check out the video once again, and then click on the Automotive News link to learn more about how VW’s ad came to be.
Way , a small but hopeful automaker called came to life with a somewhat shocking vehicle that it planned to sell as a true bespoke American supercar. Sadly, and for a number of reasons (not the least of which was the bankruptcy of its major parts donor), the Devon GTX never made it into the hands of the public.
That doesn’t mean Devon never assembled any cars. As you can see, there’s at least one Devon GTX thundering down the road. The first Devon GTX, serial number one, at the 2012 Barrett-Jackson event in Scottsdale. Powered by the engine and running gear of a 2008 Dodge Viper, this car is completely street legal with a 2012 special construction title.
And now it has a new owner, bought for the sum of $220,000 after a final gavel price of $200,000. We don’t know if that’s a steal or an overpayment, but either way, we think the GTX is pretty cool. See the car in all its chrome and black glory in our high-res gallery of live images below, plus the video , where you’ll also see its official auction description.
In the sea of muscle cars and hot rods here at Barrett-Jackson, this streamlined chrome roadster really stood out as being truly unique. Constructed from the wing tip tank of a airplane, the “Lockheed Lakester” is built to resemble a vintage salt flat racer and features a variety of aviation-sourced parts including gunner seats in the cockpit, a vintage airplane steering wheel and an air speed indicator instead of a speedometer. Powering the roadster is a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder mated to a 5-speed manual.
We had no idea what this type of car is worth given that there’s nothing really to compare it with, but there was plenty of interest in the vehicle and bidding quickly rose past the six figure mark, eventually resting at $170,000. With auction fees included, the final selling price was $187,000.
You can see the Lockheed Lakester in detail in our gallery of live photos above.
Enthusiasts looking to purchase a will need to dig deeper. has announced pricing for the 2013 model, which starts at $96,820, nearly $7,000 more than the 2012 car.
You may remember that the 2008 GT-R started , so the sticker shock of a in six model years is not insignificant. That said, Nissan can counter that no supercar within $100,000 can touch the GT-R when it comes to performance bang for the buck.
back in November, the 3.8-liter, twin-turbo V6 cranks out 545 horsepower and 463 pound-feet of torque for 2013, an increase of 15 hp and 15 lb-ft. The zero to 60 sprint takes a jaw-dropping 2.7 seconds, according to the automaker.
The GT-R Black Edition also returns with a starting MSRP of $106,320. It’s mainly unchanged for 2013 save for a new dry carbon fiber rear spoiler. to read over the Nissan press release.
Because the Super Bowl isn’t enough of a spectacle already, there will be 20 and a heap of other prizes up for grabs during the big game. GM has revealed the Chevy Game Time app, which, once downloaded, presents trivia questions and polls about what’s happening during the broadcast. Get the right answer or the most common answer, and you’re put in a drawing for one of those numerous gifts.
There are also instant-win opportunities so you don’t have to wait until next month to be a winner. As to those 20 cars, each user that downloads the app gets a unique “license plate” and if your plate matches a plate on one of the Chevys shown during the game, you’ll win a car.
for the video and press release, and on Sunday, January 22 if you like swag with your Super Bowl.
The time has come for the to find a new owner. Built by Galpin for industrial company SPX, this specially built features a hand-built body that widens the car by an incredible nine inches highlighted by PPG Candy Apple Red paint. Under the hood is a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 producing over 700 horsepower, and it has also been fitted with forged three-piece wheels, a custom suede interior, upgraded exhaust system and more.
Whether it was the look and sound of the car or whether bidders were simply feeling generous, this attention-grabbing pony car nabbed a final bid of $160,000, all of which will be donated to benefit the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. You can see our live photos above, or to watch a video of the car being auctioned off in case you missed it on SPEED.
If you were impressed by the MP4-12C, well, you should be. It’s an otherworldly performance machine. But we ain’t seen nothing yet from McLaren Automotive, which is gearing up to launch an even more capable supercar.
Whereas the 12C is targeted at the , the next project down the pipeline is more along the lines of a successor to the iconic McLaren F1, a car to rival the likes of the and Pagani Huayra – that elite class of million-dollar hypercar you’re not likely to see anywhere but on Rodeo Drive, at the Monte Carlo harborfront or a closed-off section of highway along the Persian Gulf.
According to the UK’s CAR magazine, McLaren is expected to employ a version of the same 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 developed for the 12C, but with 799 horsepower on tap and one crucial addition: Kenetic Energy Recovery System, a.k.a. KERS. That could make the vehicle codenamed P12 (following the P11 handle carried by the 12C while in development) one of the first supercars to use the system designed for Formula 1 and currently being developed for road use by Ferrari, and for their upcoming supercars.
Early prototypes reportedly incorporated a big red KERS boost button on a steering wheel closer in size and shape to an F1 cockpit’s than a conventional rim, but if you were hoping for a 1+2 seating arrangement with central driving position like in the original McLaren F1, we’ll have to stop you right there, as the packaging of such a layout reportedly proved prohibitive for the new P12.
As dynamically polished as the 12C emerged, its design was derided as somewhat derivative. That’s largely because McLaren didn’t bring celebrated designer Frank Stephenson on board until the car’s design was already pretty much finalized. This reportedly being Stephenson’s first clean-sheet design since arriving at McLaren HQ in Woking, we’re expecting big things when the P12 debuts sometime this year.
When Steve Saleen launched his new company, SMS Supercars, back in 2008, he announced that he would be expanding his portfolio of vehicles to include the muscle car offerings from and . First up was the , followed soon after by the .
Now, Steve Saleen’s muscle car trifecta is finally complete, as SMS officially unveiled the 620 Camaro at this week. The car maintains the styling cues featured on both the Challenger and Mustang with an aggressive front splitter, side skirts, rear diffuser, butterfly hood and chrome 20-inch wheels. Inside is a custom leather interior, and under the hood, the 6.2-liter V8 has been supercharged to 620 horsepower and 570 pound-feet torque.
In addition to unveiling the car at Barrett-Jackson this week, SMS actually auctioned off the first production example last night. This particular car was also a special “Bondurant Edition” in honor of Steve Saleen’s former racing teammate, Bob Bondurant, and the two decided to donate the proceeds from the sale to two charities: and the .
So, how did the car do? Bidding for the SMS 620 Camaro eventually reached the $100,000 mark, meaning the two charities will be getting a significant donation and the lucky new owner just got a nice tax write-off. Did we mention a Bondurant three-day performance driving school is included with the car?
You can see photos of the 2012 SMS 620 Camaro in the gallery above, and check out a video of the car being auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson in the video .
According to a report by TheDetroitBureau.com, is teaming up with Gazoo Razing (full name: Gazoo Racing Masters of Nürburgring) to kickstart development and retail rollout of small-displacement, turbocharged engines. While Toyota is the undisputed leader in hybrid sales, the 274,927 gas-electric vehicles sold in 2011 – that’s in total, not just the – still represent a tiny portion of overall sales. By contrast, the EcoBoost-equipped alone sold last year.
Direct injection and updated transmissions are also said to be developmental hot-buttons for Toyota. The first boosted, DI motors could be seen as soon as next year in Japan, then find their way into products for China and Europe. Outside analysts expect America to be in that pipeline somewhere, eventually, with mooted options for introduction being the next-generation or, even easier, as an added powertrain option for the new .
The direction is not meant to take away from Toyota’s hybrid position and expansion in the U.S., with the company still expected to put hybrids in “for just about everything we offer.” Overseas, though, hybrids made the same impression as in the States, which could explain the initial markets chosen for Toyota’s new tech.
It would seem on paper that the should easily slay the heavier and less powerful 2012 Chevy Camaro ZL1. The former weighs 3,850 pounds and brings 650 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque to the table, the latter carries 4,120 pounds and 580 hp/556 lb-ft.
Not so fast, says Camaro Chief Engineer Al Oppenheiser (above). Speaking with Autoblog at an Arizona drive event for the Camaro ZL1, Oppenheiser told us, “We’ve done simulations. We predict that the ZL1 will be quicker to 60 than the [2013] GT500… We ran the Nürburgring and released a time. Ford took the GT500, too, and never released a time. I guess you can draw your own conclusions.”
When asked point-blank if he thought the ZL1 would be quicker around the ‘Ring, Oppenheiser replied, “No question.”
Them sounds like fighting words, especially in the face of data that suggests the opposite is true. Remember, this is the same guy who for encouraging Ford to throw everything it can at the Camaro.
But we’re not counting Oppenheiser among the crazy just yet. All that power generated by the GT500’s supercharged 5.8-liter V8 will be for naught if it can’t reach ground without turning into tire vapor, and let’s not forget that the Blue Oval’s bomber is still dragging around a solid rear axle, compared to the all-independent suspension sporting third-generation Magnetic Ride shocks on the ZL1. And who’s doing the driving can always be the great equalizer when talking ‘Ring times.
We’re still inclined to put our chips on the blue square, but nothing’s certain until these two titans of Detroit meet head-to-head.
The Nissan Juke-R found some adventurous extracurriculars to take part in while in Dubai to race. said it would be making a film of the Juke-R taking on other street-legal supercars in the Dubai International Marina, but that race is meant to include a Mercedes/McLaren SLR-engined .
This appears to be something different, with the Juke-R going up against a LP560-4, a , and a . Lucas Ordonez, the first GTAcademy winner from 2008 is reportedly behind the wheel of the Juke-R. We don’t know the driving level of his competition, but we do know this: Nissan’s little beastie is really, really quick. Check out the (admittedly grainy) video to have your horizons expanded.
Super Bowl commercials are big business, with multimillion-dollar 30-second spots and productions that seem to get more costly and elaborate every year. bucked that trend by giving independent film makers the opportunity to make their own 60-second spot, with the winner having their ad played in front of an estimated 110 million viewers during The Big Game.
Long Island, New York resident Zach Borst is that winner, and his first place entry is available after the jump. Borst decided to show what would happen if a new graduate was given a brand-new convertible as a graduation present – except the grad is really getting a mini fridge. Sounds like a bit of a letdown to us, but marketing boss Joel Ewanick says the ad “clearly shows the passion that Chevrolet elicits.”
Hit the jump to read the GM press release and stay to watch the minute-long video.
The demise of the in 2010 was sad enough on its own. But as if to twist the knife in the wound, the end of the Viper also meant the end of the Devon GTX.
A project of independent entrepreneur Scott Devon, the GTX gave the Viper a decidedly more upscale fit-and-finish worthy of its superlative performance. It got an entirely fresh body – complete with exotic upwards-swiveling doors and two-tone chrome/matte finish – and a more polished cabin. It was also treated to a boost in output, the Viper’s 8.4-liter V10 producing 650 horsepower in Devon GTX trim. The result didn’t just look sleeker, it also went faster, posting lap records at Willow Springs and Laguna Seca.
Unfortunately the demise of the Viper – not to mention the half-million-dollar asking price – meant that the GTX never really got off the ground. In the end only two examples were made, and now one of them is up for auction by Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, Arizona, this week.
Still titled as a 2008 Dodge Viper, serial #1 – in black and chrome – is being offered without reserve, and would certainly take a place of pride in any collection of rare supercars.
We normally associate with Roush Performance with the , as we’ve tested several examples over the year from the race-ready to the current 540 horsepower . The Michigan tuner is now looking to expand, though, and has recently introduced a new line of performance products aimed at another segment of the product line, the .
The F-150’s new powertrains are the main focus of Roush’s product blitz, with supercharger systems available for both the 5.0-liter and 6.2-liter V8s. Roush has also developed cold air inductions kits for the entire powertrain lineup with the exception of the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. Additionally, Roush is offering a stainless steel cat-back exhaust for most of the F-150 lineup that produces a more aggressive tone than the stock system.
You can read more about the new F-150 products from Roush in the press release , and you can get a closer glimpse at the supercharger and the exhaust system in the gallery above.
put a on the Internet last November that tested the bounds of what is doable on network TV. That’s one of the big reasons it hasn’t been put on TV yet.
You’ll see what we mean when you view the ad, titled “Seduction,” . It was the foam that made it iffy for the networks.
But we chatted with marketing chief Olivier Francois at the about Super Bowl commercials where advertisers are known to push the envelope. In the Chrysler-Fiat world of double titles, Francois is also CEO of Fiat.
Francois, who is considering a few options for the big game, is wondering if the Abarth video is Super Bowl worthy, and wants to know what Autoblog readers think about the spot. Good enough for the big game, also known as the Super Bowl of advertising?
Chrysler, of course, was the toast of the Super Bowl in 2011, showing an featuring Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” an appearance by Eminem himself and the new ad theme, “Imported From Detroit.”
It’s a high bar to reach again.
What do you think? Does this Abarth ad have the right stuff?
knows how to get attention through advertising, as its latest teaser spot shows. Start with the Star Wars Imperial March to make the tighty-whities of every 40-year-old geek just a little bit tighter, and add dogs for the rest of the nation. That’s how you get the undivided attention of the United States of America.
Building on the success of , Volkswagen has begun the buildup to a that will debut during next month’s Super Bowl. Which Beetle is the question, and Volkswagen says that on February 5th, 2012, something will be “back and better than ever.”
The car that’s coming back is likely to be the diesel-powered Beetle TDI, especially since the timing lines up with the that runs from February 8th. What, you’re still here? Who cares about conjecture, . There are dogs dressed up like Ewoks, and there’s even a little Wookie singing in there. See it .
There are drawbacks to every kind of alternative to burning fossil fuels in our cars. Electric cars don’t have enough range.Hybrids are burdened with what essentially boils down to two parallel powertrains. Hydrogen is limited to where it is available. Bio-ethanol has its own drawbacks, but don’t tell that to the performance enthusiast. That’s because E85 – similar to what IndyCars run on but mixed with 15% pump gasoline – is not only a renewable and cleaner source of energy, it also provides more power.
Take the Koenigsegg Agera R, for example. With 927 horsepower on tap from ordinary 95-octane gasoline, the Koenigsegg is already one of the fastest, most powerful cars money can buy. But fill it with E85 and it offers up almost 1,100 hp. Now a Norwegian firm is offering an aftermarket bio-ethanol conversion for the that provides a similar transformation.
Whereas the stock FF (which could now just as easily stand for Flex Fuel) already drives a prodigious 650 horsepower to all four wheels, the converted version packs a whopping 875 hp for a sub-three-second sprint to sixty, all the while dropping the car’s emissions figures by some 80%. The conversion costs just €1500 (less than $2k) – rather insignificant considering the FF’s $300k+ sticker price – and has reportedly been fitted yb an authorized Ferrari dealer to at least one customer’s car, though that doesn’t mean it’s covered by (and very well might invalidate) the FF’s warranty.
The Bootmobile is perhaps the diametric opposite of the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile, promoting outdoor activity instead of consumption of sodium and saturated-fat-laden sausages. The well-known maker of high quality outdoor goods is celebrating its 100th anniversary, and the Bootmobile has been created as a way to celebrate the product that helped start it all.
After being unveiled to L.L. Bean employees at the Brunswick, Maine facility where the boots are made, the wheeled boot tribute is headed to Times Square to kick off a nationwide anniversary tour. The tour is intended to inspire people to frolic outdoors and L.L.Bean Outdoor Discovery School guides will be traveling with the Bootmobile to help people learn how to do so.
Most important to auto enthusiasts might be what’s underneath it all. The underlying truck is a , and piled atop that base is a fiberglass body that stands 13 feet tall. Das Boot equates to a Size 747 bit of footwear – that’s the perfect size for a 143-foot tall person, but they are too big for the Statue of Liberty. of Florida handled the design and build process, first sculpting the body in foam and then laying the fiberglass and paying obsessive attention to the details along the way. L.L. Bean officials declined to tell us how much the unique build cost them, calling the Bootmobile “priceless.”
It’s a big way to celebrate a company that started as the result of cold, wet feet after a hunting trip. Check out a neat video and the official press release .
Swedish Automobile NV (’Swan’) continues to look to sell Dutch supercar manufacturer Spyker in the wake of the bankruptcy. Swan said it will carry on with the sale despite the fact that the company’s supervisory board has just abandoned the crippled enterprise. According to The Washington Post, Swan announced it had begun negotiations to sell Spyker last September to a private equity firm for $41 million. Now the company says proceeds from that sale won’t be enough to ensure that Swan can meet its liabilities. If the company can’t complete the sale or find extra funding, Swan may go belly up and take Spyker with it.
All three members of the Swan supervisory board resigned due to a “difference of opinion” with the company’s CEO, Victor Muller over funding alternatives. Shares in the automaker have since plummeted by around 12 percent. The company’s articles of association allow for the holder of a single priority share in the company to name new board members. In this case, that holder is believed to be controversial Russian tycoon Vladimir Antonov.
Click for two press releases on the recent changes at Swan.
There are few things that can’t be accomplished with a little PVC pipe, some chicken wire, cardboard boxes and spray paint. Just ask the innovative chaps in the videos after the jump. As part of a Halloween celebration last year, the quartet of youths took it up on themselves to recreate a scale version of the tornado-chasing Dominator from TVN. The finished product looks pretty good given its humble roots, and since the project uses a Recon ATV for a chassis, it gets down the road with a quickness.
The guys behind the project nailed all of the relevant details, right down to a mock sponsorship and a plethora of wiper blades. Well played, sirs. The troupe plans to roll out a mini Dominator 2 in coming months alongside a slew of skits inspired by the reality TV show . We can’t wait. Hit the jump to check out the four-part series on the Dominator’s creation .
