Infiniti plays in the show with two new holiday ads – Click above to watch video
is getting into the holiday spirit, and it has two new ads that each revolve around one theme: the snowball. The two ad clips are titled “Mischievous” and “Magical,” and the slushy projectile is used in two very different ways in the ads. “Magical” takes a whimsical approach towards spreading holiday bliss, while “Mischievous” takes aim at a certain German competitor, with an all-wheel-drive playing the role of the snowball’s co-star.
We would love to see more snowy driving action with the G, but at least the spots get us in the right frame of mind for the season. Both ad spots are available for your viewing .
Vauxhall Corsa Bingo Ball Special – Click above for high-res image gallery
If you thought the current trend of alphanumeric nameplates leaves most cars sounding like places on a bingo card, just get a load of the latest from Vauxhall. ‘ British subsidiary has outfitted one of its Corsa hatchbacks with over 2,000 bingo balls hand-applied to a pastel bingo sheet all over the car’s surface.
The one-of-a-kind promotional “art” car will be displayed at a special game event at an old church in Manchester, England. 500 participants will be on hand to play under the special Vauxhall’s watchful eye, with a chance at winning one to take home for themselves… sans the bingo ball motif. See all the details in the press release and the high-resolution photos in the gallery below.
Lingenfelter Camaro dips into the eights – Click above to watch video
Prepare to have your concept of the laws of physics twisted by the guys and gals at Lingenfelter. The crew have turned their attention to building one of the meanest full-interior, fifth-generation drag cars on the planet. In order to hustle 4,075 pounds of General Motors muscle down the track, Lingenfelter has dropped in a fully built LS9 V8 with an Eaton supercharger and all the guts to match. The heads were fully ported and loaded with titanium intake valves and hollow, sodium-filled exhaust valves for the easiest breathing possible. Throw in a set of long-tube headers, a two-stage nitrous system and twin fuel pumps and you’ve got a lump good for a mind-boggling 1,243 horsepower.
Lingenfelter has unsurprisingly ditched the stock clutch in favor of an RPS triple carbon piece, and a unique 9.5-inch billet rear differential with a 4.10 gear puts power to both rear wheels.
By some miracle of driving prowess, John Ebert was able to wrestle this machine down the quarter mile in 8.99 seconds at 158 mph. to watch it happen.
Economists and talking heads argue endlessly about our economy on a daily basis. “It’s back!,” “It’s almost back!” and “It’s never coming back!” seem to be the leaders among the varied viewpoints we hear and read about. One sector that has apparently begun to rebound is the car rental business. Not necessarily in financial terms, but from the standpoint of customer satisfaction, America’s rental car companies are returning to to a position last seen in the pre-recession days.
J.D. Power has released its annual North American Rental Car Satisfaction Study, and the results are positive for every company included in the survey. Now in its 15th year, this J.D. Power study examines customer satisfaction with the airport car rental process, and it looks at six specific factors: Costs & Fees, Pick-Up Process, Rental Car, Return Process, Reservation Process, and Shuttle Bus/Van. The highest score possible is 1,000 points and, for the 2010 study, the average Overall Satisfaction score is 750. This is up from 733 in 2009 and 734 in 2008. Every company in the survey has improved year-over-year in the survey.
This year’s big winner, however, is Enterprise, which received the industry’s highest rankings in customer satisfaction. Enterprise is no stranger to this award, and getting the nod in 2010 makes it seven years in a row for the rental car company. Following behind Enterprise, Hertz and National also performed quite well in the survey while Advantage, Alamo, Avis, Dollar and Thrifty rounded out the results. You can see how each one performed over at the .
Jeff Zwart shaking down his Pikes Peak Porsche 911 GT3 – Click above to watch video
There’s just something about watching a play in the dirt that flips all the right switches. Seeing that iconic shape throw rooster tails of silt triggers a sort of Pavlovian response brought on by years of daydreaming over shots of the Rothman 953 slinging sand in Africa. Consider that doubly true for .
Zwart has just released a video of one of his shake-down runs prior to this year’s Pikes Peak event. The course runs up some godforsaken mountain in the middle of the California wilderness, and while Zwart isn’t seen flogging the life out of the car, it’s more than clear that both he and the machine are in their element. to enjoy the action.
Camaro vs. Cell Phones – Click above to watch videos
The wonders of advertising have brought us many miracles of entertainment and phenomena of pop culture over the decades. From Budweiser Frogs to ridiculously capable blenders, as a society, we’ve likely wasted away several lifetimes just watching people try to sell us the next best product. Well, pull up a chair and get ready to chalk up a few more moments. Pace Butler Office, a cell phone recycling company, wanted to get the word out about the damage that throwing away your old cell phone can wreak on the environment. For that, they needed a visual aid – the kind that only an fourth-gen and 1,500-pound pallet of busted handsets can deliver.
As you might expect, the roof of the old Bow Tie isn’t quite up to withstanding the force of all those phones dropped from above, and the damage is catastrophic. Pace Butler Office says that the Camaro was in no state to drive and that it wasn’t going back on the road in the near future. After the death-from-above stunt, an employee reportedly bought the car to use for parts later, so it’s not a complete loss.
Even so, we have to shed a tear for the videos after the jump. to see for yourself.
[Sources: , ]
: What happens when 1,500-lbs of cell phones are dropped on a Camaro
By the year 2020, hopes to be the “leading premium seller of electric vehicles,” Franciscus van Meel, the automaker’s manager for electric mobility, told AutoWeek during a recent technical workshop at the company’s headquarters in Ingolstadt, Germany. In addition to launching a number of hybrid vehicles (including the and ) over the next few years, Audi plans to debut a plug-in hybrid in 2014.
Exactly what sort of plug-in hybrid we’ll actually see hasn’t been disclosed just yet, but the whole business is part of Audi’s division – the folks that gave us beauties like the -based e-tron supercar (pictured above) that debuted at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Furthermore, Audi’s board member for technology, Michael Dick, says that by 2020, he wants to see the automaker’s internal combustion engines improve efficiency by 30 percent, with 5 percent of the brand’s lineup to be purely electric. That’s a tall order, indeed, but with parent company AG aiming to be the number one producer of hybrid and electric cars before the end of the next decade, the four-ringed automaker’s quest for electrification isn’t as far-fetched as you might think.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rolled in the first batch of pickup trucks to be tested using its latest Five-Star New Car Assessment Program. Three trucks were tested: the (this truck’s scores were also applied to the nearly identical GMC Sierra 1500), and .
Of the trucks tested, the pair from recorded the best scores, earning a Combined score of four stars. The 2011 Tacoma also managed a Combined score of four stars, but performed significantly worse than the GM trucks in NHTSA’s front crash testing, taking home just two stars for the passenger.
Bringing up the rear in this round of testing is the Ram 1500 (non-Heavy Duty). While full-size pickup managed a Combined rating of three stars, it floundered in the agency’s tough new pole test with just one star being awarded. Check out for more analysis on the results, and search .
Lamborghini Sesto Elemento – Click above for high-res image gallery
It sounds like we can forget all about cruising South Beach in the upcoming Lamborghini Sesto Elemento. According to Autocar, The Raging Bull is planning to build the carbon-fiber terror as a limited production model for track duty only. Thanks to its unique construction, the Sesto Elemento should hit the scales at less than 2,200 pounds, all while boasting the same drivetrain as the wicked Superleggera. This promises to be one very fast machine, but chances are it will carry a price tag to match. Autocar is reporting that the newest addition to the stable will likely go for Reventón money. With an MSRP of over $1.6 million, you certainly won’t be seeing these parked in every paddock.
That’s all the more true given that Autocar suspects that Lamborghini will build less than 20 examples of the Sesto Elemento. Who knew that rare birds were built from forged carbon fiber?
Grainy as they may be, these spy photos give us our first glimpse at the race-prepped GT3 – a high-performance version of the automaker’s stunning new two-door. The GT3 aims to recapture the racing success of the original , and though details are slim on power enhancements, the revised visual cues of this prototype show that this MP4 is ready to do serious battle out on the track.
Up front, the road-going MP4’s front air intakes have been closed off and a large air duct is now found right in the center of the hood. These changes are matched with revised rear window venting, as well as a giant wing fixed to the car’s rump.
Early reports have stated that is working with British racing firm CRS and that the car is set to debut sometime in 2012. All we know is, we can’t wait to see this stunning new beast swapping paint with other GT3 racers. See the full set of spy shots in the high-res gallery, below.
2011 Jeep Patriot – Click above for high-res image gallery
Quick – what’s the least expensive new SUV on the market in America? Did you guess something from or ? Or perhaps from ? Guess again. As a matter of fact, the answer is the , which sees its first major update since its introduction for the 2007 model year. Full details of the changes .
For 2011, the Patriot carries a base price of $15,995 (plus $700 for destination) and comes equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 158 horsepower and a five-speed manual transmission. Stepping up to four-wheel drive will cost you $17,695 and opting for the larger 2.4-liter mill will cost $300 and offer up 172 ponies.
For just a hair under $20K, buyers can snag a Patriot Latitude and be rewarded with heated seats, steering-wheel audio controls, 17-inch aluminum wheels, remote keyless entry and even air conditioning. That’s right; amazingly enough, A/C isn’t standard on lower-trim models, it’s a $895 option that we imagine will pretty much always be selected. Guess that’s how you earn the lowest-cost title…
At the very top of the range sits the Jeep Patriot Latitude X, which we optioned up to just under $30,000 with such desirable features as a leather interior, sunroof, navigation and a premium audio system with internal hard disk. Naturally, we also selected the Freedom Drive II Off-Road Package, which forces the inclusion of a CVT automatic transmission with a low range for off-road work.
Luca di Montezemolo puts the new Stratos through its paces – Click above to watch video
Don’t let anyone tell you that President Luca di Montezemolo can’t drive. The boss of one of the world’s most exclusive supercar brands recently took the time to hot-shoe the resurrected Stratos around the Fiorano race track in Italy. While watching a brand executive put a car through its paces is rare enough, it’s even more surprising to hear di Montezemolo heap praise on a vehicle without a Prancing Horse on the hood, even if there’s a 4.3-liter Ferrari V8 at the heart of the new car.
Throw in the fact that the new interpretation of one of Italy’s most iconic rally heathens looks and sounds the part, and you’ve got all the makings of juicy video clip.
Have we mentioned just how badly we want one of these? to watch the video for yourself.
At long last, American car nuts have a version of Top Gear to call our own. The project has been in the works for a long time now, and finally debuted on the History Channel this past Sunday. As we go to pressserver, some 17,500 readers responded to our : over 42 percent had already watched it, a few more said they intended to, and less than 14 percent of respondents said they weren’t even interested. That’s all well and good, but how did the show itself actually fair on the all-important ratings chart?
Well, according to Inside Line, it did kinda-sorta alright. Some 1.9 million viewers tuned in to watch the show’s debut. And that might seem like a lot – especially considering the NFL games it was airing against, but it’s really just fair-to-middling. Compare it to the premiere for Conan O’Brien’s new show on TBS (4.2 million) or History’s top program Pawn Stars (3-5 million) and suddenly it looks quite modest. Still, it’s in the very early going, and it’s still around average for a basic cable show, so it’s way too early to draw any conclusions about Top Gear USA and its fortunes.
Chris Burden’s Metropolis 2 – Click above to watch video
Like most normal Americans, thoughts of exactly what we’d do if we had all the money in the world and not a care to burden us occupy a fair portion of our mental capacity each day. Chances are that if we slept on a bed of Benjamins, our daylight hours would be spent crafting a mechanized achievement akin to the contraption in the video . In one fell swoop, the creators have combined two our true passions: diecast cars and convoluted, yet pointless machinery.
The diecast traffic jam is fittingly called “Metropolis 2,” and it was created by artist Chris Burden. Built using 1,500 Hot Wheels, the installation is headed to LACMA for a long-term loan in the near future. Art and toy fans alike can catch the mesmerizing miniature action at the museum soon. for a mesmerizing preview.
GM’s Renaissance Center headquarters shortly before the new sign was unveiled
The familiar blue-block logo that has adorned the automaker’s headquarters, ads and websites for many years is down from the building, but not all the way out of existence.
GM dropped the old familiar logo from its Renaissance Center headquarters on November 18, ushering in a new era with its initial public offering of stock. The sign was replaced with a 625-foot LED electronic board that will show logos from the company’s past. The sign was switched on as GM’s stock began trading again on the New York Stock Exchange.
The two-story blue-block GM log has also been stricken from the website. It does still live, however, on GM’s media website, and on an internal GM site. GM spokesperson Pat Morrissey says that the ol’ familiar blue-block GM logo that brought the automaker through the Jack Smith and Rick Wagoner eras, and through Azteks and Saab 9-7Xs, will not disappear from GM’s typographic life. “[Chief marketing officer] Joel Ewanick thought the building and website needed fresh looks, but we will not be getting rid of the familiar logo all together,” says Morrissey.
GM has long been ambivalent about its corporate logo and brand. In 2009, the year GM went into bankruptcy, it dropped the GM logo from its vehicles. And it has steadily moved away from advertising GM as a brand on TV, radio and print. The irony, though, is that it did not change the trading ticker symbol from the old company. The company trades as GM on the NYSE. On the Toronto Stock Exchange, however, GM gave up the ticker symbol when it de-listed from the TSE in 2007. Now, it wants it back from Geo Minerals Ltd., which took the symbol, and is offering to buy it back from the mining company.
Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra has officially sunk its teeth into South Korean automaker Ssangyong to the tune of $463.6 million. For that low, low price Mahindra has effectively walked away with a 70 percent controlling stake in Ssangyong through the purchase of newly released shares in the company and existing corporate bonds. The move follows up on a pact to acquire Ssangyong that Mahindra signed earlier this year, and according to The Wall Street Journal, the two companies look to close the deal by March of next year.
According to Mahindra, the match is a partnership made in heaven, with the Indian carmaker able to supply both cash and marketing grunt that should mesh well with Ssangyong’s technological prowess.
We’re guessing that the South Korean carmaker is just glad to have someone to help pull it out of the .
2011 Audi RS3 gets the silent film treatment – Click above to watch video
We already let you know earlier this week that five-door hot hatch, and now we have video of the sporty German schnell machine.
Unfortunately, this is not a video for those eager to hear the 340 horsepower turbocharged 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder engine or the screaming of four abused rounds of rubber. The clip we have is more of a put-on-your-favorite-song and stare. The six-and-a-half minute clip gives you the a solid glimpse at the Audi RS3 both inside and out, but there is no sound nor fury to he had. Still, beggars can’t be choosers and we will take a few minutes of virtual alone time over no time at all.
Queue up some tunes, turn down the lights and to ogle the 2011 Audi RS3.
The rumor furnaces are cooking at full tilt when it comes to what will be lurking under the hood of the upcoming BMW 1 Series M Coupe. The sleuths at have managed to lay their hands on a clandestine manifest that supposedly outlines all of the new models set to flow forth the Bavarian automaker. Nestled among the more common metal is a vehicle that appears to be code named “1 M Pyrat” that will supposedly pack a 340 horsepower N54 engine in European trim. That’ll send your eyebrows to your hairline, sure, but it’s not nearly as shocking as the U.S.-spec model just a bit further down the list.
According to the enthusiast site, is planning a 451 horsepower version of the 1 Series M Coupe just for American consumption. Now, we hate to the little black rain cloud that rains on everyone’s parade, but this seems more than a little unlikely. After all, the big daddy M3 rolls with 414 horsepower right now, and even if BMW is planning a substantial bump in power in the near future, it seems unlikely that the baby 1 would be given the chops to pass its bigger brother.
Still, it doesn’t hurt us one bit to dream this little dream until BMW says otherwise. Head over to to have a closer look at the manifest.
Porsche 918 Spyder Clay Model – Click above for high-res image gallery
may have inadvertently given us our best glimpse yet at the upcoming production version of the company’s 918 Spyder. The German sports car manufacturer has announced its intention to invest mountains of cash in its Weissach facility, and has released a bevy of images from inside the studio walls to mark the occasion. Tucked among the images of designers furiously sketching away and engineers toying with crash-test dummies is one very interesting shot of a 918 clay model. Of particular interest is that single, massive side-exit exhaust nestled behind the passenger door; clearly a different design from the double-stacked tips of the concept. Could this be a 1:3 scale clay of the future production car? Or is it just an older take on the 918 that predates the eventual showcar? We won’t know one way or the other until the eventual production car makes its debut.
Porsche says that it intends to invest €150 million (around $202M USD) in its Weissach facility through the addition of a new wind tunnel. Additionally, the company plans to open a new state-of-the-art design center and what it calls an “electronic-integration center.” We aren’t positive, but our guess is that portion of the facility will play a big role in the Porsche hybrid program moving forward. for the official press release.
Jay Leno drives the Jaguar CX75 Concept – Click above to watch video
Here’s another feather for Jay Leno’s cap. The Tonight Show host can officially say that he is one of only a handful of drivers to have slipped their way behind the wheel of the amazing from this year’s Paris Motor Show. Penned by design guru Ian Callum, the supercar is as sexy as it is advanced. The vehicle gets its power from a quartet of electric motors that are good for 195 horsepower each. Throw in two small turbine engines for generating power and you’ve got one very unconventional extended-range hybrid.
The C-X75 was designed to celebrate the Leaping Cat’s diamond anniversary, and as such, the company pulled all the stops. With a design that pulls from the most successful points in Jaguar history, the car is nothing short of gorgeous. We’re not sure, but for the moment, you can to watch Leno take it all in – and don’t forget to watch for an appearance by Callum, too.
The two-story blue-block GM log has also been stricken from the 
