Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Audi

We’ve entered a new age of advertising, friends. One where manufacturers gleefully shill for their own ads instead of actual products. We’ve seen it with the teaser as for the Volkswagen Super Bowl spot, and now Audi has jumped into the game. It’s Inception gone marketing – an ad within an ad. In order to get us all fired up for the commercial to come, Audi has unveiled a teaser that features some of the best moments from the company’s Super Bowl marketing past as well as a quick glimpse of what we can expect from this year’s high-budget number.

From the looks of things, the commercial will feature everyone’s favorite creature of the night: vampires. We’re not sure how we can possibly contain our anticipation. Or something. Hit the jump to check out the commercial for a commercial for yourself.

Continue reading Audi teases next Super Bowl spot

Audi teases next Super Bowl spot originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Chevrolet, Design/Style

If you think the Chevrolet Sonic sedan looks a bit abbreviated now, you should have seen it before General Motors stretched the vehicle. Take a good look at the spec sheets for the Sonic hatch and Sonic sedan, and you’ll likely notice the four-door is over a foot longer than its twin. According to Automotive News, GM felt that early design attempts at the sedan bodystyle were too stubby looking. While the four-door was always intended to be somewhat longer than the hatch, designers rolled in additional space in the vehicle’s rump to help situate the vehicle’s proportions.

All told, the Sonic sedan is a whopping 14.1 inches longer than the Sonic hatchback, and nearly all of that length is in the trunk area. That gives the Sonic Sedan 14 cubic-feet of cargo area, just 1.4 cubes less than the significantly larger Chevrolet Cruze.

Chevy stretched Sonic sedan because it looked funny originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Nissan

Nissan has announced plans to build a new manufacturing facility in Mexico. The company will invest $2 billion in a new complex situated in Aguascalientes, Mexico to help produce the automaker’s B platform models. The plant is expected to begin operations in late 2013 and should be capable of producing up to 175,000 units annually during phase one. Nissan says the endeavor will create up to 3,000 direct jobs in the area with another 9,000 positions created via the supply chain necessary to support the facility.

The plant will be Nissan’s third in Mexico and is part of a strategy that should allow the company to produce more than one million units annually in the country. Nissan claims no other automaker is investing in our southern neighbor with the same level of commitment. Click past the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Nissan confirms new North American assembly plant in Mexico

Nissan confirms new North American assembly plant in Mexico originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedan, Auctions, Etc., Government/Legal, Chrysler, Celebrities

History has yet to voice its opinion on the legacy of President Barack Obama, but one enterprising eBay seller is already looking to cash in on one very big piece of Obama memorabilia. A 2005 Chrysler 300C that allegedly belonged to the Commander In Chief (back when he was an Illinois senator) has hit eBay Motors.

As you may recall, Obama sent the big V8 sedan packing in favor of a Ford Escape Hybrid when he began his campaign for the presidency. The 300C currently has 20,800 miles. Obama is said to have put 19,000 of those on the clock himself between 2004 and 2007. With so few miles and a healthy 5.7-liter V8 under the hood, this is likely the nicest 300C you’ll ever lay eyes on, but the buyer wants a pretty penny for the machine.

Right now, the vehicle has a starting bid of $1 million. Not surprisingly, even though the seller says he’s got the paperwork to prove the vehicle’s provenance, no one has stepped up with the coin. As of the time of writing, the auction has less than a day left on the clock. Head over to eBay Motors to have a look at the auction for yourself.

eBay Find of the Day: Barack Obama’s 2005 Chrysler 300C originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Ford

Ford has adopted a new ad slogan designed to ward off complacency after successful run of nearly six years. The company is reportedly retiring its “Drive One” tag line for “Go Further,” which will be used in marketing campaigns in both the U.S. and Europe. Ford had been using the line “Feel the Difference” in the EU. The company says its old slogans were designed to convince buyers to give Ford products a look after the automaker rebounded from near bankruptcy. Executives now say the manufacturer is in an entirely different place in its history and that it’s time for a slogan that reflects that position.

Ford is expected to announce its 11th quarterly net profit on Friday, and the automaker recently announced it will begin paying a dividend for the first time in six years, according to Automotive News. The company is even within reach of an investment-grade credit rating.

When it came time to craft the company’s new tag line, Ford apparently specifically looked at Nike’s “Just Do It” and McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” as inspiration. While “Drive One” is on its way out the door, the internal “One Ford” will continue to soldier on as an indicator of the company’s global strategy.

Ford scraps “Drive One” ad slogan in favor of “Go Further” originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Etc., Europe, Technology, Design/Style, Electric

One very unusual electric car has debuted in Brussels. The Hiriko EV uses a hub-mounted electric motor at each wheel, though that’s not the most interesting aspect of the vehicle. According to The Telegraph, the Hiriko uses an interesting rear suspension design that allows the vehicle to fold up, rotating the cabin vertically, to take up less space while parking. The partnership behind the vehicle say the car consumes approximately one third the parking space of a Smart ForTwo. Occupants enter from a single front door, and the Hiriko ditches the traditional steering wheel in favor of a joystick.

The vehicle is set to begin production in Spain next year, and the partnership behind the vehicle’s development aims to use several European and American cities as testbeds for the bubble machine. The two-seater has been co-developed by a collection of Basque businesses, the Spanish government and the MIT media lab (you may remember the concept, from 2007). A total of 20 test vehicles are currently being built, and each vehicle is said to cost $16,253 to manufacture. No final price tag has been set, nor are there solid details on range, power or charge times.

Hiriko folding electric car headed for production originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Budget, Sedan, SUV, Crossover, Hatchback, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Alfa Romeo

Don’t cry for the Dodge Avenger just yet. According to USA Today, Chrysler is set to introduce new midsized sedans to replace both the Chrysler 200 and the much-maligned Dodge Avenger. The vehicles will be built on a version of the same platform that underpins the 2013 Dodge Dart. That news runs contrary to word that the Avenger is headed to the great scrap pile in the sky after the current generation runs its course. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is looking to shore up the company’s small car efforts and spread the cost of platform development across as many models as possible.

Marchionne also made mention of introducing a new hybrid hatchback under the Chrysler 100 nameplate, though details are scarce at the moment.

USA Today reports the same platform may be used for the next-generation Jeep Liberty and Compass, which are slated to debut sometime in 2013. Marchionne says both vehicles will be trail-rated and capable of standing up to the kind of abuse Jeep buyers demand. Even so, the CEO says the vehicles will have their “origins in the architecture of a sports car.”

Speaking of sports cars, Marchionne also made it clear Alfa Romeo is still coming to the States, though the Italian brand’s strategy has shifted somewhat. The models headed to the U.S. market will be lightweight and powered by a turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine offering 300 horsepower. Certainly sounds good to us.

Chrysler planning Dodge Avenger successor after all? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Budget, Sedan, SUV, Crossover, Hatchback, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Alfa Romeo

Don’t cry for the Dodge Avenger just yet. According to USA Today, Chrysler is set to introduce new midsized sedans to replace both the Chrysler 200 and the much-maligned Dodge Avenger. The vehicles will be built on a version of the same platform that underpins the 2013 Dodge Dart. That news runs contrary to word that the Avenger is headed to the great scrap pile in the sky after the current generation runs its course. Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is looking to shore up the company’s small car efforts and spread the cost of platform development across as many models as possible.

Marchionne also made mention of introducing a new hybrid hatchback under the Chrysler 100 nameplate, though details are scarce at the moment.

USA Today reports the same platform may be used for the next-generation Jeep Liberty and Compass, which are slated to debut sometime in 2013. Marchionne says both vehicles will be trail-rated and capable of standing up to the kind of abuse Jeep buyers demand. Even so, the CEO says the vehicles will have their “origins in the architecture of a sports car.”

Speaking of sports cars, Marchionne also made it clear Alfa Romeo is still coming to the States, though the Italian brand’s strategy has shifted somewhat. The models headed to the U.S. market will be lightweight and powered by a turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine offering 300 horsepower. Certainly sounds good to us.

Chrysler planning Dodge Avenger successor after all? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Ford, Earnings/Financials

Most everyone at Ford is grinning from ear-to-ear these days, as the company is enjoying profits as well as a vastly improved product portfolio and public image. Sales are up, the product pipeline is full, and market share grew last year. You can almost imagine Ford CEO Alan Mulally saying, “What, me worry?”

But that’s exactly what he should be doing, according to Forbes, which suggests Ford is growing arrogant and its numbers aren’t nearly as solid as they appear. For instance, Forbes says Ford was also right up there with Toyota and Honda when it came to recalls last year, far outpacing crosstown rivals General Motors and Chrysler. Ford recalled some 3.3 million vehicles in 2011, compared to 773,000 for Chrysler and just 500,000 for GM.

But the real shocker is that Forbes says Ford tops all automakers when it comes to fleet sales. Not only are fleet sales usually less profitable, but they also tend to hurt resale values, meaning that selling 32 percent of its vehicles into fleets last year does not bode well for the Blue Oval or the residual values of its owners. According to the report, the model with the most fleet sales was the new-for-2012 Focus. A staggering 45 percent of Focus models sold last year were to fleets, which isn’t good for anyone, save the guy standing in line at the Hertz counter.

Ford tops in non-retail sales, 45% of Focus sold to fleets originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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