Renault Wind Roadster and Lexus CT 200h Hybrid

Selling a car through advertising isn’t as easy as you might think. What good is it showing your product nimbly taking on Alpine twists and turns when your competitors are doing the same thing? Here are two ads that don’t really break the mould, but try something a little different.
First up is this one for the open-top Renault Wind. I’m a big fan of this car; I think it’s a funky and decidedly French take on the compact convertible. Still, there’s something disturbingly I Am Legend about this particular ad from the firm Publicis Conseil. The eerily vacant streets, the shuttered windows and the presence of a dog sitting on a street corner all at up to the expectation that Will Smith should be running through the scene pursued by monsters.
Next is the spot for the Lexus CT 200h hybrid hatch by firm Saatchi & Saatchi. A little boy sits in the back seat while his mother asks him the sounds various modes of transport make. It’s very cute, especially if you have children. You can check out both these ads right here and then leave a comment in the section below if you wish.
Advertisements 

VIDEO

Read more In Cars

Nissan Leaf Commercial Mocks the Chevy Volt for Using Gasoline

Electric carmakers are trying hard to promote their products, with the environmentally friendly nature of these vehicles being their most exploited feature in advertising. Nissan is going down the same path with a new campaign for the fully-electric Leaf entitled “Gas Powered Everything”, in which the company mocks the internal combustion engine by imagining a strange world where all appliances run on gas.

The result is a funny commercial in which people have to put up with gas-powered alarm-clocks, microwave ovens, computers and many more appliances. Even the Chevrolet Volt becomes a subject of joke for being a gas-electric hybrid. But we can't help but wonder: isn't Nissan's approach a little hypocritical? It's not like their range includes electric cars alone...

The full 60-second commercial will make its television debut during the NBA Finals on June 12. Scroll down to watch it and feel free to drop us a comment.

Advertisements 

VIDEO

Read more In Cars

Two Anti-Hooning Ads from Different Ends of the Spectrum

In Australia and New Zealand, “hooning” is a term applied to any anti-social and often dangerous behavior behind the wheel of a car. Burnouts, car surfing and illegal street racing all fall under this rather broad definition. And it’s an ever-growing problem. Each year there are more reports like, “Hoons kill innocent driver in Dandenong, say police” and, “Man killed in Burwood Highway 'hoon' crash.”
So it’s obvious that cracking down on hooning is very important to the governments of both nations. Here we have two adverts, one from Oz and one from Kiwiland, that use tactics both old and new to get their message across. The Aussie one plays on that, “If you hoon, you’ll lose your car” message while the NZ one plays on the, “If you hoon, you’ll lose your life” vibe. Who knew that New Zealand’s roads were covered with hidden landmines?
Both are simple and – I think – effective at getting their messages across. And of course there’s a previous-gen Ford Falcon XR6 and Holden Commodore SS to placate the Aussie car enthusiasts. Check these anti-hooning ads out below and leave your comments.

VIDEO

Advertisements 

Read more In Cars

Fast 5 Movie Goers Cause Automotive Mayhem Outside of Theater in Detroit

Fans of all kinds and sorts of the much talked about Fast 5 film went “fast and furious” at a theater parking lot in Detroit before and after a midnight release of the movie on Thursday. Steven Pham, a professional photographer and automotive enthusiast, happened to be one of those early moviegoers and filmed some of the hoonery that went on up until the boys in blue showed up to put an end to the tire-burning games.

We came in contact with Steven and here's what he told us:

"After seeing the trailers for Fast Five, there was a lot of hype in the automotive community. I'm pretty sure every car enthusiast is a fan of the series, if not, then there is something wrong with them. Sure each movie has some sort of unrealistic scene, though I think it adds to the movie in a "wtf, did that really just happen?" kind of way.

Everything that went on in the parking lot outside of the theater before and after the movie was hysterical. Cars revving it up, dozens of people doing burnouts and donuts and to the one guy that was playing the Tokyo Drift soundtrack with his subs. It was like a short film in between all of the Fast and the Furious movie series, except without girls walking around and dancing in bikinis."

So, what do you say? Watch the video and head over to the comments section below to express your thoughts. 

VIDEO

Read more In Cars

Video: 2011 Dodge Charger challenge Robots

There was a time when math was done with with just a pencil and paper and novels were created on a typewriter. Those things seem completely outdated now, when cars like the Autonomous Audi TTS are climbing Pikes Peak without a man behind the wheel. Dodge has touched on this exact climb into technology with their new 2011 Dodge Charger commercial.

The setting is a bit into the future and illustrates how technology is taking over everything we do in our daily lives. From brushing our teeth to opening our doors, technology will soon lead us by the hand and live our lives for us. The excellent play on this idea is that it will never take over the thrill of driving our cars or, in this case, our Dodge Chargers.

VIDEO 

GALLERY

Advertisements 

Read more In Cars

Volkswagen Reveals Polo R WRC [Video]

After months of rumors and whispers, Volkswagen officially announced that it will enter a factory team to the World Rally Championship starting with the 2013 season. The announcement was made in Italy, where journalists had the chance to take a first look at the car VW will throw in the competition, the 300HP Polo R WRC, shown here as a prototype.

Still under development, the rally-prepped supermini will be powered by a turbocharged, direct injection 1.6-liter TSI turbo engine and will use a four-wheel drive system. The four cylinder engine will develop around 300 horsepower and 350 Nm of torque (258 lb-ft) and will be fitted with a 33-millimeter air restrictor at high engine speeds, according to regulations. It will be paired to a sequential gearbox. The minimum dry weight of the car will be 1,200 kilograms (2,645 lbs).
As the pictures show, the Polo R WRC will have an aerodynamically-optimised body, with a massive wing at the back and extra-wide wheel-arches. Hopefully, we’ll see the “R” badge ending up on a road going version of the Polo as well.
The factory team will be run by Volkswagen Motorsport, the racing division that has won the past three Dakar rallies. Work on the vehicle concept design for the Polo R WRC started in February, while preparation of the first chassis is planned for later this year. The team will start an extensive testing program in 2012 and will familiarize with the WRC starting this year, as the VW group will enter Skoda cars at selected rally events at the end of the season.
Scroll down to watch the launch video of the Polo R WRC.

GALLERY

VIDEO

Read more In Cars

2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 [ VIDEO ]

Whether you’re a diehard Lamborghini fan or just get excited about exotic supercars in general, you’ll find that the new Aventador LP 700-4 is one of those vehicles that turns heads and accelerates heartbeats faster than lightning. Just in case you can’t get enough of the 700-horsepower Lambo, you might want to click over the jump to watch the latest video release from the Sant’Agata Bolognese-based automaker.

The two-minute long promotional film shows the Aventador LP 700-4 in an apocalyptic-like scene scrambling to get away as the earth crumbles under its tires. To be honest, it’s a bit too much on the fantasy side for our tastes, but we’ll let you be the judge of that.

VIDEO

GALLERY

Read more In Cars

Honda, Nissan and Toyota Donate $3.75 Million Each for Japan

The massive earthquake followed by the even more devastating tsunami that struck the north-east coasts of Japan last week has brought together the country’s biggest automakers including Honda, Nissan and Toyota, which announced today that they will donate $3.75 million each for relief and recovery efforts in communities affected by the disaster.
In addition to the contribution in money, Nissan said it is also studying further relief efforts including complimentary provision of vehicles, such as trucks and forklifts, donation of medical supplies and daily commodities including blankets, antiseptics and masks, gift matching donation from Nissan employees, promotion, and support of blood donation activities.
Honda announced that it will donate a total of 1,000 power generators along with 5,000 gas canisters to the people left without electricity, while Toyota is considering the provision of goods and services as needed.
The three automakers have also announced the closure of some of their factories in Japan. From March 14 through March 20, Honda will suspend all production activities at its plants in Sayama, Saitama, Ogawa, Tochigi, Hamamatsu and Suzuka, plus all facilities in the Tochigi area, where damage was more serious. From March 15 through 20, Honda will also suspend production at the Kumamoto factory.
Nissan announced that operations at the Tochigi and Iwaki plants are suspended until March 18, while the Oppama, Kyushu, Shatai and Yokohama plants will be closed until March 16. As for Toyota, officials announced that the Hokkaido, Tohoku, Miyagi and Iwate plants are closed, with all employees having been evacuated to safe areas. The factories will remain closed at least until March 16.
Other automakers affected by the earthquake include Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru and Suzuki, which have either suspended or slowed down production because of supply shortages.

Video

McLaren's MP4-12C GT3

After a photo preview at the end of last year, the racing version of McLaren's all-new supercar has been revealed in England, where the car undertook its first shakedown tests. Built by McLaren GT, a new company set up by the McLaren Group and CRS Racing, the MP4-12C GT3 had its debut test outings at the MIRA proving ground facility and the Silverstone Circuit.
Based on the standard MP4-12C, the GT3 version uses the same one-piece carbon MonoCell chassis, which weighs just 75 kilograms (165.3 lbs). Spectacular race spec composite body panels and a fixed rear wing have been added to the MP4-12C GT3, while the new aerodynamics package includes a new front splitter, door blade, rear wing, diffuser and louvres in the front fenders.
“The car is around 100mm wider than the standard production car and features a new suspension system which we have tested in the McLaren Simulator. Having now experienced this new set-up in the 12C GT3 car, I’m delighted with the progress we are making,” said Andrew Kirkaldy, McLaren GT project manager. The MP4-12 C GT3 uses the same 3.8-liter twin turbo V8 engine from the road car, tuned to race specification. The unit is linked to an all-new racing gearbox developed by Ricardo and fitted with paddle-shift system.
The tests were a good occasion for McLaren to introduce its newest test driver, 26-year-old Alvaro Parente, with the company planning to have a team of six test drivers by mid-2011. The shakedown will be followed by comprehensive tests scheduled throughout March and April at a number of FIA certified circuits across Europe. Details about the driver line-up and race programme for the McLaren MP4-12C GT3 will be revealed after these tests. Starting next year, McLaren GT will also supply and support a limited number of FIA GT3-compliant racing cars for privateers.

Video




Photos

Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan

A massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake hit the northeast part of Japan earlier this morning triggering a 10-meter high tsunami on the coasts of the country sweeping away homes, cars and buildings. The disastrous earthquake, which was followed by many aftershocks, is said to be the world's fifth-largest since 1900 and the biggest in Japan in 140 years.
The full extent of damages caused by the earthquake and the ferocious tsunami remain unknown for now, but we’re already hearing news of people being evacuated and many homes and factories destroyed.
On the automotive front, Toyota and Honda were forced to shut down some of their production plants and evacuate their workers from several factories in the quake zone. According to reports, Toyota, which has a large manufacturing presence in northern Japan, was affected the most with the shutdown possibly affecting production of cars like the Yaris sedan and the Scion xB and xD models.
Honda initially closed down both its Suzuka and Sayama plants, but production at the first factory resumed shortly after. The Sayama plant, which manufactures the US-bound Fit among other models, remains closed. 

Videos 









Photos