Category: Auto Industry

GM commercial shoot goes extraterrestrial

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Chevrolet, GM

incident at inyokernGeneral Motors commercial shoot turns extraterrestrial – Click above to watch video after the jump

What goes on behind the scenes at a commercial video shoot is usually relatively boring stuff. Lighting is rigged up, shots are established and footage is captured. Unless you’re a stunt driver required to to spend all day pushing the laws of physics to the limit, hanging out at a commercial shoot can be a numb-numbing affair. Autoblog reader Alexander Van Walsum was on hand to capture some behind-the-scenes footage of a recent General Motors commercial, and rather than string it together in a standard way he decided to have a bit more fun with it.

Proving that the magic happens in editing, Alexander pieced together his footage and turned a commercial shoot into a mashup about an Area 51-esque event. You can catch a glimpse of a Chevrolet Volt, and a wider shot showing off even more of the Bowtie-wearing family. Click past the jump to watch Incident at Inyokern.

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GM commercial shoot goes extraterrestrial originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 May 2011 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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John Varvatos brings Attitude to the 2011 Chrysler 300 and the streets of NYC

Filed under: Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Chrysler

John Varvatos and the 2011 Chrysler 300

John Varvatos pilots a 2011 Chrysler 300 through NYC – Click above to watch video after the jump

Chrysler’s “Imported from Detroit” advertising campaign continues to march on. It all started with Eminem hyping up both his city and the new Chrysler 200. Now, the focus is squarely on the (much more worthy) 2011 Chrysler 300, and a new face joins the party. We’ve seen Detroit Lion Ndamukong Suh take the 300 on a trip back to his Portland, Oregon roots. In a new spot called “Attitude,” Detroit-born fashion designer John Varvatos reflects on the inspiration for his clothing.

Growing up in Detroit gave Varvatos an appreciation for all sorts of musical stylings. Moving to New York, he began to intersect his fashion sense with his love for R&B, Rock and Roll and music in general.

John Varvatos and Ndamukong Suh, along with Chrysler, are just two-thirds of the team advertising the new 300. Joining this group later this summer will be Dr. Dre, who will take the 2012 Chrysler 300 S and hit the streets of Los Angeles. For now, click past the jump to check out John Varvatos and the Chrysler 300 in “Attitude.”

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John Varvatos brings Attitude to the 2011 Chrysler 300 and the streets of NYC originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2011 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog talks to Saab NA President and COO Tim Colbeck after his first day

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Marketing/Advertising, Saab

Tim Colbeck, Saab

“I’m a horrible manager,” admits Muller, “but I’m very good at raising money.”

While in Washington D.C. for the 2012 Saab 9-4X launch, we had dinner next to Victor Muller, then spoke to the newly announced captain of Saab’s North American ship, Tim Colbeck, who actually fills the dual roles of president and COO – at the end of his first day on the job. Muller started the evening by talking about the most recent troubles, saying of the production stoppage, “It was all my fault.”

“Saab was really a General Motors subsidiary – GM financing, GM terms and conditions, GM suppliers, and things can start to come apart when you’re independent. Sometimes you have to tell suppliers it’s not going to be the way it was.”

Muller says a single supplier told Saab that “if we didn’t pay, he wasn’t going to open his truck that day,” and Muller “called his bluff.” The supplier was a man of his word, wouldn’t deliver the parts, and the lack of those particular components caused a production stoppage of two hours, which Muller says is “normal elsewhere, but not in Sweden.”

To hear Muller tell it, it might not have been such a problem if the Swedish media, which he accuses of being Saab bashers, hadn’t turned it into a sensational story. “Within two hours of the stoppage,” he said, “we didn’t have one supplier with problems, we had 92 suppliers with problems” as Saab experienced a “run on the bank.” Continue reading…

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Autoblog talks to Saab NA President and COO Tim Colbeck after his first day originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What you missed on 5.11.11

Quick Spin: 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth [w/video]

Knowing that the factory-fettled 500 Abarth is headed our way in two year’s time, we snagged the keys to see if Italy’s hottest hatch was ready to bring the pain to the John Cooper Works models from Mini.

Spy Shots: Mercedes-Benz GLK to get a gentle nip/tuck

Nothing major to report here, but it seems this future GLK will be wearing updated headlights along with re-shaped front and rear bumpers. We may also get a direct injected 3.5-liter V6.

Official: 2,000-hp “Lamborghini” Indomable Concept to find its way into production

9.4 liters. 2,000-horsepower and 2,000 pound-feet of torque. Production? We’ll see.

Also of interest:

  • Report: Last domestic car dealership in San Francisco shuts its doors
  • Breaking: 2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatches a bit early
  • Official: Aston Martin to unveil new Zagato special at Villa d’Este
  • Toyota Q4 profits fall 77% due to quake
  • Report: Porsche to relocate U.S. headquarters to ex-Ford facility, plans to build track

Browse our archive of Daily U-Turn posts or subscribe to the RSS feed

What you missed on 5.11.11 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2011 19:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How to fit a large Lamborghini into a small room

Filed under: Coupe, Videos, Lamborghini

Lamborghini Aventador assembled in a room

Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 assembled in a small room – Click above to watch the video after the jump

There is a lot going on with the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4. The Raging Bull’s new range topper features a 691-horsepower V12 that can propel the world’s fanciest door stop to 60 miles per hour in a scant 2.9 seconds. The Aventador looks good enough to cause whiplash injuries from rubbernecking onlookers. We could gush endlessly about Italy’s newest exotic, and at the end of the day there will always be room in our driveway for such a supercar.

But what about our living room?

The folks at Lamborghini needed to deliver an Aventador to a Lamborghini Museum exhibition called “La Forza del Toro” at Chiostro del. Unfortunately, the Great Room-sized space reserved for the exotic contained no entryway large enough to drive the Aventador through, but that’s when Italian ingenuity comes into play. Instead of knocking down a wall or lifting a ceiling, Team Lambo simply delivered an Aventador in pieces, then put them together on the spot. The end result is a fully functional Aventador for the “La Forza del Toro” exhibit.

Hit the jump to see the hot new Lambo get pieced together from scratch.

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How to fit a large Lamborghini into a small room originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2011 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Ford is using Google’s Prediction API to increase efficiency

Filed under: Hybrid, Technology, Ford, Electric

Ford uses Google's Prediction API to increase efficiency

Ford uses Google’s Prediction API to increase efficiency – Click above to watch the video after the break

Yesterday we got word that Ford was tapping Google’s new Prediction API to provide location and routing services for its fleet of plug-in hybrids and full EVs. Today, Ford’s engineers are speaking at the Google I/O developers summit and they’ve released a video explaining how the system works and how they plan to implement it.

You can get the full details in our previous post, but the short-and-sweet version is this: Ford drivers can opt-in for the service, which tracks their daily driving routine, and, after building a database of destinations and waypoints, the system provides drivers with more efficient routing to optimize their powertrain, reduce range anxiety and decrease commute times. We’ve snagged a handful of slides from Ford’s presentation and you can check out the full video after the jump.

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How Ford is using Google’s Prediction API to increase efficiency originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2011 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IndyCar unveils future car concepts created by Dallara

Filed under: Motorsports

2012 dallara indycar chassic concepts

2012 Dallara IndyCar Concepts – Click above for image gallery

In 2010, Dallara was announced as the new chassis manufacturer for the 2012 IndyCar Series. Now, two concepts have been presented; both of which use the same chassis but have different skin so as to show off what’s possible as far as aerodynamic tweaking is concerned.

One version is set up for oval racing while the other is prepped to run a road course. The idea behind the two cars is to show the IndyCar teams that the 2012 Dallara chassis will allow for a lot of ingenuity and engineering. The race cars can be outfitted in a manner that works best for a specific team, yet still adheres to IndyCar rules.

While the aero stylings shown on these two concepts are simply serving as a mock-up of what might be, Dallara is still putting its concepts through all sorts of testing programs. The company wants to ensure that safety and performance come together, while it also keeps cost as low as possible without affecting the finished product.

IndyCar unveils future car concepts created by Dallara originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz GLK to get a gentle nip/tuck

Filed under: SUV, Crossover, Mercedes-Benz

spy shots: mercedes-benz glk

Mercedes-Benz GLK spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

Mercedes-Benz is prepping a refreshed GLK, and our spy photographers have managed to capture an example running around with a dash of camouflage covering up the revised front and rear ends.

Nothing major to report here, but it seems this future GLK will be wearing updated headlights along with re-shaped front and rear bumpers. We can see a row of LED running lamps poking out of the perforated camo up front, as well as more angular headlamp clusters. As far as updated powertrain details, we’re still in the dark, but don’t be surprised if the new direct-injected 3.5-liter V6 from the C350 finds its way underhood.

Clicking through the gallery below will give you an idea of what to expect when the refreshed Mercedes-Benz GLK makes an uncovered appearance.

Mercedes-Benz GLK to get a gentle nip/tuck originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2011 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lamborghini tipped to produce 20 examples of the Sesto Elemento at €2M apiece

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Lamborghini, Rumormill

Lamborghini Sesto Elemento

Lamborghini Sesto Elemento – Click above for high-res image gallery

When Lamborghini unveiled the Sesto Elemento concept car at the Paris Motor Show last year, few thought it would ever get past the show stand. Sure, elements of its lightweight construction would trickle down to future production models, but as for producing the Sesto as is seemed rather outside of the realm of possibility. But then the rumors began circulating.

In the wake of the show car’s debut, we began receiving reports that Lamborghini was, indeed, preparing to put it into production, albeit severely limited. Then follow-up reports suggested that the car could be strictly limited to closed circuits in order to avoid costly homologation procedures.

Now those rumors are rounding the mill again, as Sant’Agata reportedly prepares to bring the Sesto Elemento to market. If and when it does, Lamborghini will count on the concept’s advanced composite construction to stick to the 995-kilogram (2,200-pound) curb weight. Coupled with the Gallardo’s 5.2-liter V10 engine – possibly tuned for extra power – the production model is expected to hit 62 from a standstill in just 2.5 seconds, making it quicker even than the new Aventador which hits highway speeds in just 2.9.

Somewhere along the way, the Reventón-matching million-Euro price tag that we thought was astronomical already will reportedly double to €2 million, or around $2.8 million USD based on current exchange rates. That’s an enormous chunk of change, especially for a car you can’t even take out onto the street. But considering the multi-millionaires who drop bigger figures on decommissioned F1 cars just for track days, the Raging Bull marque could very well have little trouble offloading the 20 examples pegged for production.

Lamborghini tipped to produce 20 examples of the Sesto Elemento at €2M apiece originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2011 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mid-engine Corvette C7 reports surface yet again

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Chevrolet, GM, Rumormill, Design/Style

Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Concept

Chevrolet 50th Anniversary Corvette Stingray Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Rumors of a mid-engine C7 Corvette simply refuse to die, despite a long string of denials that such a project is in the works from a number of General Motors executives. The latest such story comes all the way from the UK, as Autocar reports that statements from GM North America president Mark Reuss hint that the next ‘Vette may abandon its front engine for 2013.

As we’ve heard before, General Motors is also thought to be downsizing the engines used in the Corvette – possibly even switching from a V8 to a V6 – though tricks like turbocharging and direct injection would likely keep horsepower at supercar levels.

As far as styling goes, we have no idea what shape the 2013 Corvette may take. Autocar indicates the classic split-window design from the 1963 Corvette may make a comeback, and the interior, the design of which is being led by global design chief Ed Welburn himself, will be fully modern and “absolutely world class.”

In any case, we’re expecting big things for the Corvette C7, and we’re sure the ‘Vette’s German and Italian rivals are just as eager to find out the details as we are.

Mid-engine Corvette C7 reports surface yet again originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 May 2011 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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