Report: Army wins fight to keep spending money on NASCAR sponsorship [w/poll]

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Marketing/Advertising

Ryan Newman Army NASCAR

Minnesota Congresswoman Betty McCollum is a Democrat looking at areas where the budget can be cut. Her current target is military spending. More specifically, she is focused on banning the military from spending money advertising in NASCAR. She introduced a measure to this effect, and it was shot down by a vote of 241-148.

The US Army spent $7 million in 2010 to sponsor a car in NASCAR and has a signed contract with Stewart-Haas racing to put its logo on a car for 2011. In contrast, the Marines, Navy and Coast Guard all ended NASCAR sponsorships back in 2006.

McCollum feels that spending money in this arena is an inappropriate use of military funds. Ramsey Poston, NASCAR’s Managing Director for Corporate Communications, sees things a little differently. According to 2009 data gathered by Experian, one in five NASCAR fans have served in the military, while one in three active service members are fans of the sport. Also, the Army states that it received 46,000 recruiting leads in 2010 thanks to the racing team.

And so, we ask you: Should the United States Army sponsor a NASCAR team?

View Poll

[Source: The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Inside Line | Image: John Harrelson/Getty]

Report: Army wins fight to keep spending money on NASCAR sponsorship [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Feb 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit 2011: 2012 Hyundai Veloster is a Swiss Army Coupe

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Hatchback, Hyundai

2012 Hyundai Veloster
2012 Hyundai Veloster – Click above for high-res image gallery

Hyundai’s funky, tech-packed Veloster has just debuted at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, and at first blush, the unconventional three-door looks like it’ll go down a storm.

While Hyundai’s North American CEO John Krafcik freely admitted that the Veloster isn’t going to be the quickest car to 60 miles per hour or around a race track (that’s what the Genesis Coupe is for), the Korean nonetheless promises frisky performance from its 1.6-liter engine (138 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 123 pound-feet of torque at 4,850) and available six-speed dual clutch gearbox. A six-speed manual will come as standard-fit, and Hyundai figures that the Veloster will be good for around 40 miles per gallon on the freeway.

2012 Hyundai Veloster rear viewIn the metal, the Veloster is a funky thing, with a longer-than-expected wheelbase thanks to its third front-hinged door on the passenger side. We had a chance to sample the rear seat room, and while getting in was a bit awkward, we found it more useful than the clamshell-style doors on vehicles like the Mini Clubman. Inside, our five-foot, nine-inch frame had adequate head- and legroom when the front-seat passenger had his seat positioned for a similarly sized-frame, but clearly this isn’t for long journeys.

Tech-savvy types will be particularly interested in the standard Blue Link system, Hyundai’s new telematics gadgetry that integrates everything from service schedule alerts to restaurant ratings, remote start and stolen vehicle slowdown. Some of the more advanced features will be available through a three-tier subscription service, but the seven-inch touchscreen is standard-fit, and a full-featured navigation system is optional (though even non-nav equipped models will have turn-by-turn guidance available through the aforementioned Blue Link).

While pricing has not been finalized, Hyundai is shooting for a base price in the $17,000-range while targeting such various vehicles as the Scion tC, Mini Cooper and Honda CR-Z.

Gallery: 2012 Hyundai Veloster: Detroit 2011

2012 Hyundai Veloster2012 Hyundai Veloster2012 Hyundai Veloster2012 Hyundai Veloster2012 Hyundai Veloster

Gallery: 2012 Hyundai Veloster

2012 Hyundai Veloster2012 Hyundai Veloster2012 Hyundai Veloster2012 Hyundai Veloster2012 Hyundai Veloster

Live photos copyright (C)2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

Continue reading Detroit 2011: 2012 Hyundai Veloster is a Swiss Army Coupe

Detroit 2011: 2012 Hyundai Veloster is a Swiss Army Coupe originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 10 Jan 2011 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota debuts Army Green FJ Cruiser Trail Teams edition… in blue

Filed under: SUV, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Toyota, Off-Road

Toyota FJ Cruiser

Toyota issued a press release recently to discuss the updates to the 2011 FJ Cruiser. The release goes on to highlight the all-new Trail Teams Special Edition FJ, which wears Army Green paint. The photo above was attached to the release and highlights something else: someone at Toyota might be color blind.

Tritanopia, a form of Blue-Yellow colorblindness, can cause some green colors to appear light blue to the affected viewer. We would love to show those of you with standard color vision a photo of the Army Green FJ but we don’t have one available.

For our readers with Tritanopia, check out the sweet new Trail Teams Special Edition FJ shown above.

Everyone, regardless of colors seen, can hop the jump to read about the updates on the 2011 Toyota FJ Cruiser. They include an upgraded standard audio system, improved rearward visibility and a new design for the available 17-inch wheels.

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota debuts Army Green FJ Cruiser Trail Teams edition… in blue

Toyota debuts Army Green FJ Cruiser Trail Teams edition… in blue originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 25 Sep 2010 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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