Tag: shows

Report: Have you noticed that more tv shows seem like car ads? [w/video]

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, TV/Movies

With the advent of the DVR and streaming videos, companies are no longer able to rely on commercials to get their products in front of television viewers. Many companies, including automakers, have found an easy way to get around this by using product integrations. While product placement can be as subtle as a car used in a scene or in the backdrop of the show, product integration is essentially a mini commercial built into show’s script.

According to a new report by Automotive News, these integrations can command millions of dollars for the right television show or movie, and while these practices can be very hush-hush with few details ever being announced, the trend is definitely growing. Take the USA Network show Burn Notice, for example. The video posted below shows a Hyundai Genesis Coupe having some of its highlights broken down during a scene of the show. Many other popular shows use such ad strategies including Modern Family with Toyota and Glee with Chevrolet (the latter of which spawned a Super Bowl commercial), to say nothing of more overt sponsorship arrangements like American Idol and its long-running deal with Ford. Scroll below for a couple examples of these product integration deals.

Continue reading Have you noticed that more tv shows seem like car ads? [w/video]

Have you noticed that more tv shows seem like car ads? [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Jun 2013 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Next Mercedes C-Class sedan shows its face

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Mercedes-Benz, Luxury

Although our recent spy shots of the next-generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class revealed a mostly uncovered look at the sedan’s profile, these latest images give us our best look yet at its front end. Caught performing some hot-weather tests, this sedan is devoid of any major camouflage obscuring the fascia, grille and headlights, showing off what is clearly an E-Class-inspired face.

With its two-bar grille and massive lower intakes – similar to what we’ve already seen on the 2014 E-Class with Sport Styling Package – we wonder if Mercedes is planning to offer the new C-Class with two distinct visual packages. As a refresher, expect to see the redesigned C-Class sedan make its debut at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show, followed shortly thereafter by wagon, coupe and convertible variants.

Next Mercedes C-Class sedan shows its face originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 23 Jun 2013 15:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Nissan shows off Le Mans Prototype, says it’s world’s fastest electric racer [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Nissan, Electric, Racing

Nissan ZEOD RC Le Mans prototype - front three-quarter dynamic view

Nissan has announced plans and details around its upcoming all-electric racing car, the ZEOD RC. The Zero Emission On Demand Racing car is said to be capable of a top speed in excess of 300 kilometers per hour (186.4 miles per hour), is shaped a bit like the closed-cockpit version of the DeltaWing (albeit, to our eyes, better looking) and will make its debut in 2014 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This weekend, visitors to the race will have the opportunity to view the prototype near the Circuit de la Sarthe.

Nissan’s ZEOD RC has been invited by Le Mans organizers to compete as the Garage 56 entry in next year’s race; that’s essentially a spot on the grid held for vehicles with new and/or cutting edge technology.

Short of announcing a partnership with Michelin to develop tires for the EV racecar, however, Nissan is mum on any kind of battery or motor specification for the ZEOD. The press release (below) offers a sense that the Nissan and Nismo teams have still got a lot of work to do before the 2014 race. Ben Bowlby, designer of the ZEOD RC, says “We have many options to consider and test. The test program is part of a longer term goal of developing a system and a set of rules for this type of technology in partnership with the ACO that would be best suited to competing at the highest level of this sport.”

The ultimate goal of the ZEOD RC program, in terms of racing at least, is to sort out the feasibility of a LM P1 all-electric class for future Le Mans racing. Continue on below for more information, as well as a video about the ZEOD RC project.

Continue reading Nissan shows off Le Mans Prototype, says it’s world’s fastest electric racer [w/video]

Nissan shows off Le Mans Prototype, says it’s world’s fastest electric racer [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Jun 2013 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: A woman shows you how to build a proper circle track racer

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Videos, Chevrolet, Racing

Jeri Ellsworth

Jeri Ellsworth on building a race car – Click above to view video after the jump

Jeri Ellsworth is a certified renaissance woman. A high school and college dropout, she’s a self-taught computer programmer and an ace welder and circle track race car builder. She has also started her own race car building business while her peers were at prom and went on to open a chain of computer shops.

More recently, Ellsworth has taken to YouTube to show aspiring NASCAR-types how a street stock racer should be built. Ellsworth is extremely careful and meticulous, knocking out some seriously pretty welds on her way to completing a 1981 Chevrolet Camaro racer.

Her work (and plumber’s crack), looks to be enough to impress embarrass all of her male peers, both in the garage and on the race track. To check out Ellsworth’s skill, hit up the video after the jump. It’s the first in a series, so if you like what you see, we urge to watch ’em all.

Continue reading A woman shows you how to build a proper circle track racer

A woman shows you how to build a proper circle track racer originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: 2012 Chevrolet Camaro 45th Anniversary Edition shows off at Indy

2012 Chevrolet Camaro 45th Anniversary Edition – Click above for high-res image gallery

General Motors officially unveiled the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro 45th Anniversary Edition to a crowd of dealers and enthusiasts on the eve of the Indianapolis 500. The droptop muscle car boasts a slew of tweaks that are destined to eventually make their way to the greater Camaro lineup, including new soft-touch materials on the dash, a new steering wheel that’s not ridiculous to use, and a few suspension changes. GM tells us that SS models will be equipped with the new FE4 suspension package, born from the development the upcoming Camaro ZL1. V6 Camaros will now pack 323 horsepower, a gain of 11 over the 2011 model-year cars.

GM will produce the Camaro 45th Anniversary Edition to meet demand, so there should be plenty to go around. In addition to the interior and mechanical adjustments, the car wears special logos on the fenders, seat backs, door sills, steering wheel and dash to separate it from the rest of the Camaro stable. Pricing will be available closer to the convertible’s fall launch date. Hit the jump for the full press blast.

Continue reading 2012 Chevrolet Camaro 45th Anniversary Edition shows off at Indy

2012 Chevrolet Camaro 45th Anniversary Edition shows off at Indy originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 29 May 2011 09:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Forget kicking tires, VW dealer shows off GTI durability with enthusiasm

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Videos, Hatchback, Volkswagen, Humor

Dealer abusing a Volkswagen Golf GTI

Larry Roesch Volkswagen puts a GTI through its paces – Click above to watch video after the jump

Buying a used vehicle can be a scary experience. You just never know what kind of abuse the car has been subjected to by the hands of a previous owner, which is why plenty of people knowingly take the depreciation hit and buy new. After all, what kind of harm can a vehicle endure from the time it leaves the production facility until you sign on the dotted line? Quite a bit, according to the video after the jump. One very overzealous Volkswagen dealer set about taking to the YouTubes to demonstrate the sturdiness of his wares.

An innocent GTI was subjected to a few full-force door slams. That’s cringe-worthy enough in our book, but the wayward salesman wasn’t quite done. He then proceeded to use the full force of his body weight to jump up and down on the open driver’s door. While we appreciate a dealer’s desire to prove how well the vehicles he sells are built, we wouldn’t want that done to our own cars… and we’d hate to see what these guys do to the vehicles when the camera isn’t rolling.

Hit the jump to see the mayhem for yourself. Thanks for the tip, Mateusz!

Continue reading Forget kicking tires, VW dealer shows off GTI durability with enthusiasm

Forget kicking tires, VW dealer shows off GTI durability with enthusiasm originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 May 2011 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Vintage crash compilation shows how far racing has come

Filed under: Motorsports, Classics, Europe, Videos, Racing

Killed Myself when I was Young

Killed Myself When I Was Young – Click above to view videos after the jump

This compilation of racing crashes in the 1930s, ’40s, and ’50s is a jarring reminder of when auto racing really was a life-or-death venture. Put simply, if you drove a race car during this period, you were as likely to be killed as you were to retire.

Thanks to ever-increasing speeds and no regard for driver and spectator safety, it was common for races to turn deadly. Because of the sacrifices these drivers made, racers, teams and sanctioning bodies have since come together to make racing safer than ever.

If “Killed Myself When I Was Young” interests you, check out the hour-long YouTube video “Grand Prix: The Killer Years,” detailing the fight for even basic safety measures in Formula 1. Be advised that neither video is for the faint of heart; both are embedded after the jump.

Continue reading Vintage crash compilation shows how far racing has come

Vintage crash compilation shows how far racing has come originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 22 May 2011 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Patent shows Porsche working on pop-up hood for next 911

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Safety, Technology, Porsche

Porsche emblem

Europe is a dangerous place to be a pedestrian. With crowded cities characterized by gridlock and narrow streets, you have to be on your game every second to avoid getting bowled over by a raging, overzealous motorist. All too often, that spells tragedy.

With one-sided car-on-human accidents on the rise, automakers are feeling increased pressure from their governments to make their cars safer, not just for the guy behind the wheel, but the guy they might hit.

Porsche is apparently working on a pop-up hood for the upcoming 911, which would raise up in the event of a collision with a pedestrian and, with any luck, reduce the severity of their injuries. The system works via a set of time delay-controlled actuators, which helps ensure that the system protects unfortunate passerby as effectively as possible.

Patent shows Porsche working on pop-up hood for next 911 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 May 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ram shows off Long-Hauler Concept in high resolution

Filed under: Concept Cars, Truck, Chrysler, Dodge

ram long-hauler concept

Ram Long-Hauler Concept truck – Click above for high-res image gallery

When Ram first showed off its new super-stretch Long-Hauler concept truck, we couldn’t help but think those initial photos looked like they were shot with a first-generation iPhone sporting a greased-over camera lens. Now, however, Chrysler has been so kind as to bring in a professional who’s pulled a few high-resolution images off their memory card.

We’re assuming the photographer stood way back to capture the entire 24-foot-long, quad-cab pickup truck. It’s called the Long-Hauler because it can carry enough fuel (170 gallons in total) to keep on truckin’ for around 1,600 miles between fill-ups.

Want to see it for yourself? Chrysler is taking its new super-steed out to a few shows. Click past the jump to see if the Ram Long-Hauler Concept will be making a pit-stop near you. Also, click through the gallery to check out this titan-truck from a different few angles, including a shot of the interior.

Gallery: Ram Long-Hauler Concept truck

Ram Long-Hauler ConceptRam Long-Hauler ConceptRam Long-Hauler ConceptRam Long-Hauler Concept interiorRam Long-Hauler Concept seat

Continue reading Ram shows off Long-Hauler Concept in high resolution

Ram shows off Long-Hauler Concept in high resolution originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 May 2011 21:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Luxgen shows Neora EV concept in Shanghai

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, China, Shanghai Motor Show, Electric

Luxgen Neora EV Concept

Luxgen Neora EV Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Luxgen is making a splash at the Shanghai Motor Show with the world debut of its Neora EV sedan shown here. Sporting a 48 kW induction motor, Luxgen says the car’s electric powertrain will push the four-door to 60 miles per hour in an impressive 6.5 seconds. That may not be lightning quick, but it’s plenty rapid enough – even by internal combustion standards. To make matters more intriguing, Luxgen says the Neora should be able to go around 250 miles on a single charge. When the juice runs out, the company claims you can have the Neora’s battery back to 80 percent within an hour, meaning you shouldn’t have to worry too much about longer journeys.

Inside, there’s a full-length glass roof to let in natural light and an LED-screen rear-seat entertainment system. Up front, Luxgen has installed a head-up display to keep the driver’s eyes on the road while he keeps tabs on the infotainment system.

There’s no telling how much of the Neora’s shape will make production, but Luxgen says the car will set the design language for its upcoming offerings. Though the Neora is carrying around a raft of forward-looking tech wizardry, the car’s overall shape looks like it could be a production sedan with just a few tweaks.

Even so, the Taiwanese automaker is noticeably quiet about a production schedule and doesn’t give any indication when its future offerings might surface.

Gallery: Luxgen Neora EV Concept

Luxgen Neora EV ConceptLuxgen Neora EV ConceptLuxgen Neora EV Concept

[Source: Luxgen]

Continue reading Luxgen shows Neora EV concept in Shanghai

Luxgen shows Neora EV concept in Shanghai originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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