Kia Takes on Time Travelling with New Super Bowl Commercial for 2011 Optima

This year's Super Bowl is just around the corner and automakers are getting ready to spend millions of dollars to draw the attention of buyers. For a second year in a row, Kia will be present at the event with a full marketing campaign incorporating TV, digital, print and social media as well as in-dealership components, all focusing on the 2011 Optima midsize sedan.

The highlight of the campaign is a new 60-second spot that will air in the first quarter of Super Bowl XLV titled “One Epic Ride”. According to the company, the ad shows people across space and time "from a police officer and an international villain to aliens and an ancient chief" trying to get their hands on the all-new Optima, which "becomes an object of desire even for Poseidon", the Greek god of the sea.

“2010 was a historic year for Kia, including our best-ever U.S. sales and our first Super Bowl commercial, and it was an easy decision to return to the game this year to build on the brand’s momentum with the arrival of the all-new 2011 Optima,” said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing & communications, KMA. “The first phase of the Optima launch promised that this vehicle is ‘not your average midsize sedan,’ and we knew we had to deliver something big for this year’s Super Bowl to give this eye-catching vehicle the attention it deserves, while at the same time generating fun and genuine interactions with consumers before, during and after the Super Bowl.”

The South Korean automaker said it will extend the campaign by giving away up to five new Optimas through its “One Epic Contest,” a game in which consumers will have to solve a series of puzzles using clues found in pre-Super Bowl and game day advertisements and social media postings.

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Lamborghini Murcielago Successor gets F1-inspired Pushrod Suspension, Debut Confirmed for Geneva Show

It’s official: the much-awaited successor to the Lamborghini Murcielago (named either Aventador or Jota, depending on who you ask), will be unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show in early March. As well as officially confirming the supercar's show debut, Lamborghini also revealed details on the suspension.

The Murcielago's replacement will come with an F1-inspired pushrod spring and damper concept, tuned to "meet the needs of a high-performance road-going vehicle." Mores specifically, Lamborghini said that instead of linking to the wheel mounts, the spring/damper elements are connected to the body shell structure, in a transverse position. Pushrods and relay levers/rockers transmit the forces from the wheel mounts to the spring/damper elements, offering a series of benefits.

Because of this setup, wheel control and damper are separate units, improving handling and the reaction of the springs/dampers. This allowed engineers to use less stiff springs, increasing comfort. Last but not least, the shock absorbers are equipped with a hydraulic lifting system, capable of raising the front end of the car by 4 centimeters (1.57 inches) at the push of a button. Thus, small obstacles can be negotiated without causing damage to the front bumper.

All suspension parts are made from a forged aluminum alloy.

As previously reported, the Lambo is motivated by a newly developed 700HP 6.5-liter V12 engine, while stopping power comes from 400mm 6-pot caliper ventilated front and 380mm 4-pot caliper rear carbon ceramic brakes. The LP700-4 runs on 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels, shod in 255/35 and 335/30 tires respectively.

The steering system is hydraulic with three different servotronic settings, ranging from the hardcore “corsa” racetrack mode to less demanding setups.

There’s no official information on pricing yet, but one German dealer has already listed the car as the “Aventador LP700-4” for €309,900 (US$423,757) with 19% tax.

By Csaba Daradics

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Acura to Unveil 2012 TL Sedan at Chicago Auto Show in February

*Current 2011MY Acura Shown in Pictures

The next Chicago Auto Show, to be held for the public from February 11 to 20, will host the debut of the updated for the updated Acura TL. Honda's luxury division simply stated that the TL will be "newly refined" for the 2012 model year, without releasing any more details. The current, fourth generation TL was released onto the market in late 2008 and is offered with a 280HP 3.5-liter V6 and front wheel drive, or with a 305HP 3.7-liter V6 and the firm's all-wheel drive system. We'll post any updates on Acura's mid-size sedan as soon as they become available.

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Mazda to Lease All-Electric Mazda2 in Japan

Mazda today announced that it's developing an electric vehicle based on the Demio subcompact – known as the Mazda2 in Europe and North America –, which will be available for lease in Japan starting from spring 2012.

Details about the upcoming zero-emissions model are limited right now, with the official press release only stating that the car's driving range is expected to be around 200 km (124 miles) and that it will be leased mainly to local government bodies and fleet customers.

Mazda’s foray into the EV segment focuses on developing electric cars suitable for customers with short city commutes. Through the aforementioned lease program, the Japanese maker hopes to gain valuable information about usage requirements and electric drive technologies.

The acquired experience will also be used to improve the base technologies of the brand, as announced in the Building Block Strategy. Certain systems sourced from EVs such as regenerative braking tech, will make their way into conventional models, which will also benefit from the firm's SKYACTIV technologies, announced at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show.

For now, the company’s core values are going to be centered around the internal combustion engine, but in the long run, customers can expect to find an increasing number of eco-friendly technologies fitted to Mazda models.

By Csaba Daradics

*Note: Standard Mazda2 / Demio featured in photos

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Volkswagen Golf Mk7 Set to Debut at the End of 2012 or Early 2013

The Volkswagen Golf Mk7, based on the cost-saving modular transverse architecture known as MQB, is scheduled to debut at the “end of 2012 or early 2013”, according to a Reuters report citing a company spokesman.

The German automaker plans to eventually build some 3 million MQB-based vehicles annually across the group and expects savings in the double-digit percentage range thanks to a new production process. Unlike previous strategies that offered synergies across brands using the same underpinnings, the new manufacturing method delivers synergies across both brands and models.

As for the Mk7, buyers can expect conventional models to be powered by a range of turbocharged gasoline and diesel engines, while eco-friendly variants will get all-electric or hybrid (gasoline-electric or diesel electric) powertrains.

The design is a mystery at this point as scoop photos have only revealed test mules and not actual Mk7 prototypes, but it’s a pretty safe bet to say that the new Golf will borrow some styling cues from the current Jetta and Passat.

The first non-Volkswagen model to use the MQB platform will be the new Audi A3 due in the summer of 2012.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Reuters

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Porsche Considering Diesel-Powered Cayenne and Panamera Models for the U.S.

Porsche officials are exploring the possibility of adding diesel variants to the company's North American lineup to help meet the growing demand for fuel-efficient cars. On sale in Europe since early 2009, the Cayenne diesel could be one contender for the job and may be followed by the Panamera with a diesel engine and a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain.

“We are discussing internally if we should introduce the Cayenne diesel in the U.S. this year. Also a Panamera diesel is an option”, said the brand's sales and marketing chief, Bernhard Maier.

Beside the diesel version, Porsche is also currently selling the Cayenne S Hybrid with the two variants accounting for 30 percent of the model’s total sales worldwide.

Bringing the diesel-powered Cayenne to the States, which is the brand’s biggest single market, could give sales a further boost, after global Porsche deliveries rose by 27% to more than 97,000 units in 2010.

“We expect the diesel and hybrid share to grow further in 2011”, Mr. Maier said.

Citing inside company sources, Autonews Europe reported that the new Panamera variants are expected to be introduced before summer in Europe and could make their world debut at this year’s Geneva Motor Show in early March.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: ANE

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Tunisians Destroy Ferrari California Allegedly Owned by a Family Member of the Exiled President [with Videos]

Earlier this week, a video showing ousted Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano dangling from the forks of an industrial truck made world headlines. But that wasn't the only car from Maranello to be targeted by the angry protesters. New videos and photos showing yet another Prancing Horse model being 'liberated' have now surfaced online.

This time it's a red-colored Ferrari California claimed to be owned by a member of the former Tunisian Preseident's family named Sofiane Ben Ali. In their mad rush, Tunisian rioters utterly destroyed the hardtop convertible relieving it from tires, badges and anything else that could get their hands on.

The looting seems to have taken place in the garage where the Ferrari was parked, meaning that no one took the Italian supercar for a spin, which is kind of sad (in a twisted way of course...). Scroll down for the video and photos.

Source: Czechferrari via Autoblog.nl

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