Audi has just unveiled the complete version of its 2010 SuperBowl ad featuring the A3 TDI. The gist of the commercial is that the Green Police are out arresting regular folks doing regular things that are bad for the environment, like throwing out compost, using plastic bags for groceries or using incandescent light bulbs.
At a traffic stop to look for environmental offenders, the Green Police see an A3 TDI and let the driver go, while everyone else is stuck in traffic.
Read the full article here and for video of the commercial, see below.
Just when you think it can’t get any worse, the hits keep on coming for Toyota. This will show the world what this company is made of and so far it doesn’t look so good.
From AutoGuide.com:
Toyota has now expanded its internal investigation over braking issues to cover all hybrid models says a report by the Wall Street Journal. Toyota has already admitted that there was a braking problem with its 2010 Prius model, and according to Japan’s Nikkei News, Toyota is preparing to issue a recall for 270,000 Prius models from the 2010 model year.
Toyota has admitted it knew of a problem that caused a brief loss of braking during the transition from the car’s regenerative braking to its traditional friction braking. Toyota refers to this as “slight unresponsiveness” and says it usually lasts less than a second. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as well as Japanese authorities have registered over 100 complaints about the car’s brake system, where owners say they experienced a brief loss of braking capability when traveling over bumpy or icy roads. Toyota has said the issue has been solved on all models produced since late January but no recall has been ordered for models built before that time.
The 2011 refreshed Edge coming out this year is a big launch for Ford. The interior really needed some work and the word is that Ford hit the mark on this one! Will be showcased at the Chicago Auto Show in the coming weeks.
From Car and Driver.com:
The big reveal of the refreshed 2011 Ford Edge will take place in about two weeks at the 2010 Chicago auto show, but why wait—these spy snaps give us a pretty clear idea of what form it will take. Not only that, but this prototype also previews the Sport trim, which should continue to be the sharpest-looking Edge in the drawer.
As with its twin, the Lincoln MKX, the angular Edge undergoes a dramatic mid-cycle revamp for 2011, starting with fresh front-end styling that actually has some radius edges. Indeed, shades of the Toyota Venza and the Honda Accord Crosstour—both prime competitors—can be seen in the Edge’s visage, with a vast majority of its frontal area devoted to the T-shaped arrangement of the headlamps and thick three-bar grille. It does not appear, however, that the new fascia will be affixed to new front fenders (the MKX, by comparison, is all-new from the A-pillars forward), but certainty on that point is complicated by this prototype’s black-and-white “cheese-puff” camouflage.
To say that Toyota customers are up for grabs is an understatement! Waiting for at least one company to throw in a free cruise and free pizza for a year!
From the Detroit News:
Two of Toyota Motor Corp.’s competitors reversed course and said today they will join those offering incentives on trade-ins from Toyota owners.
Chrysler Group LLC and Hyundai Motor Co. are the latest to offer rebates. General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. were first to offer $1,000 incentives for Toyota owners through the end of February. Ford today said it also is increasing the amount of money it provides to dealers for advertising to allow them to capitalize on the opportunity created by Toyota’s woes.
Chrysler has spent the last two days mulling a change in its programs and had planned to wait until next week to announce its latest incentives.
Ouch!! What happened to the once great Toyota? Have they hit the point where things will start turning around after this huge embarrassment?
From the Detroit News:
Toyota Motor Corp., scrambling to contain damage to its reputation for safety, is halting sales and production of eight models that the automaker recalled last week to fix gas pedals that could get stuck.
Toyota said Tuesday it had told its U.S. dealers to stop selling the vehicles, which include the popular RAV4 compact sport utility vehicle and the Corolla and Camry sedans.
Toyota’s action seemed unprecedented in scope, although the company and other automakers have halted output of vehicles while they tried to correct a problem.
Awesome. Got a chance to see the new Lingenfelter Camaro concept car at Barrett-Jackson. Talking to the Lingenfelter rep revealed that the reception for the car at the SEMA show earlier this year has prompted them to put the car into production.
The car itself was gorgeous, the body work up to their typical standards and the interior well done. I can’t wait to see the final production model.
Also at the show is their new L28 Camaro. Since Chevy probably isn’t in the position to product the Z28 Lingenfelter is giving the next best thing. Most likely the better thing.
Lingenfelter also said they have some exciting thing coming for the Corvette, their bread and butter, in 2010. Keep and eye on this space for more news later this year.
Check out Car Tipping.com for more car reviews and news.
Does Buick’s new 2010 LaCrosse have the chops to compete with the big boys? The word “Boring” can’t be part of the equation here! We’ll know in a few months if they got it right.
From the Detroit News:
It was the perfect winter night in Michigan.
The stars sparkled like glitter. The crisp air burned my nose and stung my eyes, and hinted that snow was coming.
The light blue numbers on the dash of the 2010 Buick LaCrosse said the temperature outside was 11 degrees. Retreating inside the new LaCrosse was a welcome relief after a long day of mingling with auto executives at the North American International Auto Show.
Sometimes figuring out how to handle something so successful as the Prius can make or break a brand.
From the Free Press:
Can Toyota clone its golden goose? Or does the automaker’s plan to expand the Prius from a single model into a whole family of cars hold pitfalls for the brand and its most-acclaimed vehicle?
The Prius is the most-successful new nameplate of the 21st Century. Its styling and technology generated immense goodwill for Toyota.
Carroll Shelby’s own tuning company Shelby American has announced the return of the GT350 model, debuting it at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale 45 years after the original GT350 was released.
Based on the new 2011 Mustang GT, the GT350 gets a Ford Racing supercharged mated to the stock car’s 5.0-liter V8 to make roughly 500-hp – which shouldn’t be hard considering the stock motor already makes 412-hp. The engine also gets some bling with Blue Shelby GT350 valve covers and billet caps.
Chinese car maker BYD has some ambitious plans in the US. There are so many car makers in China that it makes it really hard to predict who will emerge as a global player.
From the Detroit News:
Detroit — China’s carmakers are becoming regular fixtures at international auto shows, and China’s BYD Auto Inc. is back in Detroit for the second year in a row.
BYD, which stands for “Build Your Dreams,” is displaying its e6 battery-powered electric sedan at the North American International Auto Show this week and hopes to sell it in the U.S. later this year.
BYD is one of China’s most ambitious carmakers, proclaiming at last week’s show preview for media that it aimed to become China’s No. 1 automaker by 2015 — and the world’s biggest by 2025.
