Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising

Remember when the dot-com ads started to flood the airwaves during the Super Bowl? The ads were almost always wacky, and half the time, we didn't even know what was being sold. Well, it's been a long time since the 1990s, and very few Internet-based companies are still hocking services during The Big Game.

Cars.com is one of the WiFi warriors that is still swinging for the fences, and some of their past work has been reasonably funny. Their 2012 ad is all about using Cars.com to gain confidence at the dealership, but we're not sure what to think about it. There is something about a man with a freaky second head that doesn't sit well with us, and we like it even less when noggin part deux is intentionally obnoxious. Seriously, we could do without the gyrating, it's creeping us out. Hit the jump to preview the 30-second ad for yourself.

Continue reading This year's Cars.com Super Bowl commercial weirds us out

This year's Cars.com Super Bowl commercial weirds us out originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Car Buying, Ford, Earnings/Financials

Most everyone at Ford is grinning from ear-to-ear these days, as the company is enjoying profits as well as a vastly improved product portfolio and public image. Sales are up, the product pipeline is full, and market share grew last year. You can almost imagine Ford CEO Alan Mulally saying, "What, me worry?"

But that's exactly what he should be doing, according to Forbes, which suggests Ford is growing arrogant and its numbers aren't nearly as solid as they appear. For instance, Forbes says Ford was also right up there with Toyota and Honda when it came to recalls last year, far outpacing crosstown rivals General Motors and Chrysler. Ford recalled some 3.3 million vehicles in 2011, compared to 773,000 for Chrysler and just 500,000 for GM.

But the real shocker is that Forbes says Ford tops all automakers when it comes to fleet sales. Not only are fleet sales usually less profitable, but they also tend to hurt resale values, meaning that selling 32 percent of its vehicles into fleets last year does not bode well for the Blue Oval or the residual values of its owners. According to the report, the model with the most fleet sales was the new-for-2012 Focus. A staggering 45 percent of Focus models sold last year were to fleets, which isn't good for anyone, save the guy standing in line at the Hertz counter.

Ford tops in non-retail sales, 45% of Focus sold to fleets originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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At least according to some early Prius C reviews

After more than 10 years on the market, hybrid cars have sadly achieved very little in terms of real world impact. At less than 3 percent marketshare of total US auto sales, hybrids are still just scratching the surface of change. Ultimately, prices have to come down.

That makes the sub-$19,000 smaller Toyota Prius C interesting, but now comes word that the Prius C isn’t even very Prius-like, except in terms of fuel economy. Instead, the new Prius C is “taut, sporty and, yes, even fun.”

Did someone just say Prius and fun?

Yes, the folks over at InsideLine certainly did. Like many children, the “un-Prius-like” Toyota Prius C is going to be a little more wild than its parents

While I haven’t yet had the opportunity to drive the new Prius C I have been intrigued by its looks. I’m sure such a statement prompts many to clamor that the new C looks just like a Prius, only smaller. It does, but there is something about the smaller shape and the reduced dimensions that have made the new Prius seem less science experiment-like, and more like a regular old hatchback. From the back and sides, especially, the C definitely takes on a shape of its own.

I’m still more of a fan of  Toyota’s Lexus CT 200h design cues, however, but I definitely like the flow of the Prius C’s design language better than that of the conventional Prius. It even looks a little more sporty.

But looks are one thing. To now learn that the new Prius C also handles better than the conventional Prius makes those smaller lines even more groovy. In fact, it’s going to be very interesting to see how the Prius C fares in the under $20,000 car segment. (For more on this angle check out, $19,000 Toyota Prius C: Why buy a Corolla or other compact?).

Yesterday, Kipplingers named the Chevy Cruze Eco Manual, Best in Class for 2012 in this segment, but the Cruze’s numbers seem to fall short compared to this new Prius. For instance, the national average price of the Cruze comes in at $19,889, and the Cruze averages 28/42 mpg city/highway.

With a promised sub-$19,000 price and a 53/46 mpg advantage, the Prius C already seems very compelling, particularly for urban commuters. But, assuming conventional Prius ride quality, one would imagine the Cruze would still have an advantage. However, now that it appears that the new Prius C will defy these ride quality expectations, the C might provide some real competition in this segment.

In fact, maybe this is the hybrid that finally tops Prius sales, even though this un-Prius-like hybrid is still a Prius.

Airlines flying in Europe are finding different ways for handling the new emission trading scheme that took effect at the beginning of the year. While many airlines in North American and Asia continue to question the validity of the requirements to purchase carbon credits, several European carriers are developing plans for buying and trading carbon credits.

Germany’s Lufthansa told Reuters it has been continuously buying up credits on the open market. Currently carbon credits in Europe are at bargain prices. The price is about half of what it was in 2010 at roughly 7 Euros per ton of carbon. The requirement to buy carbon credits is effectively a tax to provide an economic incentive to minimize emissions of C02 by the airlines.

As of January 1, airlines flying to and from EU airports must have enough carbon credits to cover the emissions from their flights. The airlines join power and industrial plants in the EU that have been submitting carbon credits since 2005. Under the plan the airlines are given a number of free carbon credits to cover some of their operations, they must acquire the remaining credits either through trade or purchase.

Members of the Star Alliance group which includes United and Lufthansa told Reuters they will likely use a broker to help members buy credits on the open market at discounted rates. Airlines in the rival SkyTeam including Air France and Delta are expected to trade internally with members of the airline group to acquire some of the needed credits, purchasing the rest on the market.

Some United States carriers have already said they will be adding a surcharge to cover the cost of the credits.

A representative of Air France told Reuters the fleet will receive a free allocation of about 12.6 million tons of credit, but it expects to emit between 16-17 million tons for 2012.

Both Air France and Lufthansa say they are buying credits directly from a Paris based exchange known as BlueNext.

In the coming  years airlines are expected to begin hedging and trading carbon credits in much the same way they do with jet fuel today. Buying and trading of carbon credits is expected to pick up dramatically this year as the airlines will be required to submit their credits against the free allocations.

Photo: Lufthansa

An easy hybrid revolution

In a few months Toyota promises to offer a new smaller Prius that will achieve 50 mpg and cost just under $19,000, a pretty compelling offering, right. Well, imagine if that new Prius instead cost $14,000 and achieved 65 mpg.

That’s the potential of the wave disk generator according to its backers.

Funded by the Advanced Research Project Agency less than 3 years ago, the new wave disk generator has overcome all major obstacles in the past couple years, consistently defying its critics, according to its developers at Michigan State University. By replacing pistons, camshafts and valves, this new small engine / generator cuts waste heat in half and converts it into  electricity — a concept that works perfectly with hybrid cars.

“We have proven the concept,” said Pablo Parraga, a doctoral student at MSU and research assistant on the project. “We have moved past the challenges and now things are really working.”

While funding for the project will soon run out, several automakers have expressed interest in the technology. Likewise, ARPA might offer up a second round of funding.

I’m sure there are still obstacles, but if you want to change what people drive, a 65 mpg $14,000 hybrid sure sounds like a good start. Perhaps there will be a wave disk generator hybrid car in your driveway one day soon.

Source: Lansing City Pulse

While the typical parking lot shot we’ve seen provides a glimpse of everyday life and everyday commuter cars, there tend not to be too many of the more exciting cars we see at car shows nowadays. Unless, that is, you were to be taking shots of a parking lot at a motorsports event, as Dave Friedman did when he was at Road America in 1963. Naturally, the vast majority of his shots from that event (uploaded to Flickr recently by The Henry Ford) focus on the racing, but he did snap these three overalls of the parking lot, showing what sorts of vehicles the automotive enthusiast drove back then. What do you see here?

After September 11, 2001 some airline pilots were granted the authority to carry guns while on duty in the cockpit. The pilots are trained on how to use the weapon in the unlikely event a person were to enter the cockpit and threaten the safety of the flight. Now a group representing the armed pilots wants to expand their authority so pilots who have the training can carry their hand guns while riding in the back of the airplane as well as in airport terminals.

The president of the Federal Flight Deck Officers Association told a Senate committee that there are five times as many airline pilots flying as passengers on airliners as there are Federal Air Marshals. The Air Marshals are the specially trained federal officers who travel undercover as security on a random selection of flights. But Marcus Flagg, president of the FFDO, told the Senate committee the Marshals cost about $3,300 per flight and the cost limits the number of Marshals on board aircraft. Flagg said expanding the authority of armed pilots would significantly increase the number of armed officers on board flights.

“A FFDO as a flying pilot at the controls would defend the aircraft from the cockpit only, and not exit the cockpit” Flagg told the committee (.pdf).  “If one or more FFDOs are riding as passengers in the back of that same aircraft, they may be the only trained law enforcement on board (including cockpit crew).”

Flagg said limiting the pilots to having an unlocked gun only available in the cockpit limits the usefulness of having the armed pilots. Currently pilots must have their weapons locked when carrying them to and from the cockpit and they cannot carry their weapons outside the cockpit such as during a visit to the lavatory.

The number of pilots who have been through the training and are authorized to carry a gun in the cockpit has not been released. But Flagg told the Orlando Sun Sentinel that the number is just under the FBI which has 13,800 armed officers according to the paper.

No armed pilot has had to use a gun to defend against a threat since the program started in 2002. There has been one accidental discharge of a gun in the cockpit of a US Airways flight while the airplane was on approach to land. There flight landed safely. In another incident a JetBlue pilot lost his hand gun when it was picked up by a passenger who mistakenly picked up the wrong backpack containing the locked weapon at John F. Kennedy airport in New York. The passenger realized she had the wrong bag after boarding her flight and returned it to a flight attendant.

Pilots undergo six days of training on how to use a gun for defending the cockpit. This compares to the many months of training for the Federal Air Marshals or typical police officers.

Photo: Flickr/Fly For Fun

художници на икониThree Great Ways to look after you finances and the Ozone

There was a time when fuel cost barely anything and it was easy to afford a trip to see the family. However, as the price increases, there are more looks into how to lower the amount that you are spending. The good news is that this will also help to protect the environment. The idea is to cut down on the amount of emissions that you are letting off.

Give Your Car a Regular Service

Yes, you want to save money but the best way that you can do that is by spending some. This may not make a lot of sense at first but it will in the long run. By investing in a regular service on your car – usually available with an MOT – you will be able to make sure that your car is in top shape. By doing this, you will make sure that less fuel is used, less emissions are let off and so the environment and your bank balance are protected.

Stop Driving Around

The worst thing that you can do is drive around when you are lost. You may think that driving around in circles will help you spot signposts to help you but you will waste time, fuel and money – and you are putting a lot of emissions into the air.

Before you set off, check and double check the directions. This will give you a chance find out road names and the numbers to get a picture in your head. Always have a map in your car and never be afraid to stop to ask for directions. Remember that online maps can be wrong so have a paper based map in your car as well as the GPS on your phone or a Sat Nav.

Opt for Walking or Taking Public Transport

So, you may end up saving some time by taking a drive to the shop down the road, but think about the damage that you are doing to the environment. You let emissions off at all times and burning fuel for no reason. Take a walk down to the shops – you will benefit from the fresh air.

Instead of driving to work, find a local bus route or look out for any trains. This will help you to cut down on the cost of fuel and will also help to cut down on the damage to the ozone. After all, the public transport will travel anyway, so you may as well use it instead of adding more emissions.

These are just a few ways of cutting down on the amount of emissions being let off into the air and the amount of fuel that you are using. This will naturally help you to cut down on the money that you spend and will also help with decrease the damage that you do to the ozone. If you do have the money and really want to invest in something, consider opting for hybrid cars, which also let fewer emissions into the air.

Photo courtesy RM Auctions

Illustrating the depth of the top-end sales at the recent RM Auctions event at the glamorous Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, Corvette #005, which we previewed here last month, sold for $445,500, an impressive number, but one that didn’t even gain it admittance into that sale’s top 10 list.

Featuring fewer cars than last year’s sale – entries were capped at 140 cars rather than the 180 of 2011 – RM’s final sales figures remained suitably impressive, with 126 of those 140 finding new homes, and the total selling price for all vehicles topping $25 million.

Photo courtesy RM Auctions

It was prancing Modenese horses that proved gold at RM: Their biggest number was achieved by the 1957 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Scaglietti Coupe, which brought $1,815,000, coming in right at the lower end of RM’s pre-auction estimate of $1.75 million to $2.25 million. Other bell ringers included a 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spyder that sold for $990,000, a 1957 BMW 507 that sold for $990,000, a 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso Berlinetta that sold for $979,000, a 1930 Duesenberg Model J Long Wheelbase Dual Cowl Phaeton that sold for $880,000, and a 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 that sold for $880,000. These prices include the 10 percent buyer’s premium.

“Our Arizona sale proved to be a great kick-start to what is shaping up as another terrific auction year,” said Rob Meyers, Chairman and Founder of RM Auctions. “We are very pleased with the results of the sale and were delighted to welcome the world’s premier collectors back to the Arizona Biltmore.”

For more information and results, visit RMAuctions.com.

VOGTLAND is expanding its portfolio with a suspension lowering module for a number of vehicles that have been equipped with air suspension ex works. The manufacturer of high-quality chassis components makes it possible to lower electronically the center of gravity of premium automobiles by up to 40 millimeters. Besides giving the car a sporty look, it also improves its driving dynamics. The additional module is offered including vehicle-specific plug connections and a TÜV technical component report. Depending on vehicle type, the VOGTLAND “Lowering box” is connected to the serial steering electronics of the on-board power supply. E.g. for the Porsche Cayenne and Volkswagen Touareg it only takes a few minutes to install the box behind the trunk’s side paneling.

VOGTLAND’s electronic suspension lowering is 100% compatible with original equipment. Therefore, the numerous convenience features, such as the “adaptive air suspension” for Audi, the “Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) for Porsche Panamera and Cayenne, “AIRMATIC” for Mercedes-Benz’s adaptive muffler system or optional “Active Body Control” (ABC) air suspension chassis, remain functional and can be controlled via the on-board menu. When selling a car, the VOGTLAND lowering module can be uninstalled in just a few minutes.

The module is available for certain premium- and luxury limousines and SUVs made by Audi, Bentley, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volkswagen. An extensive list of applications is available from the website www.vogtland.com.

PP-Performance, the German chip tuning specialist has developed a power upgrade program for the latest BMW M5 model.
The reprogramming, which can be carried out via the OBD interface or the control unit itself, sees output from the twin-turbocharged 4.4 L V8 rise from 412 kW (560 hp) and 680 Nm (502 lb/ft) of torque to 456 kW (612 hp) and 750 Nm (553 lb/ft).

Priced at € 3,499, the changes result in a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) time of 4.1 seconds – down from 4.4 s, and an increased top speed of 310 km/h (192 mph). The company says a stage two conversion is currently in the pipeline.

More information: pp-performance.de

Succeeding in expanding the appeal of the Porsche Panamera by combining German engineering with quintessentially British styling is not entirely new territory to the man who embodies a brand and its identity.

Afzal Kahn has re-designed many a Porsche over the years. However, the end result of the A. Kahn Design Porsche Panamera in carbon grey complete with the F1 number plate (purchased for £460,000) is nicely weighted with a feeling of linearity and purity, taking the vehicle to a whole new dimension.

The Kahn Panamera’s wide track styling package consists of wide vented front and rear wheel arches with an integrated rear air dam, lower boot wing, Kahn lowered sports suspension system, billet aluminum side vents, privacy tinted glass, red brake calipers and tinted rear lamps – thus ensuring Afzal Kahn’s latest contribution to automotive design activity is on display for all to see.

Interconnected in order to coalesce design and engineering expression – the Kahn stainless steel quad exhaust system is centered around a radical design – reflecting an attraction to a pluto-matic lifestyle. Complete with the cross hair exhaust feature – it is a first cousin only to silence, and manners, ensuring an adequate yet nonchalant sensation – taking the vehicle to a whole new dimension.

Factory options include satellite navigation, bi-xenon headlamps, front and rear park assist, Porsche pdk including auto start/stop function, sport chrono plus package, power lift tailgate, heated front seats and iPod connectivity.
Another unique feature of this model is the amazing interior which has been upgraded to a magnificent level with a blend of claret quilted and perforated leather with the speedo and rev counter facia in red and cream.

However, we provide our customers with the opportunity to express one’s individuality. And they can have whatever they want. We could, for example, design for you a vehicle with an exterior matching your shoes and an interior the same shade of your living room, the choice is yours.

Kahn wheels sit perfectly, on any vehicle, conveying the essence of the vehicle’s identity. Created using state-of-the art manufacturing and materials technology, the 22” Kahn RS600 wheels are finished in the colour of your choice and fit all original centre caps.

With simple clean lines, soft organic surfaces on the edge of the spoke and a purposeful mechanical centre, the RS600 wheels are synonymous with elegance and innovation.

A. Kahn Design is for the individual who will not submit to a life of uniformity and who will only accept perfection. Dedicated to the creation of luxury bespoke vehicles, we redesign the ordered monotony of mass produced vehicles and rebuild them into individually tailored creations. This particular vehicle is available for £86,875 – photography alongside a black Kahn Panamera.