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Saturday, April 5, 2008
A Toyota Prius hybrid compact car is exhibited at the Tokyo Motor Show in Makuhari, east of Tokyo, in this Oct. 19, 2005, file photo. Toyota Motor Corp. on Wednesday April 2, 2008, denied it had received any funding from the Japanese government to develop its hit Prius gas-electric hybrid car. Japan's top automaker rejected a March 24 Business Week report that quoted Jim Press, vice chairman and president of Chrysler LLC and a former board member at Toyota, as saying, "The Japanese government paid for 100 percent of the development of the battery and hybrid system that went into the Toyota Prius." (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi, FILE)
read the press rilis : here
These two spots feature the customization available for the Scion tC and the Scion xB. The spot for the tC shows it racing around an indoor course that seems both toy-like and futuristic. For the xB, the car is revealed without tires underneath a subway. Both cars dynamically metamorphise as they show the options available. The voiceover says that both cars are ready for personalization at Scion.com with over 30 accessories.
What Works:
This spot is as interesting for the vision it shows us of the future as for the brand it promotes. It is effective on both levels. The look and feel of the commercial will be unfriendly to people not in the brand community - if you do not love the idea of taking an old Civic that’s worth $8,000 and putting $30,000 of accessories into it, then this commercial may not make sense to you. On the other hand, for the car customizer it looks as if Scion has suddenly made things much easier and more interesting.
Her is what works in this spot:
1. Positioning - Toyota is really borrowing the original Saturn brand positioning “A different kind of car. A different kind of company,” and radically altering its DNA. Scion is positioned not just to the world of car tuners but the to future of car manufacturing that they can see and understand - where every car coming off an assembly line will be unique and customized to its owner.
2. Brand Recognition - This is a ‘product as hero’ spot so the Scions take center stage for the entire duration of each advertisment. The advantage is that because of their distinct styling, the brand imprint is strong. It would be hard to think about these commercials and not remember that they’re for Scion if you remember anything at all.
3. Environment - Toyota does a good job of using the environment of the spot to reinforce the brand positioning. Each Scion appears in a fantasy location. In the tC spot we find ourselves on a track so fantastic that it might just be a toy racecar track turned into a real life circuit. The xB is a discarded treasure waiting to be discovered under a subway line. The morphing video effects also support this environment by making the car seem like the dream toy of every 15 year old boy. The music, lighting and shot selection all work very hard to reinforce the environment created by these commercials.
This vision is compelling because it offers the ultimate brand promise - a product made just for you, for what you need and what will make you happy.
What Doesn’t:
Customization can be a one-trick pony if Scion doesn’t keep ahead of rivals. This means more options easier to design and quicker to deliver at a fair price. Because no manufacturer selling to this crowd of extremely high-spending car buyers can fail to see the opportunity presented for add-on sales here. After you receive your customized car, Scion can keep selling you options and take back even more revenue from aftermarket shops.
By making the Scion as much a product of the purchaser’s imagination as the designer’s, Scion has given control to its users in a good way. But if that basic promise (my car, my way) stops being met, or if the reality of designing a car on the Internet and buying it is more difficult than it appears, Scion will have dug its own customized grave.
Friday, April 4, 2008
At the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, General Motors unveiled the Chevrolet Volt concept, the company's first plug-in hybrid vehicle, The Chevy Volt concept car is the first vehicle to use GM's new E-flex family of propulsion systems. According to GM test, the new Chevy Volt offers triple-digit fuel economy and can travel up to 640 miles without a stop at the gas station or the electric outlet.
The Chevy Volt concept car represents a new way of thinking for American automobile manufacturers, By leveraging the E-flex propulsion system and a variety of other promising new technologies, Chevy has created an automobile perfect for short commutes, 60 mile trips and long drives. According to GM's calculations, the Volt would save the typical driver 500 gallons of fuel a year, amounting to a net cost savings of $900 (assuming gas costs $2.40 a gallon). The addition to a home electric bill would be about $300.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Citroen announced that they will enter the 76th Monte Carlo rally with two 2008 Citroen C4 WRC’s driven by Sebastien Loeb/Daniel Elena, and Dani Sordo/Marc Marti. The two 2008 Citroen C4 WRC’s will start in the 76th Monte Carlo rally on January 24.
Citroen ready for the ‘off’ on the road to Monte Carlo
A year after making its competition debut with a resounding one-two finish on the 2007 Monte Carlo Rally, the Citroen C4 WRC is poised to tackle the World Rally Championship’s longest-standing event for the second time. For the first round of the 2008 season, Citroen Sport has entered two cars for four-time World Champions Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena and their Spanish team-mates Dani Sordo/Marc Martí.
In the course of its long history, the Monte Carlo Rally has emerged as the world’s most famous rally. Last year’s event saw the return of legendary stages like Saint Jean en Royans, Burzet and Saint Bonnet le Froid, and this year’s menu features the comeback of yet another classic: the Col du Turini. Should snow make an appearance, the setting will be ideal!
“I’m obviously dreaming of a white Monte Carlo, with real wintry conditions,” says Sébastien Loeb. “The route focuses on three different regions, so the stages will be very varied. Thursday evening’s tests are wide, fast and smooth. Those in the Ardèche are more technical, narrower and occasionally bumpy. Last year, the conditions were particularly dry but it should be fun if we get snow and ice this time round! I am delighted to see that the Col du Turini and some other classic stages in the southeast corner of France are back. That said, the challenge of having to contest the final day’s four stages with the same tires could well turn out to be quite delicate.”
read the rest entry here
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
The EcoRacer uses a carbon-fiber monocoque worthy of a Formula 1 machine. The engine, mounted amidships, is an early version of a new common rail diesel due in 2007. The result is a two-seater that pushes the sports-car envelope one full step beyond the likes of Lotus, Westfield, Caterham, and Ariel. Not only does it accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds and top out at 143 mph, according to VW, it also averages a miserly 80 mpg. The only reason to sniff at the EcoRacer is the scent of diesel exhaust, which adds pungence to the open-air driving experience. We took the orange-metallic head turner for a spin on the Pau Arnos circuit in the south of France.
The engine starts at the push of a button, the gearbox responds promptly to paddle-shift inputs, and the accelerator offers instantaneous response. The cockpit layout is ultrasimple, and the shift lever meets your hand with a pleasant blend of leather and aluminum.
Hyundai unveiled its highly anticipated Concept Genesis Coupe during a press conference at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. The concept car heralds the introduction of an all-new, rear-wheel drive 2 + 2 sports coupe scheduled to join the Hyundai lineup in the spring of 2009. Following the introduction earlier this year of the Concept Genesis sedan, Concept Genesis Coupe signals Hyundai’s second step in broadening its appeal to driving enthusiasts.
read the rest entry here : allworldcars.com
Suzuki will unveil the third Kizashi concept at the upcoming New York Auto Show which starts on March 21. The first Suzuki Kizashi concept premiered at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year.
The impressively funky Suzuki SX4 gets a sedan sibling by Thom Blackett
2008 Suzuki SX4 Sedan Preview –
New York Auto Show: Think of the last Suzuki ad you saw that didn't feature an SUV racing toward a motorcycle or an all-terrain vehicle romping around in the dirt. Chances are you can't, so don't hurt yourself by trying too hard. That lack of marketing makes it hard for shoppers to be aware of, let alone appreciate little gems like the all-wheel-drive SX4 wagon/crossover thing or its sedan sibling that will be arriving later this fall. Making its world debut at the Geneva Auto Show, the 2008 Suzuki SX4 sedan has the makings for a hit (albeit an unsung hit) if it arrives with the wagon's interior spaciousness, competent powertrain, and exceptional value. [source]
Subaru launched the 2008 Legacy and Outback models at the Detroit show, and while it's largely business as usual for the all-wheel-drive duo, there are a few revisions that the Subie fans amongst our readership might find interesting.
After its kid brother, the Impreza, has gotten a new face time and time again, the Legacy and Outback have now gotten their turn under the knife. Sheetmetal up front is the biggest change for 2008. The Legacy gets a new, bigger, chromed-up grille; restyled bumpers front and rear with shorter overhangs; and new headlights and taillights. The Outback gets a bigger, more upright and rugged-looking grille, plus restyled fenders, restyled hood and new wheels. Stability control will be offered on more models, and a tire pressure monitoring system becomes standard. Both models also get some revised features inside.
The 2008 model year also marks the debut of the range-topping Legacy 3.0 R, transplanting the 3-liter DOHC 245-hp Flat-6 engine that's already under the hood in its Outback sister car. Paddle-shifters for the 5-speed auto are also new, and the car bobs and weaves on a Bilstein suspension setup. And while it may not have the clout of a premium German badge, the 3.0 R makes a compelling case against the usual suspects from Europe.
read about the press release <Here>
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
In keeping with today's theme of antics and tomfoolery, above is an image of the Fontana di Venere at Villa d'Este, Tivoli, and below is an image of another fountain at the villa, the Teatro e Fontana della Civetta.
Made by Giovanni Francesco Venturini in 1691 and digitized by Catena, the Digital Archive of Historic Gardens and Landscapes, they are two of the best illustrations available online showing a giochi d'aqua in action.
Giochi d'aqua were water jets concealed between paving slabs, in benches, staircases and statues. Controlled by gardeners behind the scenes, these hidden little fountains would sprinkle unsuspecting visitors, catching them off-guard. One minute they're enjoying the genteel pleasantries of a garden walk and the next minute they're scampering about in their fineries, frantically searching for an escape, if there is one.
With the spigots in the hands of the lascivious, women could get a titillating squirt up their dresses or get completely soaked from a puti's simulated urine or other.
Replace the water with battery acid and you could have the penultimate setting of Indiana Jones V or Tomb Raider III. Not in the Mayan jungles of the Yucatan or steamy Angkor Wat but in a sun-drenched papal garden of Tuscany. It's an anxious space under constant threat of eruptions.
In any case, these whimsical water features — which really were an astoundingly complex network of hydraulics — were common in Mannerist Italian gardens, since they provided the element of surprise, an important feature of any mannerist work.
On fountains
