July 2012

Joyful Fiats dive into sea for trip to U.S. in new television spot

(July 17, 2012) AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — The Fiat brand is depicting the tale of its arrival to the U.S. market with a new commercial that features vehicles joyously cliff-diving and leaping into the sea as they make their way from Italy to the U.S. The new commercial, “Immigrants” features the Fiat 500 product portfolio and debuts tonight on various broadcast and cable networks.

Honda CRF25OR machine of choice for James Bond in newest 007 film

(July 17, 2012) Honda in the UK has announced its partnership with the upcoming James Bond film, Skyfall, and today unveiled the actual Honda machines used in the film, at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu.

Honda’s CRF250R motorcycle proved to be the machine of choice by the 007 film’s action vehicles and stunt crew teams. These motorbikes were modified for the opening sequence of the 23rd James Bond film which was shot in Istanbul and Adana, Turkey earlier this year.

Could this be the next Nissan Versa hatchback?

(July 17, 2012) FRANKLIN, Tenn. — As a part of Nissan North America's offensive of five new models in 15 months, the sub-compact Versa hatchback will receive a fresh new look that takes design cues from the new Nissan Note — shown below.

Fashion and cars: The matching of soles and souls

(July 16, 2012) DETROIT — Shoe collections for this year's spring season drew heavy influence from the glamour and opulence of 1950s hot wheels. Oozing sex appeal and status for men and women alike, the legendary chrome-finned Chevrolet Bel Air inspired summer clothing and footwear collections in Italy and elsewhere.

Ford recalling some new Escapes over carpeting flaw

(July 16, 2012) WASHINGTON  — Ford is recalling more than 8,000 of its recently launched 2013 Escape compact sport-utility vehicles because a carpeting flaw may cause drivers to apply the brakes improperly, increasing stopping distances and the risk of crashes.

Central London Audi store has entire lineup — digitally

(July 16, 2012) LONDON — Audi is preparing automotive retail for the future and complementing its dealer network with a new format — Audi City. The first location opens today in London close to Piccadilly Circus. The brand’s entire model line-up is presented fully digitally in a compact space.

Sun, fun and the Subaru XV Crosstrek in Hawaii

CLANGING BELL
By Russ Heaps

(July 15, 2012) I'm freshly returned from driving the all-new Subaru XV Crosstrek. It's a crossover in the spirit of the Honda
CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Juke and Mini Countryman. In fact, these are the very vehicles Subaru wants Crosstrek to engage.

Ken Block's newest ultimate urban playground — San Francisco

(July 14, 2012) Exclusive new images are now available of Ken Block’s Gymkhana FIVE: Ultimate Urban Playground; San Francisco, the fifth installment of the award-winning viral video franchise. This time, Block’s Gymkhana unleashes 246 "horses" in the shape of the new Gord Focus ST, through the iconic cityscape of San Francisco.

Mazda releases first two teaser videos of 2014 Mazda6

(July 13, 2012) IRVINE, Calif. — The all-new 2014 Mazda6 is here. Almost. Beginning this week and continuing throughout the month of July, Mazda and its global affiliates will be releasing teaser spots of its redesigned mid-size sedan via YouTube.

Each video, none more than 20 seconds in length, will focus on different angles and features of the highly anticipated re-imagination of the Mazda6. The final video, which will integrate the four craftily cropped initial videos, as well as additional images, will be released on July 25.

Portuguese police can sneak up on criminals in quiet Nissan Leaf

(July 13, 2012) ROLLE, Switzerland — Portuguese criminals need to take extra care if they want to avoid being caught red-handed. Local police have taken delivery of a fleet of stealthy Nissan Leaf electric vehicles, allowing them to arrive at the scene of a crime in near silence.

The eight Nissan Leaf police cars will be operated by Portugal's PSP (Polícia de Segurança Pública) the security force responsible for policing the large urban areas of the country.