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Lexus NX, BMW i3 to get Super Bowl commercials

At this point last year, we'd been getting news on automotive-focused Super Bowl commercials for more than two months. The teasers hadn't come out yet, but manufacturers lined up for the super-expensive spots were making their intentions known. This year? Almost nada, until this week. BMW has said it will air a 60-second spot promoting the i3 during the first quarter of the game, the Munich firm returning to The Big Game after a four-year absence. BMW says, "Big ideas like the BMW i3 take a little getting used to, and the creative idea surrounding our spot will play on this analogy." We say that pitching a tiny range-extended hatchback during the beer-iest American sports orgy of the year should make for some neat commentary afterward. Lexus is putting its new NX crossover in the second Super Bowl commercial it's ever aired, eschewing the glitter of celebrities and glamor for a straight-shooting spot and the tagline, "Be seen, be heard, make some noise." Joining those two are Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Toyota. The six confirmed carmakers are down from eleven last year, when car spots made up a quarter of the total ad time. The price to do business for 30 seconds this year: reportedly around $4.5 million, up a stacks from last year's $4 million. You can watch the Lexus commercial in the video above, and beneath that, the BMW press release below has a bit more information on its effort. BMW to Advertise All-Electric BMW i3 during Super Bowl XLIX. The all-electric BMW i3 is featured in a 60-second spot during Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, February 1, 2015. Woodcliff Lake, NJ – January 15, 2015... Today, BMW announced plans to feature the all-electric BMW i3 in a 60-second spot during Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, February 1, 2015. After a 4-year hiatus, BMW will be returning to the big game with a commercial during the first quarter. "As one in three Americans will tune in to watch the Super Bowl, we are thrilled to use this platform to educate viewers on the importance of electric mobility," said Trudy Hardy, Vice President of Marketing, BMW of North America. "Big ideas like the BMW i3 take a little getting used to, and the creative idea surrounding our spot will play on this analogy." BMW i is BMW's forward-looking and sustainable brand dedicated to solving many of the mobility challenges faced by the world's most densely populated cities. The BMW i3 is the first of the BMW i vehicles constructed from the ground up primarily of carbon fiber.

BMW shows off 245-hp, hydrogen-powered 5 Series GT

With BMW's Innovation Days 2015 underway, the German luxury brand is showing off its latest piece of hydrogen-fuel-cell technology. Based in a 5 Series Gran Turismo, the system Í– co-developed with Toyota – promises to deliver on the promise of zero-emissions motoring, without the lengthy recharge times associated with plug-in electric vehicles. At the heart of BMW's latest FCV prototype is a new electric motor derived from the i sub-brand. It produces the equivalent of 245 horsepower, making it roughly comparable in output to the brand's latest 2.0-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder gas engines. It draws its fuel from a hydrogen fuel tank that sits between the axles. The BMW-patented storage system can hold enough compressed hydrogen to take the hunchbacked 5 Series 300 miles before refueling. BMW and Toyota first inked their FCV partnership back in 2013, with the goal of having "an initial group of approved components ready by 2020," and sales beginning at some point in the next decade. While Toyota has been touting its successes with hydrogen in the form of the new Mirai, this 5 Series marks the first time since the agreement was signed that the German company rolled out one of its hydrogen-powered cars to the public. Check out the 5 Series GT fuel-cell vehicle in the gallery up top, and then scroll down for the official press release from BMW. Long range, short refuelling times, zero emissions: Hydrogen fuel cell drive system points the way to the future of BMW eDrive technology. As part of its research and predevelopment work in the area of drive technology, the BMW Group has focused on the use of hydrogen as an energy source for more than 30 years now. In 2006 the first luxury sedan for everyday use to be powered by a hydrogen combustion engine was unveiled – the BMW Hydrogen 7. And more than 15 years ago the BMW Group also began to direct its spotlight onto hydrogen fuel cell drive systems. A constant stream of significant advances – in terms of energy efficiency, performance capability and everyday practicality – have likewise been made with this technology, which converts hydrogen into power for an electric drive system, rather than burning it inside the engine. The results of the research and development activities in the field of hydrogen fuel cell drive systems will be presented in driving demonstrations for the first time during the BMW Group Innovation Days 2015.

BMW and Roland Sands show off Concept 101 custom bagger

Though BMW may not be the first motorcycle manufacturer that comes to mind when you think of cruisers, that's precisely what the German marque has unveiled – in concept form at least – at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este this year. Appearing alongside the 3.0 CSL Hommage concept, the BMW Concept 101 is a custom "bagger" created in California through a collaboration between BMW Motorrad, BMW Designworks, and legendary bike builder Roland Sands. Better suited towards cruising down the highway than carving up a racetrack or a dirt trail, the Concept 101 strikes a rather stunning (if uncharacteristic) form. The elongated shape is rendered in materials like brushed aluminum, carbon fiber, and wood trim, tapering towards the rear that encompasses two hard saddle bags characteristic of this style of cruiser. The top half of the bike is done up in lighter shades than the dark bottom, capped by a saddle crafted in fine-grain black leather, perforated black leather and a strip of brown leather. Power comes commandingly from an inline-six displacing 1.6 liters – or about 101 cubic inches, which along with Highway 101, gives the concept bike its name. The engine breaths out through a pair of tailpipes, each with three outlets to emphasize the six-cylinder and envision what it would look like if Munich opted to take on the Honda Gold Wing F6C Valkyrie. Of course this isn't the first time BMW has done a bike with Roland Sands, nor the first time it's displaying a bike concept at Villa d'Este. Last year the German marque displayed the Concept Roadster at the same show, and did the Concept Ninety with the same custom shop at the previous year's concours. BMW Motorrad "Concept 101" - The Spirit of the Open Road. Munich/Cernobbio. Every year, the most impressive representatives of the mobile past and future on both two and four wheels assemble at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este for a very special get-together on the shores of Lake Como. Amid this extraordinary blend of the traditional and the contemporary, BMW Motorrad once again presents a breathtaking concept study: the BMW Motorrad "Concept 101". "The Concept 101 opens up a new chapter in the history of our concept bikes. It is the BMW Motorrad interpretation of endless highways and the dream of freedom and independence - the perfect embodiment of "American touring". Designing this big touring bike study was amazingly exciting for us because we haven't been involved with a motorcycle concept like this before.