1984 Mercedes Benz 380 Sl on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Toyota and Mercedes begin the Super Bowl ad teases with dads and hares

Advertising Age says pregame buzz is where Super Bowl advertisers really build momentum for their Big Game commercials, so let the teasing continue. We've seen the 30-second spot for the Lexus NX, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota are next out of the tunnel with campaigns that focus on a fable and fathers, respectively. The Mercedes tease gets former NFL wide receiver Jerry Rice lining up a talking-heads debate with eight-year-old Andrew Hunter about whether Hunter's hare could beat a tortoise in a race, but it's a disaster before it even begins. In what will be a continuing storyline, a social media component lets people side with #TeamTortoise or #TeamHare, with "a Big Race viewing party" going to a lucky winner. Mercedes also promises there'll be a hero at the end, which we imagine will something in the Three-Pointed-Star family as opposed to the Testudinae or Leporidae families. Toyota's all about the biological family, rolling out a series of tweets and Vine videos showing off ex-NFL'ers and their kids to hype the "One Bold Choice Leads to Another" campaign for the Camry. The profiled paterfamiliae will be examples of those "who have contributed to their families' lives in bold ways." A 60-second spot during the pre-game will feature Paralympic athlete Amy Purdy, then those stand-up dads will get their own 60 seconds during the second quarter. The social media tag for this one is #OneBoldChoice. You can watch Mercedes' opening salvo above, and check out a Toyota tweet with ex-quarterback Kurt Warner below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req., Mercedes-Benz, Toyota via YouTube (M-B), Twitter (Toyota) Celebrities Marketing/Advertising Mercedes-Benz Toyota Super Bowl Commercials Videos

Audi considers a rugged SUV — maybe on the Scout platform

Audi engineers are formulating plans to possibly build a “super saloon” luxury off-roader SUV in 2027, It would compete in a segment that now includes the Land Rover Defender and Mercedes-Benz G-Class, according to a report in BritainÂ’s Autocar. According to Audi designer Marc Lichte, quoted in the story, the platform for the new model could be borrowed from the Volkswagen GroupÂ’s recently announced sister brand, Scout Motors, which is currently developing electric-powered concepts and prototypes. While Audi has developed a PPE (Premium Platform Electric) architecture for its base EV lineup, that would be replaced in the planned model with ScoutÂ’s ladder chassis to provide the steep departure angles and ground clearance needed to negotiate tough terrain, as well as with the latest generation of AudiÂ’s Quattro four-wheel-drive technology, Autocar reports. Audi is well into development of its Activesphere project, an enticing design blend of coupe and hatchback. The Activesphere uses PPE, co-developed by Audi and Porsche, and will appear in a production Audi product by the end of this year. Audi says. Beyond that, “I think there is space" for a rugged SUV in AudiÂ’s passenger car lineup,  Lichte said. “There is potential because there are only two premium players” in this particular segment" (Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover) “and I think there is a space for a third one.” The upscale Defender was by far Land RoverÂ’s best-selling car last year, with 66,805 sold, and the G-Class set a new sales record the previous year with 41,174 moved worldwide. Audi obviously would like to capitalize on this popularity of the rugged 4x4 segment. The proposed competitor, said Lichte, “will not look like a G-Class and it will not look like a Defender, I can promise you. It will be something else."

Roll like His Airness in this Mercedes SLR McLaren previously owned by Michael Jordan

Often called the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan also has an interest in fast machines, as evidenced by the recent announcement that he would be establishing a NASCAR team, 23XI Racing, together with Denny Hamlin and featuring Bubba Wallace behind the wheel. It's hardly surprising, then, that he would also be an owner of multiple supercars, many of which could be seen in the ESPN documentary The Last Dance. One of Jordan's previous supercars, this 2007 Mercedes SLR McLaren, is now up for sale on eBay Motors. Besides its celebrity provenance, this Mercedes SLR McLaren is special for another reason: It's the special 722 Edition, built to commemorate the 1955 Mercedes-Benz win at the Mille Miglia. That winning Mercedes-Benz 300SLR racer, piloted by Sir Stirling Moss and Denis Jenkinson, was car #722 (so designated because of its 7:22 a.m. start time). The SLR McLaren 722 Edition features a 650-horsepower supercharged 5.5-liter V8 engine and is able to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 3.6 seconds. Top speed is 209 mph. Good thing the front splitter and rear diffuser are modified for increased downforce at high speeds. The ride height also is lowered and the suspension stiffened compared to the regular car, and larger brake rotors are fitted. The interior brings leather and Alcantara upholstery along with gloss-finished carbon fiber trim. Special black wheels and subtle red "722" badges complete the picture. This car has 1,038 miles on the clock, so it must not have been in heavy rotation with Jordan's many other rides. At this writing, the car has a bid of $35,100 with the reserve not met. We'd guess bidding has a way to go before someone has a realistic chance of driving this baby home, since the Buy-It-Now price is $695,750. Featured Gallery Mercedes SLR McLaren ex-Michael Jordan Auto News Celebrities McLaren Mercedes-Benz Auctions Coupe Supercars