(BMW/newspressUSA)
Lost in the shuffle of Detroit Auto Show week was the news that BMW will advertise its i3 electric car in a 60-second spot during the first quarter of Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, February 1, 2015. It will be the first time in four years that BMW will have a presence on the broadcast. The match-up between the New England Patriots vs. the Seattle Seahawks is expected to be the most-watched game in Super Bowl history.
(Ford)
The all-new Ford Mustang will be available to customers around the world in more than 100 markets for the first time in its 50-year history. The first shipments of the Mustang are headed for Asia, with vehicles arriving in Europe mid-2015. The Mustang is assembled in Flat Rock, Michigan.
(Images courtesy of Porsche Cars North America)
Porsche Cars North America is commemorating six decades of the largest Porsche club organization in the world with a limited-production run of a Club Coupe based on the 911 Carrera GTS. Known as the GTS Club Coupe, the special 911 is painted in a color unique to this model appropriately named “Club Blau,” which was created exclusively for this anniversary edition by the Porsche Club of America. The distinctive Porsche was unveiled Wednesday at Porsche’s new headquarters at One Porsche Drive in Atlanta. The rear-wheel-drive GTS Club Coupe features the 44 mm wider body of the 911 Carrera 4 models. Other special features of the GTS Club Coupe include SportDesign side mirrors, black framed Bi-Xenon™ headlights with Porsche’s Dynamic Light System and taillights tinted in black. The doors carry black “Club Coupe” model designations and a more pronounced front fascia as well as a “ducktail” rear spoiler gives this limited-run 911 a classic, old-school appearance. Twenty-inch Sport Classic wheels painted in semi-gloss black with polished wheel centers and rim flanges complete the exterior package.
The GTS Club Coupe is powered by an enhanced version of the Carrera S engine, delivering 430HP. The GTS Club Coupe sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds when equipped with the optional PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplung) dual-clutch seven-speed transmission. The top track speed is 190 mph (189 mph on PDK-equipped models). A third center radiator ensures consistent performance in all conditions. A standard Sport Exhaust system with black chrome tips is also included. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), incorporating adaptive dampers and a 10 mm lower ride, and Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV), as well as the Sport Chrono Package with dynamic engine mounts, contributes to the Club Coupe's special character.
The interior is highlighted by the GTS Interior Package. The stitching, seat belts and rev counter are held in contrasting Carmine Red, while the dashboard trim strips, door trim and center console are finished in carbon fiber. The steering wheel has a red 12 o’clock marker and two-tone stitching in Carmine Red and Blue. The center compartment lid is embossed with a “60” and the dashboard trim is personalized with “GTS Club Coupe 60 Years Porsche Club of America” lettering above the glove compartment. The stainless steel door sills have “GTS Club Coupe” inscribed in them. An Extended Club Coupe Package is available as a unique option (if you just have to have something more). It consists of a vehicle key painted in “Club Blau,” a leather key pouch and leather-edged floor mats, both with two-tone stitching in Carmine Red and Blue. An individual personalized indoor car cover is also available as an option.
The GTS Club Coupe will be launched in the United States in June 2015, and only 60 cars will be built. Porsche Club of America members will have the opportunity to purchase one of 59 vehicles and PCA members will also be eligible to win the initial display vehicle. Official details will be announced February 1st, 2015 on www.pca.org. The GTS Club Coupe costs - wait for it - a whopping $136,060, not including a destination charge of $995.
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Watch this beautiful piece of image advertising "Made By Sweden" - all four minutes of it - from Volvo here. A stunning piece of work. - PMD
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Wonder whether it's really an SUV world after all? Audi plans to offer a range-topping SUV that will go on sale before the end of the decade and is "working heavily on this project," CEO Rupert Stadler said in an interview with Bloomberg. The Q8 will be offered in countries that have demonstrated an insatiable desire for SUVs, namely the U.S., China and the Middle East. Oh joy. - PMD
Editor-in-Chief's Note: Tom Kowaleski, a longtime PR pro with notable stints at Chrysler, GM and BMW, died yesterday in Arizona. Tom was the master of orchestrating first-rate media events - particularly in luxurious settings - throughout his career. He basically redefined the standards for what constituted a proper media event in the modern PR era. He was 63. - PMD