Autoblog

Geek Squad's famous Beetle gets updated courtesy of West Coast Customs

Jeffrey N. Ross — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Hatchback, Volkswagen

The LA-based crew at West Coast Customs and the tie-wearing computer techs at Best Buy's Geek Squad might not have much in common, but the two companies will now be forever linked thanks to a tricked-out version of the Geekmobile. In most cities across the US, the Geek Squad vehicle of choice is the Volkswagen New Beetle, but West Coast Customs went to town on a new-body Beetle showing what the cars could look like in a newer, hipper design. The car was unveiled by WCC project manager, Scott Voinovich, and Geek Squad City Mayor, Wes Snyder.

Starting with a base 2.5-liter Beetle, this custom Beetle sports a similar black-and-white paint job like the standard Geekmobile, but it adds in a little WCC flair with plenty of graffiti-style graphics incorporated into the main colors. The car also has the expected "Geek Squad" logo on it, but it is the orange racing stripe and oversized wheels that easily distinguish it from the typical version of the car. West Coast Customs also replaced all exterior Volkswagen logos with its own logo. Inside, the graphics and orange paint carried over, and other finishing touches including cross-stitched seats, embroidered headrests and a massive subwoofer in the cargo area.

The car and its build will be featured on an episode of Inside West Coast Customs that will air on the Velocity channel next month, but don't expect to see this car pull up into your driveway next time you have a computer problem - it will be on display at the Geek Squad City in Louisville, KY alongside a 2001 turbocharged Geekmobile.

Geek Squad's famous Beetle gets updated courtesy of West Coast Customs originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Dec 2012 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Buy considering EV sales?

Zach Bowman — Mon, 09 May 2011 15:31:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology, Electric

According to Automotive News, Best Buy has its eyes on jumping into EV sales and service. The consumer electronics giant has been peddling Brammo electric motorcycles for years now and has recently parleyed that experience into garnering contracts to be a distributor and installer of EV chargers for the likes of the Ford Focus Electric and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. Now the suits in charge apparently want to take the next step by offering full electric vehicles alongside Blu-Ray players and big-screen TVs.

The chain has over 1,000 stores that could effectively educate buyers on the products and service them should anything go awry. Right now, Best Buy is said to be in talks with a few EV startup companies, though the retailer hopes to expand those discussions to larger automakers, as well. The idea is that some dealers would rather outsource the hassle of instructing buyers on the intricacies of EV ownership rather than go through the trouble of educating their entire sales process on tasks such as pairing a smart phone.

Is this just another step in the inevitable march of the vehicle from transportation to appliance? Maybe, but it could also be a move toward a genuinely educated and capable sales staff that's invested in your comprehension of the product.

Best Buy considering EV sales? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 May 2011 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OnStar retail product gets new name, packaging and performance upgrade

Jeff Glucker — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Technology, GM

Onstar is ready to to bring its helpful technology to the masses. It's no longer required that you own a General Motors vehicle to take advantage of the Onstar services. Starting this summer, you will be able to head into your local Best Buy, hand over $299, and walk out with the OnStar FMV.

Once you fork over the initial $299, you'll also pay about $100 to have it installed. After that, you will need to pick a subscription plan, which starts at $18.95 per month or up to $199 for a full year on uninterrupted OnStar FMV service.

Those three letters mean For My Vehicle, and OnStar is bringing all its popular services to your rear-view mirror. Hands-free calling, turn-by-turn navigation, stolen vehicle location assistance and even the Automatic Crash Response system.

That last one is achieved thanks to a built-in accelerometer and internal GPS. When activated, the system will send emergency crews to your location even if you're unable to respond to an OnStar operator. It's also good for seeing just how hard your vehicle pulls away from the line.

OnStar has already found its way into 90 million vehicles, and now an entirely new customer base will have access to that little blue button. Our advice to push that number far higher? Sell them at Wal-Mart. Feel free to read the full press release after the break.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading OnStar retail product gets new name, packaging and performance upgrade

OnStar retail product gets new name, packaging and performance upgrade originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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OnStar goes aftermarket, coming to Best Buy in spring

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 22:15:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, CES, Technology, GM

General Motors' OnStar division has been nothing short of a major success story over its 16 years of operation. But if there's one major problem that has historically stood in the way of it becoming an automotive technology juggernaut, it's that OnStar has always been limited to just GM vehicles. Until now.

Coming to a Best Buy near you in the spring of 2011 will be a complete standalone OnStar package housed in one aftermarket mirror. For $299 (plus an estimated $75-$100 for installation and a service plan starting at $18.95 a month or $199 a year), you'll get the whole suite of features offered by OnStar, including:

Automatic Crash Response
Link to Emergency Services
Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance
Turn-by-Turn Navigation
Roadside Assistance
Hands-Free Calling

This standalone system includes everything needed to get your non-GM (or non-OnStar-equipped older GM) car or truck hooked up to the OnStar network. Installation involves removing the old rear-view mirror, installing the new one and running a power line - which supposedly takes less than an hour and will be handled by trained technicians from Best Buy, though other retail locations seem likely in the future. Full details can be found in the press release after the break.

[Source: OnStar]

Continue reading OnStar goes aftermarket, coming to Best Buy in spring

OnStar goes aftermarket, coming to Best Buy in spring originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gran Turismo 5 won't be home for Christmas?

Jeff Glucker — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Toys/Games

Gran Turismo 5 continues to tantalize while ~~enraging~~ keeping us waiting with bated breath, for that one day when we can place the disc into our Playstation 3. The game was supposed to be released on November 2nd, but an announcement on the US Playstation blog said it was pushed back... again. The only clue to the new release date was that it would be available this holiday season. What does that mean exactly? Apparently it means that you will have to shake off your hangover and pick up a copy of the game on New Years Day... or Eve... or the day after New Years Day. Honestly, we're not entirely sure and we don't think Polyphony Digital is either.

Best Buy, Gamestop and Amazon.com have updated their respective pre-order pages to reflect a new release date. Amazon.com lists 12/31/10, Gamestop has 01/01/11 and Best Buy shows a date of 01/02/11. For some reason, Target believes the game will be available on November 1st, which is awfully hopeful. Wal-Mart has apparently given up listing a release date, which may be the wisest move of all. Thanks for the tip, Billfred!

[Sources: Amazon.com, Gamestop, Best Buy]

Gran Turismo 5 won't be home for Christmas? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Oct 2010 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WSJ brings to light dirty practice of auto awards fees

Zach Bowman — Thu, 13 May 2010 17:28:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Earnings/Financials

The free press? It ain't so free. It's no secret that most publications face rising costs and declining revenues, both of which combine to create bottom lines that would shiver even cash-strapped Chrysler's timbers. So it should come as no real surprise that Consumers Digest makes manufacturers pay for licensing associated with the publication's illustrious "Best Buy" awards. But that hasn't stopped the Wall Street Journal from drawing a correlation between the number of nods the magazine hands out and how much cash the winners spend on licensing and advertising.

Here's how it works: Consumers Digest hires freelance auto writers to review vehicles each year. Those vehicles are supplied by manufacturers through short-term loan agreements. Once all of the reviews are in, the editors choose which vehicles are deserving of a "Best Buy" award and which aren't. Once the awards are announced, manufacturers typically want to toot their own horn and brag in advertising. Thing is, Consumers Digest won't allow the carmakers to use their name without paying the piper first. In this case, that means handing over $35,000 for the mention of a first-place win.

Consumers Digest isn't the only publication handing out awards that operates with this business model, but the Wall Street Journal compares the practice to Consumer Reports - a squeaky-clean institution that buys every car it tests from dealerships and refuses to allow manufactures to cite its awards. It's not exactly an apples to apples job.

Even so, the article notes that the number of "Best Buy" awards handed to General Motors increased by 17 percent compared to last year, and that Consumers Digest recommended around half of the Toyota vehicles it tested even in the midst of a wave of recalls from the company.

The Wall Street Journal piece does do a fine job of underscoring the fact that everything you read is best taken with a healthy helping of skepticism. Any publication that ranks products walks a fine line between credibility and keeping the lights on. Consumers would do well to remember that.

[Source: Wall Street Journal]

WSJ brings to light dirty practice of auto awards fees originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 May 2010 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: Where do our nav systems take us most? Walmart

Jonny Lieberman — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:28:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Technology

Groan. Remember the $350,000 Rolls-Royce Phantom parked in front of a Walmart? Apparently it's not an isolated case. That's right, according to a new survey by TeleNav, most Americans use their navigation systems to find the Arkansas-based mega-store full of cheap stuff that Sam built. The great burning irony, of course, is that most cars with navigation systems are "luxury" products. Though of course that's changing, as navigation systems are making their way into lower strata vehicles and portable units and smart phones offer full GPS at much lower prices.

After Walmart, us Americans are searching for Starbucks, Target, Best Buy and Bank of America, respectively. Full disclosure time. Have we ever used a nav system to find a Walmart? Yeah, once, but we were in Louisiana and in need of spray paint (don't ask). We'll sleep okay tonight. We do, however, wonder how many two-gallon pickle jars would fit inside an Audi Q7.

[Source: AOL Autos]

Study: Where do our nav systems take us most? Walmart originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Buy Geek Squads to start testing Mitsubishi i-MiEV

Sebastian Blanco — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Hatchback, Mitsubishi, Specialty, Electric

Mitsubishi Geek Squad i-MiEV - Click above for high-res image gallery

While Mitsubishi didn't unveil any new vehicles at the LA Auto Show today, company president Osamu Masuko did announce the latest step in his company's plan to bring plug-in vehicles to North America. The vehicle - well, one of them - is an all-electric i-MiEV plastered with Best Buy's Geek Squad logo. The electronics giant will start using them in January (after they're shown off at CES) at some Geek Squad locations in California. Details have not yet been totally worked out, but the Geek EVs will start with a fleet of four vehicles and then expand and rotate to other stores over the course of three years. Most likely, the i-MiEVs will be doled out in pairs and the probable early cities where these vehicles will make house calls include Chicago, New York, Portland and San Francisco.

Best Buy plans to use the i-MiEVs just like any other fleet car, with the exception that they will be right-hand drive. Best Buy's Senior Vice President of emerging business, Rick Rommel, told AutoblogGreen that the idea is to learn "how these will fit into a Geek's daily life." The plug-in vehicle tests with Geek Squad are unrelated to how select West Coast Best Buy stores are selling electric bikes. That said, Rommel admits that the key thing is that Best Buy likes to conduct new experiments, and these EVs fit into that general concept.

Gallery: Best Buy Geek Squad i-MIEV

Continue reading Best Buy Geek Squads to start testing Mitsubishi i-MiEV

Best Buy Geek Squads to start testing Mitsubishi i-MiEV originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Production Aptera 2e rendering leaked online?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Coupe, Electric

Aptera 2e final design rendering - Click above to enlarge

As Aptera continues to push forward with the development of its futuristic-looking and innovative 2e electric three-wheeler, it almost seems inevitable that details of the vehicle's official specifications will leak out... this is the internet age after all. True to form, today we get what appears to be a sneak peek at the wingless airplane's final production shape.

At first glance, not much appears all that different from previous iterations of the 2e, but a closer look offers a few important changes. For instance, the vehicle now appears to have fully operational windows for both the driver and passenger that will roll all the way up and down. We also note larger rear side glass and new front wheel spats and rear wheel housings that offer more clearance and flow better with the rest of the body shape.

If this rendering has you interest piqued, you may also be interested in the rumor that Best Buy is planning to carry the three-wheeled electric vehicle once it's ready for sale, which is currently scheduled to take place before the end of 2009. Stay tuned.

[Source: Aptera Forum]

Production Aptera 2e rendering leaked online? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Buy to follow YouTube into USF1 sponsorship?

Noah Joseph — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:46:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports

Preparations are well underway for the debut of the new USF1 team, which is set to join the Formula One grid next season. The car's been designed, the manufacturing facility is in the process of ramping up for production, and the team has staffed up. But while the nascent squad focuses on building the chassis and infrastructure, speculation has been running rampant over who will sponsor the team and who will be driving its two cars.

Previous reports indicated that YouTube could be on board, and now the latest suggest that Best Buy, which currently sponsors Elliott Sadler's #19 Dodge Charger for the Richard Petty team in NASCAR's Sprint Cup series, could be in the mix as well. The rumors are fueled by an entry which Barry Judge, the electronics retail giant's chief marketing officer, posted on Twitter asking the public-at-tweet what they thought of the idea of Best Buy - currently is in the midst of a European expansion - linking up with the team.

Continue reading Best Buy to follow YouTube into USF1 sponsorship?

Best Buy to follow YouTube into USF1 sponsorship? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Best Buy official sponsor for Brammo Enertia TTXGP race team

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 29 May 2009 08:26:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrid, Green, Motorcycle

Brammo Enertia TTR race bike - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Best Buy has hopped on as an official sponsor of the Brammo Enertia race team, which will be campaigning a pair of electric motorcycles at the world's first zero-emissions motorcycle race on June 12th at the Isle of Man. The news of Best Buy's involvement doesn't come as too much of a surprise since the Big Box retailer had earlier invested a large chunk of cash in Brammo and plans to begin selling the road-going Enertia in West Coast stores on a trial basis this summer. Plus, Best Buy already sponsors a race team that competes in NASCAR competition.

Brammo's TTR race bike is based on the chassis used in the standard Enertia, but everything has been appropriately beefed-up to handle the output of the enlarged electric motor and 100-volt, 8kWh lithium polymer battery pack. Top speed is listed at just 100 miles per hour, but Brammo believes its low 360-pound weight and high-spec suspension bits will help the TTR maintain a consistently high average speed over the 37-mile TTXGP time trial. Click here to download a PDF containing a complete list of the TTR's specifications.

Brammo CEO Craig Bramscher tells Wired.com that the his company doesn't have plans to sell the race-ready of the Enertial electric motorcycle at the consumer level, but there's a good chance a sporty, fully-faired version of the bike will be launched within the next six months alongside a less-expensive, detuned version of the standard Enertia. Click past the break for the official press release and be sure to check out our gallery of the Enertia TTR race bike below.

Gallery: Brammo Enertia TTR race bike

[Source: Brammo]

Continue reading Best Buy official sponsor for Brammo Enertia TTXGP race team

Best Buy official sponsor for Brammo Enertia TTXGP race team originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2009 08:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brammo Enertia to be sold at Best Buy

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:56:00 EST

Filed under: Green, Motorcycle

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Brammo Enertia

In amongst the various computers, televisions and small appliances at your local Best Buy store may soon be electric motorcycles. Starting in May, five locations near the West Coast will begin stocking the Brammo Enertia, a $12,000, carbon fiber-intensive two-wheeler that stores its power in large format, lithium-phosphate battery packs from Valence.

We wondered about the possibility of the big box retailer offering the gas-free two-wheelers after Best Buy Capital extended a few million dollars in investment money to Brammo last September. According to Brammo CEO Craig Bramscher, "What we're selling is a lot closer to consumer electronics than to transportation." Features like integrated GPS and WiFi chips allow a bevy of interesting high-tech options for the Enertia, such as on-board cameras that can link up to the internet and automatically sort ride pictures by location. Sounds cool, but we're a bit wary of Geek Squad associates putting their hands on our motorcycles. Thanks for the tip, John A!

Gallery: EVS23: Brammo Enertia motorcycle

[Source: Greentech Media via Electric Motorcycle Forum]

Brammo Enertia to be sold at Best Buy originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 Mar 2009 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2009: Ford shows off future of SYNC, Best Buy partnership

Chris Tutor — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:02:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, CES, Ford

On top of those new SYNC features we've already told you about, Ford showed off what its SYNC system might one day look like with configurable controls and a personal assistant "avatar" named Eva. The concept is meant to provide a more human interface with the vehicle to help drivers be safer and more efficient. Instead of the disembodied voice of KITT, Eva is an animated character on your instrument panel that converses with you in plain English. She's a little creepy, but chalk that up to the Uncanny Valley phenomenon.

Ford also says it will be taking SYNC to European markets in 2010 then to Asia Pacific and Australia.

Earlier today, Ford Executive VP Mark Fields also told us that his company is working with Best Buy to educate mobile phone customers about SYNC. CEO Alan Mulally (that's him in the red cardigan) went into more detail about the partnership later in his keynote speech at CES. Fields said sales reps in Best Buy's standalone mobile phone stores would educate customers on SYNC's new capabilities when paired with a Bluetooth-enabled smart phone and then point out what phones are compatible with Ford's infotainment system. Check out the video above, the gallery of Ford's big CES keynote below, and an official press release from the Blue Oval after the jump.

Gallery: CES 2009: Alan Mulally's keynote address

Continue reading CES 2009: Ford shows off future of SYNC, Best Buy partnership

CES 2009: Ford shows off future of SYNC, Best Buy partnership originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Become a car designer, just $19.99!

Dan Roth — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 13:35:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Etc., Toys/Games

From time to time we've all been tempted to purchase that fake diploma from the endlessly circulating email, right? The last time I checked, though, they weren't offering fake certificates from the Art Center College of Design, or the Academy of Art University. If you still held onto the dream of someday shaping cars, even after all your sketch pads had been confiscated, the normal path was that you'd go to an institution where you could learn industrial design through a rigorous academic program. That's the reason why those of us who continue to doodle four wheeled conveyances are reduced to sketching while on boring phone calls; to truly design real cars takes years of practice, hard work, and skill. Alternatively, you could drop a measly 20 bucks and start computerating up some fun looking vehicles with Topics Entertainment's Sports Car Designer software.

In the end, it's still no replacement for learning to render a form on paper with perspective, shading and foreshortening; all those things that take years to develop skill with. From what we can see, you're limited to a profile view, but the options for body shape creation are wide ranging enough that you can whip up some interesting forms. We're not seeing a tremendous amount of variety or originality in the screenshots at the support website sportscardesigner.com, but for $20 at Best Buy what do you want, Cinema 4D? When you're done with your masterpiece of the moment, you can export it as a .jpg, or you can spit CAD data out so that another program might be able to stitch the entire car together for you in 3-D space. It's a fun way to divert some hours, and hey, it'll keep that eternally fidgeting car-crazy pre-teen quiet for the vast span of 15 minutes, at least.

Thanks for the tip, Larry!

Become a car designer, just $19.99! originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Nov 2007 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Geek Squad dumping VWs for Lamborghinis in preparation for Windows Vista*

Chris Paukert — Wed, 17 May 2006 10:55:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, Budget, Etc., Technology, Hatchback, Supercars, Lamborghini, Volkswagen

Best Buy Corporation is exchanging its ranks of Geek Squad Volkswagen New Beetles for something a little faster in preparation for the release of Windows Vista. With an expected deluge of work brought about by the new operating system, the black and white VWs favored by Geek Squad cadets are being dispensed with in favor of a fleet of Lamborghini Countaches.

According to an official spokesman, the company anticipates being "'...busier than a spyware-saddled 486 processor... once that first Vista security patch hits the streets six to eight hours after launch, it's going to be like the Indianapolis 500 out there...'"

Click through to the link for more details

(*Warning: At Autoblog, we loves us some quality satire!)

[Sources: BBSpot.com; Ggaub.com]

Geek Squad dumping VWs for Lamborghinis in preparation for Windows Vista* originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 May 2006 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Websites select top new vehicles for young drivers

Joel Arellano — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Convertible, Coupe, Sedan, Truck

Automotive websites Cars.com and DriversEd.com (a drivers education resource) have teamed up to determine the top new vehicles for teens this year. Criteria used included price, safety, size, and 'fun factor.'

The two sites top picks, broken down in categories, are:

Cars:

Honda Civic
Mazda MX-5
Mazda3
Mini Cooper
Scion tC
Subaru Impreza
Volvo s40

Pickups:

Nissan Frontier Crew Cab
Toyota Tacoma Double Cab

SUVs:

Hyundai Tucson
Subaru Forester
Toyota RAV4

[Source: PR Newswire via Seattle Post Intelligencer]

Websites select top new vehicles for young drivers originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Apr 2006 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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