Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of 2008 GM Style Event

After two years of combining celebrities, fashion and music with the best of its vehicle lineup, General Motors has decided that the 2009 GM Style Event just isn't worth the expense. The cancellation of GM Style is part of the General's goal to free up $15 billion in cuts and asset sales by 2009. Considering the automaker pays B- and C-list celebrities and sports figures to attend, there's some money on the table here. The event has actually been a big hit the past two years with attendees like Kid Rock and Jay-Z, Carmen Electra, Jeff Gordon and the some well known fashion designers from around the world. GM also used the bright lights and catwalk to show the Camaro Convertible Concept and Corvette ZR1 for the first time.

The death of GM Style comes right after the automaker decided to pull its advertising at the Emmy Awards and next year's Academy Awards broadcast. GM has been the largest advertiser of the Academy Awards over the past 10 years, with $97.1 million spent on the awards show since 1998. GM will still advertise at the Golden Globes, Grammys, and Country Music Awards in 2009.



[Source: Detroit News]

click on above image to view high-resolution gallery

At the GM Style event tonight held next door to General Motors' world headquarters, hip-hop entrepreneur Jay-Z walked the runway with a special blue GMC Yukon Denali. Apparently Jay-Z came up with the special shade of blue and it includes platinum dust. At a press conference after the show, Jay-Z and GM VP of marketing Michael A. Jackson announced that a limited run of the Denalis would be made available for sale.

The full press release is available after the jump and a gallery of high-res images is available by clicking on the image above.

We have to say that Jay-Z is officially one of our favorite recording artists. Not so much for his awesome music, but for the cars he uses in his vids. Just a few weeks ago we showed you the Monte Carlo-set video for "Show Me What You Got" with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Danica Patrick racing around in a Ferrari F430 Spider and Pagani Zonda Roadster respectively, and now he brings forth one of our favorite concept cars of recent years, the Maybach Exelero. It is featured in his new video for "Lost Ones." Such a badass car.

We've been very fortunate to see this car close up on several occasions starting with Pebble Beach in August and continuing up to last week, when The Governator stopped to admire it at the LA Auto Show. As enticing as it looks on the show floor, it looks even better rolling under street lights, if we do say so ourselves. Makes us think a limited run could sell pretty quickly if Maybach decided to greenlight it.

Thanks Iculookin2 for the tip!

It's not often that we post video footage from BET, but Jay-Z's latest music video for "Show Me What You Got" makes us wonder if we haven't been missing something.

The video puts some hip-hop flava' on the James Bond theme, set in Monaco with Jay-Z cruisin' the streets of Monte Carlo, ridin' the Mediterranean waves in a speed boat, layin' down some cards and cash at the casino and kickin' it at a seaside party.

The best part is right up front in the first minute, with Jay-Z riding shotgun in a Ferrari F430 Spider with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. at the wheel, racing Danica Patrick in a Pagani Zonda Roadster down Monaco's unrestricted countryside roads. Whether you like rap music or not, this video's not to be missed.

[Source: Jalopnik]