Autoblog

This weekend, Scion flew 328 owners to Miami Beach, which served as the backdrop for an invitation-only reveal of the replacement for the xA and the brand-new xB. The event happened Friday night at the Miami Beach Convention Center (if you go to the CC's website, you'll see that 12/15 was booked for a "private event"), and we're fortunate enough to bring you a full report on the goings-on from an attendee.

Sorry folks, there are no pictures to show you, as cameras and phones were strictly prohibited, but our spy gave us very detailed descriptions of the cars that were revealed. Want to know more? Follow the jump for the skinny.

Shaquille O'Neal was on hand at the 3rd Annual GM All-Car Showdown in L.A. to present his Miami Heat teammate Dwayne Wade with the title of "King of Bling" for his 2006 HUMMER H2 SUT. Twelve celebrities comprised of athletes and actors showed off their respective GM ware that ranged from Cedric the Entertainer's 1952 midnight blue candy Buick B52 to Travis Barker's 2007 Cadillac Escalade.

A $2,500 donation was made in each celebrities name to the charity of their choice and a $10,000 donation will be made to the Dwayne Wade Foundation in his name. The vehicles were competing for several titles including "Best Exterior" won by Ludacris for his 1954 Chevy Bel Air, "Best Interior" won by Snoop Dogg for his 1966 Cadillac Deville (with three chandeliers!), and "Best Old School Car" won by Cedric the Entertainer for his aforementioned '52 Buick 52.

(More pics of celebs and their rides, as well as a full press release after the jump. Warning: the pics are large and almost completely absent of cars. Click through if you like looking at celebs)

[Source: GM]

In the ongoing battle for street cred among younger buyers, Detroit continues to turn to its gritty urban landscapes for marketing inspiration.

DaimlerChrysler's connection with the hip-hop world has been well-documented, resulting in everything from Snoop Dogg swingin' clubs with Lee Iacocca to 50-Cent jumping the line on the Charger. Other companies have been quick to follow suit, General Motors tapping Ludacris to pitch the Solstice, and with the Blue Oval set to trot out Kanye West to promote the Lincoln's Zephyr in the rapper's unfortunately-named new video, 'Drive Slow' (what rhymes with MKZ, Kanye?).

The marketing shift is being viewed as part of a larger phenomenon, wherein companies are seeking out niche groups instead of putting out mass-market product message-- a development that mimics the auto industry's changing production models.

[Source: The Detroit News]