Autoblog

Kate Upton washes 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA in glorious slow motion for Super Bowl [w/poll]

Michael Harley — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:01:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Mercedes-Benz, Celebrities, Luxury

Mercedes-Benz made news in December when we learned that Kate Upton, the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition cover model, would be pitching the automaker's all-new 2014 CLA at the Super Bowl next month. With Mercedes determined to target a more youthful buyer for its stylish compact sedan, choosing a beautiful 20-year-old pinup seemed to make good sense.

In order to tease us before the big game, the German automaker has just released a 90-second video with the very seductive Upton interacting with soap suds and her blonde hair. The real Super Bowl ad, partially filmed in New Orleans (where the game will take place) will feature the bombshell along with R&B star Usher.

Scroll down to watch the German automaker's uncharacteristic presentation, and let us know if this risqué Carl's Jr.-like ad direction is a good way to shake up the company's staid image, or if you think it demeans the brand. Be heard by voting in our poll and adding your thoughts in Comments below.

For the record, we've watched this video more than two dozen times and we still haven't seen a Mercedes-Benz. Maybe one more time will do the trick...

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Continue reading Kate Upton washes 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA in glorious slow motion for Super Bowl [w/poll]

Kate Upton washes 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA in glorious slow motion for Super Bowl [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Watch these motorcyclists duke it out in hand-to-hand combat to decide a race winner

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 19:57:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Motorcycle, Racing

All other things being equal, motorcycle racing isn't meant to be a contact sport. Sure, the well-used saying 'rubbing is racing' applies here from time to time, but that's the exception, not the rule. And even in that case, it's the bikes making contact, not the riders.

All of that makes the video below all the more worth watching. Here's the scene: Tyler O'Hara is in second place behind Michael Barnes, both pilots mounted on Harley-Davidson XR1200 motorcycles, on the last corner of the last lap. The race couldn't be closer... until, that is, O'Hara decides to reach out and touch Barnes in an effort to complete the pass.

It worked. O'Hara slowed Barnes down just enough that he was able to push past and take the win. At least for a little while. The American Motorcyclists Association retroactively gave the victory to Barnes, punishing O'Hara all the way into last place. If you live in the US, you can watch the action unfold in the video below.

Continue reading Watch these motorcyclists duke it out in hand-to-hand combat to decide a race winner

Watch these motorcyclists duke it out in hand-to-hand combat to decide a race winner originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mercedes-Benz snags naming rights to Louisiana Superdome

Noah Joseph — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:28:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Mercedes-Benz

We want to be in that number when the Saints go marching in. And so does Mercedes-Benz, apparently, as the German automaker has acquired the naming rights to the stadium where the New Orleans football team plays.

The deal will see the recently renovated stadium (which is also set to host the 2013 Super Bowl and the 2012 Final Four of men's college basketball) renamed as the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, and will see the Silver Star appear next to the team's Fleur-de-Lis logo for the next ten years as official and exclusive vehicle of the Saints.

This isn't the first time that a sports venue has been named for an automaker. Racetracks aside, the Detroit Lions play at Ford Field, the Vancouver Canucks at General Motors Place and the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. There are even Mercedes-Benz venues in Stuttgart, Shanghai and South Africa. It is, however, the first time a luxury automaker has acquired such naming rights in the United States, and you can bet it's one which MBUSA will be keen to leverage and bank on for years to come. Details in the press release after the jump.

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz snags naming rights to Louisiana Superdome

Mercedes-Benz snags naming rights to Louisiana Superdome originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Joy Ride Rally combines fun and fundraising

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 13:58:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Supercars, Bentley, Chevrolet, Lamborghini, Maybach, Porsche, Ferrari, First Drives

Click image above for high-res gallery by the author and guest photog Jason Thorgalsen

There are several Cannonball Run-type rallies that take place around the country (around the world in some cases). Fast cars breaking the sound barrier as they hustle from coast-to-coast in search of fame and glory. Well, that's how some of them started, at any rate. Nowadays the rallies tend to be a bunch of rich folks with exotic cars touring the States with a smattering of track sessions here and there to really test the cars and drivers. Luxury hotels and VIP parties mark the nights and moderately fast (in theory) highway cruises mark the days. One of these new age rallies just kicked off on its maiden run from the Santa Monica Pier over the weekend. And it was quite a celebration.

The cars are familiar, some of the faces too, but this rally has a slight twist. Billed as a sort of exotic car vacation run, the Joy Ride Rally has a deeper purpose. Part of the entry fee from each driver goes to support the Salvation Army's Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. The rallyists will follow a route through the Southwest and end up in New Orleans in about a week, to view some of the damaged areas first hand. We were on hand for the launch from the Santa Monica Pier and tagged along for a bit to get some shots. The police escort was a nice touch, but we had to explain to every single officer that we were indeed part of the entourage despite our lack of a supercar. The cars gathered on the classic wooden pier with a big crowd enjoying the free show.

Follow the jump for the rest of the story, plus video of the departure courtesy Duane Steiner at SoCalSpeedZone!

[Source: Joy Ride Rally]

Gallery: Joy Ride Rally

Continue reading Joy Ride Rally combines fun and fundraising

Joy Ride Rally combines fun and fundraising originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Apr 2007 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Auto Parts Store that Saved New Orleans

John Neff — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 18:59:00 EST

Filed under: Maintenance

The following is an excerpt from an excellent post by Matt Robinson we ran across on our sister-site BloggingNewOrleans.

When I came to New Orleans in October, on my first post-Katrina trip, there were no places to get parts for car repair (unless you yanked them off flood-vehicles...before the cops started busting folks for "looting" the totalled machines, that is). Given the shape of things now, it seems a little unreal that businesses had ground to a total halt, and stayed like that for weeks, if not months. The need for materials was acute, and you could literally count on one hand the number of gas stations in Orleans Parish. Forget about trying to find an alternator belt or brake shoes.

But when I returned here in December, after a break, I knew there had to be at least one auto parts store open. Surely, I thought, some shop somewhere was back on its feet where the flooding had been minimal. Desperate for brake pads, hoses, and brake fluid for a work-horse Ford Econoline van, I combed the streets one morning around the 7th and 8th Wards, searching in vain for auto parts.

Then, as I passed St. Bernard Ave. at Rampart, I saw a sign out of the corner of my eye...there was a red car on the sign, and the word "auto." My heart skipped a beat, as I flew around the next intersection and back-tracked to St. Bernard, where I found Roy's Auto Parts. When I saw the "open" sign in the door, I knew that the patron saint of forlorn mechanics was smiling upon me.

Read the rest over at BloggingNewOrleans here, it's worth it.

The Auto Parts Store that Saved New Orleans originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Aug 2006 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Haunting drive through post-Katrina New Orleans

Joel Arellano — Wed, 03 May 2006 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos

Blogging New Orleans, another new blog from Weblogs, Inc., posted this haunting video of New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. post Hurricane Katrina. The 20 minute show, uploaded to Google via Dean Bonner, shows remains of the city barely touched by the media. Unlike the similar Cleveland drive from BloggingOhio, Bonner's drive, which is accompanied by music playing in his car at the time he video-taped New Orleans, evokes a decidingly different Zen-feeling.

[Source: Google via Blogging New Orleans]

VIDEO: Haunting drive through post-Katrina New Orleans originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 May 2006 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Crazy BABE seeks bangers to mash from Big Apple to New Orleans

Chris Paukert — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 11:56:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Trends, Etc.

National road rallies are nothing new for North American enthusiasts. Brock Yates' Cannonball Run offshoot, the One Lap Of America has been plugging away in earnest for decades now. But for those without big budgets, trans-continental automotive hooliganism has remained somewhat less accessible.

Enter the BABE, or BigApple2BigEasy. Basically, it's a 'run whatcha brung' event from NYC to New Orleans on public roads. The catch? Competitors can only spend the princely sum of $250 on a vehicle. In other words, expect a parade of bangers, heaps, jalopies, junkers, and the stray basketcase.

The four-day event will be interspersed with 'challenges' which will likely take the form of scavenger hunts and the like. The event is not a race (Gumballers need not apply), but it is scored, and there are awards. The top team takes home $1,500, with the second place team netting $350, and the third-place finishers putting a $150 dent in their gas receipts/future chiropractor bills.

Trophies to be awarded will include 'Team to Hitchhike the Farthest' and 'Most Creative Repair Job.' Participating hoopties must be ~~forklifted~~ registered by April 30th, and the BABE requires a $250 entry fee.

Sounds like fun to us.

[Sources: BABE and IMCDB.org]

Crazy BABE seeks bangers to mash from Big Apple to New Orleans originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Apr 2006 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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