Autoblog

Audi opens first digital showroom in London [w/video]

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 11:06:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Europe, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Audi, Design/Style, Luxury

When BMW recently opened a store on Paris' Avenue George V, that was first and foremost a retail play that offers interaction with its cars. Audi has just opened Audi City, a metropolis cyberstore in London, and gone the other way: this is where you go to buy a car as if you were shopping in a Regent Street or Saville Row boutique, with some retail bits thrown in.

Shoppers won't peruse windows, but the digital powerwall with a Microsoft-Kinect-like interface for building the Audi of your choice in 1:1 scale and with every option represented. Audi says it is complementing its dealer network with a corporate-run presence in the city - so-called 'Customer Relationship Managers' can be a shopper's point of contact should they wish to buy a car on the spot.

There will be at least 20 more Audi Cities opening in world hotspots by 2015. Check out the video below to see how it works and have a look at the press release.

Continue reading Audi opens first digital showroom in London [w/video]

Audi opens first digital showroom in London [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 11:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

BMW opens a luxury brand store on Avenue George V in Paris

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 30 May 2012 07:59:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, BMW, Design/Style

BMW has opened a new "Brand Store" on Avenue George V in Paris, not just as a way to initiate tony walking traffic into the brand, but as a salvo in a "comprehensive programme" of luxury retail warfare. Said company CEO Ian Robertson, "We aim to be the benchmark in automotive retail."

The 800-square-meter (8,611 square feet) showcase "marks the launch of a new generation of BMW brand stores," part of a rather ominous and clandestine-sounding pair of initiatives called "Future Retail" and "Strategy Number ONE." Boiled down for laymen, the aim is obviously to get more people in BMWs by getting to more people in more places.

Mini retail stores will follow, as will more social media engagement, and dealers are getting Apple-esque Product Geniuses to "support customers with in-depth product knowledge." Scroll down for the press release detailing the retail assault, and check out pictures of the Paris opening - especially the white dresses on the pixies - in the gallery of high-res photos.

Continue reading BMW opens a luxury brand store on Avenue George V in Paris

BMW opens a luxury brand store on Avenue George V in Paris originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 May 2012 07:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mini puts Goodwood edition on display at Harrods

Noah Joseph — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 08:58:00 EST

Filed under: Hatchback, Mini, UK, Luxury

If you want to buy a new car, you go to a car dealership. If you want to buy a ridiculously expensive and luxurious cashmere sweater in any color imaginable, you go to Harrods. At least that's the way it once was, but these days the swanky London department store has been turning its front window display into an automotive showroom.

A year and a half ago Aston Martin put its Cygnet city car on display at Harrods, a lead that Lexus followed with a showcase of luxury hybrids in the same space a month later. Fisker followed suit just a few months ago, and now Mini is doing the same with its Goodwood edition hatchback.

As you may recall, the Goodwood is a Mini hatchback that's had its interior fitted by the same craftsmen who do the cabins for Rolls-Royce. Only 1,000 units will be made, each with a whopping $52,000 price tag. The Mini Inspired by Goodwood has been on display at Harrods for a week already and will be for another, with a salesman on hand - swatches and samples at the ready - to answer questions and take orders behind the window on Brompton Road.

Continue reading Mini puts Goodwood edition on display at Harrods

Mini puts Goodwood edition on display at Harrods originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Ferrari opens its first Pit Stop store in a volcano

Noah Joseph — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Ferrari

Grand Opening of the Ferrari Pit Store store at Vulcano Buono - Click above for high-res image gallery

Another day, another Ferrari Store opening somewhere in the world. Right? Maybe so - the company has proven particularly adept at capitalizing on its brand identity with a staggering array of merchandise and the retail locations at which to peddle them. But this one is a little different, and we'll tell you why.

First is the nature of the store itself. Called the Pit Stop, it eschews the leather briefcases and fancy pens with the prancing horse logos and sticks with the motorsport paraphernalia. In other words, this store is for racing fans, less so for car owners, be they wannabe or actual. Besides the inventory though, it also features a different design from the store you might have seen in an airport terminal while traveling overseas.

Instead of lacquered red eveything, the Pit Stop store is designed to emulate the pit lane garages the team uses at grands prix, complete with perforated plates covering the wall and furniture styled after those industrial-strength travel cases the teams use to transport their equipment from race to race. There's also a replica pit wall where visitors can try their hand at the Ferrari Virtual Academy race simulator and other attractions in the 900-square-meter retail space.

The second reason this store is different is its location. Ferrari chose to launch the first of this new kind of retail space at Vulcano Buono in Nola. The innovative commercial complex sits at the foothills of Mount Vesuvius and imitates its form in a 40-meter tall structure covering 500,000 square meters, insulated by acres of sloping vegetation fields in a unique green initiative. A telling location to launch a new concept store, and Ferrari has many more planned for the future. Details in the press release after the jump, along with photos from the store's opening in the gallery below.

Gallery: Ferrari Pit Stop at Vulcano Buono

[Source: Ferrari]

Continue reading Ferrari opens its first Pit Stop store in a volcano

Ferrari opens its first Pit Stop store in a volcano originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Dec 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage priced at $179,995

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:57:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Aston Martin, Luxury

2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage Carbon Black - Click above for high-res image gallery

Aston Martin has finally put a U.S.-approved sticker onto the V12 Vantage, and if you're aching to get into the 510 horsepower coupe, you'll need to set aside $179,995 for the "base" model.

Included in the kit is the DB9-sourced V12 powerplant putting out the aforementioned 510 ponies and 420 pound-feet of torque, capable of scooting the svelte coupe to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 190 mph.

If the standard V12 Vantage is just too plebeian for your tastes, you can option up for the Carbon Black Edition - an exclusive trim for the States - which includes black metallic paint, carbon fiber accents, a reworked grille, 10-spoke black wheels and a host of interior appointments.

Pricing for the Carbon Black model comes in at a cool $194,995 (undercutting both the DB9 and DBS), and both prices include the $3,000 gas guzzler tax and $1,350 destination charge. If that's too rich for your blood, just enjoy the high-res pics in the gallery below.

Gallery: 2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage

2011 Aston Martin V12 Vantage priced at $179,995 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hyundai-Kia pass Honda to become world's 5th largest automaker

Michael Harley — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:02:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Plants/Manufacturing, Hyundai, Kia

Less than a decade ago, the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group was ranked 11th in the world in total sales volume. According to the latest publishing of the Automotive News 2008 Global Data Book, the automaker has impressively passed Honda to take 5th position. To climb six positions in just eight years isn't a simple accomplishment as it required stepping over such global automakers as Fiat, Chrysler, PSA/Peugeot, Nissan, and Honda. Last year, Hyundai-Kia sold 3,961,629 automobiles worldwide (Hyundai sold 467,000, and Kia 305,473 in the United States alone). While they still have a long way before they reach 4th position currently held by Ford (global sales of 5,964,000 in 2007), their move into other markets as witnessed by the luxurious 2009 Hyundai Genesis and the group's favorable June automotive sales (even in a depressed market) demonstrate the increasing strength of the Korean automaker.

[Source: AutoIndustry]

Hyundai-Kia pass Honda to become world's 5th largest automaker originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

HiQ garage goes for Coolest Auto Repair Shop honors

Dan Roth — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:01:00 EST

Filed under: Maintenance, Trends, Etc., UK

click above for more images of the HiQ service center

As some of us are pretty sharp with a wrench, we loathe taking our cars elsewhere for repairs. Most of the time, we want to watch the guy doing the work, and that's usually not possible so we end up chain-drinking burnt coffee in the waiting room. HiQ, a new automotive service chain in the UK, is revamping its brand and has decided to allow customers to get in on the action. To prove their new concept, cooked up by branding wizards Fitch, HiQ has opened a new facility in Nottingham. The design is clean and more retail chic than a greasy-fingernailed muffler shop. Our favorite feature, by far, is the glass wall that allows you to stare down the monkey lad as he applies several hundred pound-feet of torque to your wheel lugs with an impact wrench.

Thanks for the tip, Larry!

[Source and photos: the Cool Hunter]

Gallery: HiQ

HiQ garage goes for Coolest Auto Repair Shop honors originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Moving Fast: Ferrari accelerates retail merchandise expansion with 40 new stores

Noah Joseph — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 18:31:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Ferrari

Ferrari's global branding efforts are accelerating as fast as its race and road cars, to the point where a third division was established just to manage it all. Heck, they've even got a Ferrari edition Segway scooter now. Next on the agenda: an aggressive expansion of Ferrari Store retail outlets, the locations that peddle all manner of scarlet wares with the Prancing Horse badge.

Ferrari's new global branding division, under the direction of former Red Bull lieutenant Dany Bahar, is planning to open no less than 40 new stores around the world over the next five years. The latest location just opened at Barcelona's El Prat International airport in Spain, soon to be joined by locations in Abu Dhabi and Moscow in the next few months, followed by Singapore, Macao and Honolulu next year. (Maybe Cleveland will get one soon! - JN)

Is this all getting to be too much? Many would say so, among them a good portion of the Autoblog writing staff. But as a counterpoint, if the added income ends up financing ever-faster road cars and further dominance on the race track, maybe there's something to it.

[Source: Inside Line, photo by Noah Joseph]

Moving Fast: Ferrari accelerates retail merchandise expansion with 40 new stores originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Oct 2007 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Lamborghini contemplates going retail

Noah Joseph — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 12:57:00 EST

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Lamborghini

Ferruccio Lamborghini, as the story goes, approached Enzo Ferrari with ideas on how to improve his sportscars, but Enzo rebuffed him promptly. And so Lamborghini Autobomili SpA was born, hungry to beat Ferrari at its own game, and been trying to ever since.

But making high-performance exotic sportscars is only part of the game these days, and Ferrari is the undisputed market leader in putting its name on anything and everything. But just as its F1 challengers try to claw back a slice of the merchandising pie, so do Ferrari's road car rivals. Lamborghini has followed the Ferrari formula by introducing a wide range of branded merchandise, including partnerships with Nokia and with Asus to produce branded cell phones and laptop computers to rival those made for Ferrari by Motorola and Acer.

Among other strategies for increasing brand awareness and capitalizing on its prestigious name, Lamborghini is reportedly considering opening a chain of retail stores to sell its branded merchandise. Raging Bull merchandise is already sold in authorized dealerships and online, and at a small number of retail locations mostly in Italy, but opening more stores around the world is a strategy that has been working for the Prancing Horse, and if it works for Ferrari, it just might work for Lamborghini, too.

[Source: CNN Money via Luxist]

Lamborghini contemplates going retail originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Mar 2007 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments