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Weekly Recap: Chevy and Alfa plot comeback strategies

Chevrolet and Alfa Romeo were two of the 20th Century's most iconic automotive brands. Chevy embodied America's post-war power and confidence. Alfa was the definition of the stylish Italian sports car. They reached halcyon heights in the 1950s and '60s, before declining precipitously amid new competition, changing consumer tastes, and uneven corporate management. Both say 2015 is the start of something better, and this week Chevy and Alfa laid out ambitious plans and showcased new cars that they hope will make them more relevant this year, and in the coming years. Each brand sits at its own crossroads, and their paths forward are as different as the Chevy Cruze and the Alfa Romeo Giulia. Chevy is still a sales beast, as evidenced by its volume of 4.8 million vehicles sold around the world last year. Chevy executives are fond of saying one of their cars is sold every seven seconds, which illustrates the strength and reach of a car brand that is the fourth largest in the world. "Make no mistake about it, we are a brand for the people," said General Motors North America president Alan Batey. But he wants consumers to want to buy a Chevy for its design and technology, not simply because it's affordable. That starts with all Chevys now featuring a distinctive a family look, with sporty cues from the Corvette or strong lines that riff on the Silverado pickup. "We want people to fall in lust with our cars," said Mike Pevovar, executive design director for Chevy passenger cars. "That initial emotional attraction has to be right on the exterior, and that's where form comes into play." Chevy is also loading up its cars, like the freshly unveiled 2016 Chevy Cruze, with technology to appeal to a younger crowd that prizes connectivity. The Cruze will offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with its MyLink infotainment system, and OnStar with 4G LTE and wifi. Seeking out younger buyers is also sound business practice: Millennials now outnumber Baby Boomers as the largest single age group in the United States. Younger buyers also can improve a brand's image, which is another area where Chevy would like to improve. Chevy ranks 82nd on Interbrand's Best Global Brand's list, behind 11 other automakers. Apple is No. 1. "We need our own variation of the Genius Bar," Batey said. 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia View 3 Photos Meanwhile, Alfa is in different shape.

Ford, Renault have surprises in store for Le Mans

All those prototype and GT racers won't be the only attraction catching our eye at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend. Two major automakers have also confirmed that they've got new metal to unveil. And while they're not saying exactly what they'll be, we've got some pretty good ideas. First up is Ford, which has announced a "major Ford Performance news announcement" on Friday. Chairman Bill Ford, CEO Mark Fields, and product development chief Raj Nair will be on hand for the announcement set to take place on Friday at 10:00 AM Eastern. The Blue Oval isn't saying just what it has in store, but the widespread speculation has been that it will present a racing version of the new Ford GT at Le Mans a good half century since the original GT40 raced there. Meanwhile, Renault has announced that it is marking the 60th anniversary of the Alpine marque at Le Mans this Saturday. The French automaker has been working on reviving the dormant marque, and looks poised to finally reveal its new sports car at its iconic home endurance race this weekend. Tipped to be called the Alpine AS1, the new sports car will bring the marque back out of retirement in a more real way than the ELMS-winning LMP2 prototype ever could. Expect it to be based on the mid-engined chassis underpinning the Renault RS 01 spec racer, but built for the road. Related Video: FORD TO ANNOUNCE SIGNIFICANT PERFORMANCE NEWS THIS WEEK - Ford this week is making a major Ford Performance news announcement via live-streamed media conference - Bill Ford, executive chairman will host the event with Mark Fields, president and CEO; and Raj Nair, group vice president, Global Product Development COLOGNE, Germany, June 8, 2015 – Ford this week is making a news announcement regarding Ford Performance at 14:00 UK time on Friday. Ford Executive Chairman, Bill Ford; President and CEO Mark Fields; and Group Vice President of Global Product Development Raj Nair, will be joined by special guests for an event that will be live-streamed around the world. The news conference will be available to view live at http://bit.ly/FordPerformanceSpecialEvent where an automated calendar entry for the June 12 event is now available. Broadcasters please note the conference will be available from BT Tower at 15:00-15:30 CET/13:00-13:30 GMT (HD – ref: HD/LOG/C 113) (SD – ref: ARQIVA 71). ### Save the date: 60th Anniversary of Alpine To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Alpine, we have a surprise for you at the 24 Hours of Le Mans!

James Franco and tiger tease Ford Super Bowl commercial

Ford has just released a teaser for its Super Bowl ad, and unlike just about every other automaker, it seems that the Blue Oval is going to make us wait until Sunday to see the full spot. The teaser is, um, strange.
It stars James Franco, who believes he is Ron Riggle, the comedian, Fox NFL Sunday host and retired Marine lieutenant colonel. There's also a tiger. The vague spot has Franco claiming that "this is no ordinary commercial." You'll note on the bottom right, there's a Ford logo and the hashtag #nearlydouble.
According to Automotive News, it's part of a massive viral effort being pushed forward by Ford and its dealerships. Ford sent different teasers and "vignettes" to dealership employees and asked them to share them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, in the hopes of creating a viral effect.