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Weekly Recap: Hyundai scores NFL sponsorship after GM exits

Hyundai replaced General Motors as the official automotive sponsor of the NFL with a four-season deal that was announced this week. Hyundai gets exclusive sponsorship rights for mainstream and luxury cars, though not for pickups – as it doesn't have one in its current portfolio. "There may be another automotive truck sponsor, but not one that competes with our vehicle lineup," a Hyundai spokesman said in an email. That leaves the door open for another truckmaker to enter the fray. GM used the NFL to promote its GMC division, which makes pickups and sport-utility vehicles. The Detroit automaker decided to quit the sponsorship, which it had held since 2001, a GM spokesman said. Financials were not released, but ESPN said the sponsorship will cost Hyundai $50 million a year, double what GM paid. It gives Hyundai access to NFL trademarks for use in its marketing and advertising, and Hyundai will provide promotional vehicles to the league for the Super Bowl and other events. Hyundai celebrated the agreement by lighting up its Fountain Valley, CA, headquarters this week with a football field and the NFL logo. Hyundai's sister company, Kia, is the official automotive sponsor of the NBA. "We are huge football fans at Hyundai and feel there is no better venue to reach consumers, increase consideration, and tell the Hyundai brand story," Hyundai Motor America CEO Dave Zuchowski said in a statement. Hyundai will officially kick off its sponsorship when the NFL season begins on Sept. 10 with a primetime game featuring the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. OTHER NEWS & NOTES Toyota Mirai rated at 67 mpge, 312-mile range The Environmental Protection Agency gave the Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell electric car a 67-miles-per-gallon-equivalent rating. The figure is for city, highway, and combined driving. The EPA also said the Mirai will have a 312-mile range. The sedan will arrive in dealerships in California this fall and will cost $57,500, though incentives can drop the price significantly. The Mirai will also be offered as a $499-per-month lease. Both come with three years or $15,000 worth of free fuel. Toyota plans to expand sales to the Northeast United States later. Toyota's top female exec resigns in wake of arrest Meanwhile, in other Toyota news, the automaker's communications chief and top female executive, Julie Hamp, resigned.

Jaguar XFR-S is motor-porn on a mountain road

The 2014 Jaguar XFR-S might have only been good enough to take the runner-up spot in our Editor's Choice top five debuts at the LA Auto Show, but we'd be hard-pressed to find a car with a more exhilarating exhaust note. As proof of this, Jaguar released a video showing the XFR-S tearing up a windy, European mountain road in close to a minute of hardcore driving footage.
The big blue cat has the same great exhaust note of the XKR-S, and the driver puts all of the car's 550 horsepower to work demonstrating the handling - and drifting - abilities of the new XFR-S. If there's any disappointment to be had, it's the fact that you have to jump to the 30-second mark of the video for any of the action to start.
Scroll down to watch the video, and be sure your speakers are turned all the way up.

Jaguar refreshes the 2018 F-Type lineup and adds a high-performance V6 model

Jaguar is giving the F-Type line a refresh for 2018 and adding two new variants. All new F-Types feature LED headlights and slightly darker taillights. Every model except the SVR also gets updated front bumpers. The most noticeable change is the side vents, which morph from the double slots to single openings in most cases. The F-Type R's large side vents are bisected horizontally. The two new F-Type models are the R Dynamic and the limited edition 400 Sport. The R Dynamic isn't particularly exciting, since it's pretty much just a dress-up package for the entry level 340- and 380-horsepower F-Types. All the model adds are 19- and 20-inch wheel options, as well gloss black-painted hood vents, splitter, side sills, and rear diffuser. The 400 Sport, on the other hand, comes with much more. It's only available for one year, and comes with a modified supercharged V6 producing 400 horsepower. The 400 Sport can be ordered with either rear- or all-wheel-drive, but the 8-speed automatic is the only available transmission. The car also benefits from larger 15-inch brakes at each corner. Owners of the 400 Sport can personalize their driving settings as well, thanks to the car's Configurable Dynamics system. Inside and out, the 400 Sport gets some visual upgrades, too. It includes the Sport Design Pack, which adds a deeper front spoiler, larger side sills, and a rear diffuser. A flat-bottom steering wheel, yellow contrast stitching, and black brushed aluminum accents finish off the interior. There are also plenty of 400 Sport badges on the car. View 12 Photos The two other major changes for the F-Type line involve infotainment. One of which is that every model now comes standard with Jaguar's Touch Pro infotainment system and its 8-inch touchscreen with which the driver can interact. The other is a cool new app the company developed with GoPro. It's called ReRun, and it allows the driver to connect a GoPro camera to the car, and download footage to the phone. The reason for connecting the camera to the car, is so that it can add telemetry data including speed, gear, g force, and steering and brake inputs to the video footage. After a spirited drive in the country or on a racetrack, the footage can be downloaded to the phone to be reviewed and shared. The app even generates "highlights" automatically. The new F-Type range will go on sale in the first quarter of 2017.