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Ten of the greatest Super Bowl car commercials of all time

With an average of over 100 million viewers each year, the Super Bowl always has advertisers bringing out the big guns. And for those among us who don't know the difference between a safety and a touchback, those commercials can be one of the most compelling aspects of the annual ritual. Car companies, in particular, have a long history of making the most of the huge Super Bowl audience by debuting some of the most memorable advertisements that have ever aired on television. So, in preparation for the new batch we'll be seeing this coming Sunday, here's a collection of our favorites from the past. 10. Audi – The Godfather When Audi created this homage to the quintessential gangster movie to promote its newest sports car, the company managed to make a commercial that was simultaneously funny, a little bit disturbing, and most importantly memorable. 9. Maserati – Strike This one might start out slow, but it delivers not only with the wicked sound of the third-generation Ghibli's engine, but with an interesting message about hubris in the auto industry as well. 8. Nissan 300ZX Twin-Turbo – Dream Directed by none other than Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Alien), this dystopian spot has centers around a narrator who explains that in his dream the bad guys are unable to catch him despite their best efforts by way of street bikes, race cars, and supersonic jets. While the twin-turbocharged 300ZX car was certainly a performance powerhouse to be reckoned with in its day, the concept and execution of this one does come off a little bit campy now – but in a good way. Then again, it is a dream, after all. 7. General Motors – Robot This one is unique in that it's genuinely depressing on a profound level. Who would've thought that the simulated suicide of a lovable, anthropomorphic car-building robot who has fallen on hard times could be such a downer? 6. Nissan – With Dad Although the debut season of its new LMP1 racer didn't exactly turn out how the team hoped it would, there's no denying that Nissan's depiction of a strained father-and-son relationship that eventually leads to redemption (and the introduction of the 2016 Maxima) tugs at the heartstrings. 5. Volkswagen – Big Day A surprisingly poignant advert, this one might be low on dialogue but it certainly gets its message across. And just as the dramatic soundtrack begins to lull the viewer into a sense of security, our expectations are upended. 4.

2019 Maserati Levante GTS First (Wet) Drive Review | A brief taste of a Ferrari-flavored SUV

If it rained any harder, someone would've had to scrounge up an extremely old man to build a giant ship and start herding animals. Lake Huron is dryer. My shoes were still unwearably soggy the next day. So, not exactly the best environment to sample the 550-horsepower, V8-powered leviathan of a performance SUV known as the 2019 Maserati Levante GTS. Sure, it has all-wheel drive and a limited-slip rear differential, but those are traction aids, not magic. In any event, our time with the "lesser" of two V8-powered Levantes would be limited, compromised and extremely damp, but several laps around the M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Mich., nevertheless provided a taste of what one might expect under better conditions. Chiefly, you can expect noise. Beautiful, beautiful noise. Even with our heads and ears encased in helmets, the V8 sang a nasty warbling wail. Though built by Ferrari in Maranello, the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 doesn't build to the expected screaming Italian crescendo – it's deeper, more muscular and still deeply invigorating. You'd undoubtedly drive like a buffoon just to hear the thing. Second gear may be popular. Maserati Levante GTS View 8 Photos Stuffing a V8 into the Levante was never originally intended. It was only supposed to have a V6. Nevertheless, a group of engineers secretly took it upon themselves to see if they could fit the Quattroporte GTS' V8 into the Levante, because why not? Turns out they could and in the process, even beef up the engine. Rather than being lambasted by their bosses for going rogue on their little skunkworks project, Maserati instead green-lit not one but two V8-powered Levantes: the 550-hp GTS and 590-hp Trofeo. See, screwing around at work does have its benefits. The differences between GTS and Trofeo are largely horsepower, some minor cosmetic differences, and the Trofeo's extra standard equipment and heftier price tag. Respectively, that would be $121,475 and $171,475. The priciest V6-powered Levante S GranSport goes for $93,475. Maserati Levante Trofeo View 13 Photos Maserati didn't stop with the engine, however. The chassis was tuned to handle all those extra prancing horses, and while suspension componentry is shared with the rest of the line, tuning is specific for the V8's. The Sport Skyhook adaptive damping system was also retuned, while the air springs feature six different height levels spanning a total of 3 inches from its lowest to highest position.

2021 Acura NSX leads this month's list of discounts

The 2021 Acura NSX is an especially good deal this month. Not only does it carry the torch as the vehicle with the biggest discount measured by the percentage off its sticker price, that discount is also the largest of any vehicle currently sold in the United States when measured in sheer size. Here are the numbers: The average sticker price of all 2021 NSX models sits at $161,040. Buyers are paying an average transaction price of $142,907. That equals a discount of 11.3%, or $18,133 of savings. No other vehicle comes close to that kind of discount, with the next largest being for the 2021 BMW 7 Series. Buyers of that luxury sedan are saving an average of $11,661 for a transaction price of $94,884. There's another sharp dropoff after the BMW. In third place is the 2021 Maserati Quattroporte, which actually kicks off a party of savings at Trident dealers across the United States. The '21 Quattroporte is seeing $7,743 cut off its sticker price for an average transaction of $121,962. After that comes the 2021 Maserati Ghibli, which is averaging $7,394 off for a sign-on-the-dotted-line price of $78,592. If you don't want a sedan, the 2021 Maserati Levante's $6,738 discount equals an average transaction price of $78,592. For a look at the best new car deals in America based on the percentage discount off their suggested asking prices, check out our monthly recap here. And when you're ready to buy, click here for the Autoblog Smart Buy program, which brings you a hassle-free buying experience with over 9,000 Certified Dealers nationwide.