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Mercedes-Benz previews its curvy sports-car and design future

Suggesting creases are passe for automotive design, Mercedes showed off ideas for its future styling directions this week at a forum in Germany, including previews of upcoming sports cars and sedans. We see images of a curvy sports car study (the silver car) with huge wheel arches flared out almost like pontoons. There's also what appears to be a rear-engine hypercar (white car); we've been reading reports about it for months. Additionally, there's a red sporty saloon, as Mercedes calls it, also among the photos. It features prominent rounded fenders and a bold horizontal grille. Mercedes also previewed its upcoming A-Class, in what it calls the Aesthetics A sculpture, which looks like a car covered in a red sheet. Though Mercedes says this is its next step to a purer design, creases and strong lines are still evident on the sides. Related Video:

Mercedes-AMG planning hybrid hypercar?

It used to be that, a few overlapping two-door models aside, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche didn't really compete with one another. That's how the two ended up collaborating on projects like the Mercedes 500 E that put it on the performance sedan map without fear of stepping on each other's toes. But Porsche has grown considerably since then, challenging its Stuttgart neighbor with four-door sedans and crossovers, as well as sports coupes and convertibles. Little wonder, then, that Mercedes has hit back at Porsche with the AMG GT, and there will be many more versions to follow in 911 style. But that may not be the final salvo the Silver Star marque launches at Zuffenhausen. According to the latest bit of speculation and deduction from our friends at Motor Trend, Mercedes-AMG may be planning a hybrid hypercar of its own to take on the Porsche 918 Spyder – not to mention the McLaren P1 and LaFerrari. Solid information is sparse at this point, but after speaking to AMG chief Tobias Moers, MT speculates that the new flagship will likely be mid-engined, with a boosted version of the company's 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 kicking out between 650 and 700 horsepower, working with a pair of electric motors at the front to deliver tenacious through-the-road all-wheel traction and a combined output in the thousand-horsepower range. There is the possibility, though, that Mercedes could go after the latest hybrid hypercars with a flagship version of its just-launched AMG GT, packing a similar powertrain setup as the ultimate evolution of the breed. Other GT versions will likely soon include a GT3 racing model, a Black Series version and a roadster – following a similar path taken not only by the 911, but also by Benz's previous halo supercars like the SLR McLaren and SLS AMG.

Lexus NX, BMW i3 to get Super Bowl commercials

At this point last year, we'd been getting news on automotive-focused Super Bowl commercials for more than two months. The teasers hadn't come out yet, but manufacturers lined up for the super-expensive spots were making their intentions known. This year? Almost nada, until this week. BMW has said it will air a 60-second spot promoting the i3 during the first quarter of the game, the Munich firm returning to The Big Game after a four-year absence. BMW says, "Big ideas like the BMW i3 take a little getting used to, and the creative idea surrounding our spot will play on this analogy." We say that pitching a tiny range-extended hatchback during the beer-iest American sports orgy of the year should make for some neat commentary afterward. Lexus is putting its new NX crossover in the second Super Bowl commercial it's ever aired, eschewing the glitter of celebrities and glamor for a straight-shooting spot and the tagline, "Be seen, be heard, make some noise." Joining those two are Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and Toyota. The six confirmed carmakers are down from eleven last year, when car spots made up a quarter of the total ad time. The price to do business for 30 seconds this year: reportedly around $4.5 million, up a stacks from last year's $4 million. You can watch the Lexus commercial in the video above, and beneath that, the BMW press release below has a bit more information on its effort. BMW to Advertise All-Electric BMW i3 during Super Bowl XLIX. The all-electric BMW i3 is featured in a 60-second spot during Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, February 1, 2015. Woodcliff Lake, NJ – January 15, 2015... Today, BMW announced plans to feature the all-electric BMW i3 in a 60-second spot during Super Bowl XLIX on Sunday, February 1, 2015. After a 4-year hiatus, BMW will be returning to the big game with a commercial during the first quarter. "As one in three Americans will tune in to watch the Super Bowl, we are thrilled to use this platform to educate viewers on the importance of electric mobility," said Trudy Hardy, Vice President of Marketing, BMW of North America. "Big ideas like the BMW i3 take a little getting used to, and the creative idea surrounding our spot will play on this analogy." BMW i is BMW's forward-looking and sustainable brand dedicated to solving many of the mobility challenges faced by the world's most densely populated cities. The BMW i3 is the first of the BMW i vehicles constructed from the ground up primarily of carbon fiber.