2013 Hyundai Elantra Desert Bronze Bluetooth Automatice Preferred Package on 2040-cars

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Chrysler and Hyundai join Pepsi and Coke as top Super Bowl spenders [w/ video]

Super Bowl XLVIII is barely a week away, and some of the early ads are already leaking out. It's timely then that The Street has released rankings of the top five Super Bowl advertisers since 2009, showing Chrysler and Hyundai/Kia taking two of the spots with $131.7 million in cumulative spending.
Since 2010, the cost to air a 30-second Super Bowl ad has risen from $3 million in 2009 to about $4 million in 2014, and about a fifth of advertisers opt for a one-minute ad, which doubles costs. Last year, the ads brought in $292 million, and they have brought in roughly $2 billion since 2010.
Chrysler has spent $64.3 million since 2009 to make it the fourth highest spending company in the last five years. In that time, the company has rebranded itself as it emerged from bankruptcy with the Imported from Detroit ad campaign that premiered in 2011 and last year's God Made a Farmer Ram Trucks ad. Its 2012 Halftime in America sparked national debate about whether it was also a reference to the upcoming presidential election.

Asian automakers still reluctant to use more aluminum

There's a logical progression of technology in the auto industry. We've seen it with things like carbon-ceramic brakes, which use to be the sole domain of six-figure sports cars, where they often cost as much as an entry level Toyota Corolla. Now, you can get them on a BMW M3 (they're still pricey, at $8,150). Who knows, maybe in the next four a five years, they'll be available on something like a muscle car or hot hatchback. Aluminum has had a similar progression, although it's further along, moving from the realm of Audi and Jaguar luxury sedans to Ford's most important product, the F-150. With the stuff set to arrive in such a big way on the market, we should logically expect an all-aluminum Toyota Camry or Honda Accord soon, right? Um, wrong. Reuters has a great report on what's keeping Asian manufacturers away from aluminum, and it demonstrates yet another stark philosophical difference between automakers in the east and those in the west. Of course, there's a pricing argument at play. But it's more than just the cost of aluminum sheet (shown above) versus steel. Manufacturing an aluminum car requires extensive retooling of existing factories, not to mention new relationships with suppliers and other logistical and financial nightmares. Factor that in with what Reuters calls Asian automaker's preference towards "evolutionary upgrades," and the case for an all-aluminum Accord is a difficult one. Instead, manufacturers in the east are focusing on developing even stronger steel as a means of trimming fat, although analysts question how long that practice can continue. Jeff Wang, the automotive sales director for aluminum supplier Novelis, predicts that we'll see a bump in aluminum usage from Japanese and Korean brands in the next two to three years, and that it will be driven by an influx of aluminum-based vehicles from western automakers into China. Only time will tell if he's proven right. News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Sean Gallup / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Honda Hyundai Mazda Nissan Toyota Technology aluminum

2019 Hyundai Veloster Turbo caught uncovered at video shoot

Here's the fully revealed Hyundai Veloster Turbo, and it appears to be moving pretty quickly based on the blur in the photos. That's understandable because our spy photographer got these shots during a video shoot of the Hyundai's latest hatchback in which it was probably being driven aggressively for good footage. Despite the blur, we can tell quite a bit from the images. First off, we know it's a Turbo model because of its large, round, center exhaust tips. We can also see that the Veloster is hopping on the contrast roof bandwagon, but at least to this editor's eye, the design seems well-suited to the paint scheme. The roof line itself also looks as though it drops down more drastically than the previous model. The rear window is notably wider than the old model, and the slimmer, wider taillights are flush with the glass. We're focusing more on the tail since we already got a good look at the front of the Veloster when Hyundai released official images of the car in snazzy multi-colored camouflage. The car's frown does look more pronounced in a single color, though. It seems the Turbo version also gets a small additional intake inlet in the bottom of the front bumper compared with the normal version. We expect to see the fully uncovered car in person at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show. It will likely appear alongside the less-powerful version. There's also an N version in the works, but it's possible Hyundai won't reveal that until later in the year. Related Video: