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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.

Kia GT spied looking like a rakish, sexy Forte

Just over four months ago, we told you that Kia would offer a production version of its handsome GT concept. Now, we have images of the svelte new four-door testing in Germany. It looks like we're getting a sexy, rear-drive performance sedan the size of a Kia Forte. And we're pretty stoked. Judging by our spy images, Kia is going to stick pretty close to the concept car's rakish lines. That means more four-door coupe than three-box sedan, which is precisely the kind of thing Kia could use. Beyond the overall shape, the headlights retain the same interesting shape as the concept, albeit in a more production-focused look. They crown a production-spec fascia, with more conventional vertical intakes. In back, the vehicle-spanning taillight element from the concept car appears to have been replaced by a conventional set of lamps – there's camo where the lighting element should be. Speaking of the tail, look at those tailpipes. Few things shout "Rawr, I'm a performance car," like a meaty set of quad exhausts. It's hard to tell here, but the rear fascia looks much more conventional than the GT concept, too, which went with a very aero-intensive design. Under the skin, our spies tell us the GT rides on a shortened version of the rear-drive platform slated to underpin the upcoming Genesis G70 – that backs up the reports that the GT would challenge the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. Our most recent report pointed to a range of four and six-cylinder engines from 2.0- to 3.3-liters. Our spies suggest that twin-turbocharged V6 will put out anywhere from 365 to 400 ponies. Obviously, this would be a range-topping model, but what a range-topper it would be. It's like a budget M4. Our best intelligence points to the GT's production debut at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, with an on-sale date in just under a year.

WTF China? Why copy the Kia Picanto for anything?

While we certainly don't condone it, we at least get why Chinese companies copy the work of global automakers. It's all about the prestige in the China, and when versions of expensive imports can be had from a cheaper, domestically built automaker, it's clear where the money will go. But of all the prestigious, luxurious, handsome, high-performance vehicles for a Chinese automaker to rip off, why in the name of Chairman Mao did they choose a Kia Picanto? For those not in the know, the Picanto is a tiny city car that'd slot in below the Rio, were it sold in the US market. It's a fine car for what it is, but hardly one that is so packed full of innovative, handsome styling that makes sense to copycat, even if it isn't actually sold in the People's Republic. But that's just what Yogomo has done, with the new 330 electric car. While the real McCoy is a proper car, complete with a range of gas engines, the electric 330 is what's known in China as a low-speed electric vehicle – despite its size, according to Car News China, it can't be used on highways and is not eligible for the PRC's green subsidies. While most copycat designs are pretty flagrant, they're easily discernible from the cars on which they're based. That's not the case with the Yogomo 330, though. The mirrors are different, sure, and the grille, while roughly the same shape, isn't as exact the trademark Kia grille. But beyond that, the design is virtually identical, and that's sure to ruffle the feathers of copyright lawyers in South Korea. Head over to CNC for a look at the Yogomo's copycatting efforts. Featured Gallery Yogomo 330 EV Related Gallery 2015 Kia Picanto News Source: Car News ChinaImage Credit: Kia Government/Legal Green Kia