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The best Super Bowl car commercials from the last 5 years

If you've been dipping into the Autoblog feed over the past days and weeks, you wouldn't even have to be a sports fan to know the Super Bowl is coming up. Automakers have been teasing their spots for the big game, dropping them days early, fully-formed onto the Internet and otherwise trying to amp up the multi-million-dollar outlays that they've made for air time on the biggest advertising day of the year. And, we're into it. The lead up to the Super Bowl is almost akin to a mini auto show around these parts; with automakers being amongst the most prolific advertisers on these special Sundays. The crop of ads from 2015 looks as strong as ever, but we thought we'd take a quick look back at some of our favorite spots from the last five years. Take a look at our picks – created from a very informal polling of Autoblog editors and presented in no particular order – and then tell us about your recent faves, in Comments. Chrysler, Imported From Detroit Chrysler, Eminem and a lingering pan shot of "The Fist" – it doesn't get much more Motown than 2011's Imported From Detroit. With the weight of our staffers hailing from in and around The D, it's no wonder that our memories still favor this epic Super Bowl commercial (even though the car it was shilling was crap). Imported really set the tone for later Chrysler ads, too, repeated the formula: celebrity endorsement + dramatic copy + dash of jingoism = pulled car-guy heartstrings. Mercedes-Benz, Soul teaser with Kate Upton One of our favorite Super Bowl commercials (and yours, based on the insane number of views you logged) didn't even technically air during the game. Mercedes-Benz teased its eventual spot Soul with 90-seconds worth of Kate Upton threatening to do her best Joy Harmon impression. (Teaser indeed.) It doesn't win points for cleverness, use of music, acting, or any compelling carness, but it proved that Mercedes' advertisers knew how to make a splash in the Internet Age. And, hey, it's still classier than every GoDaddy commercial. Kia, A Dream Car. For Real Life Like the Mercedes video above, the initial draw here is a pretty lady; in this case the always stunning Adriana Lima. But this Kia commercial really delivers the extra effort we expect while scarfing crabby snacks and homemades, too. First of all, Motley Crue. Second, a cowboy on a bucking rhino. Enjoy yet again.

Marchionne wants Maserati to be FCA's new Ferrari

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is gearing up to spin Ferrari, its most profitable brand, off into another company, and float its stock on the open market. That means it's going to need another profit-driver to generate income for the rest of the group. And according to its chief executive Sergio Marchionne, that mantle will soon be picked up by Maserati. FCA is betting big on Maserati, which has long stood as a niche marque with a limited array of models and low sales numbers. In addition to the recently introduced Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans – now crucially offered with diesels and all-wheel drive – Maserati is preparing to roll out the Levante crossover that promises to do for the Modenese marque what the Cayenne did for Porsche. Due in part to the success of its first crossover, Porsche turned itself from a niche sports car manufacturer into an immensely profitable automaker that was (nearly) capable of buying out the entire Volkswagen Group. Maserati's resurgence is part of a two-pronged assault FCA is plotting against its German rivals. Maserati will be charged with taking on the higher end of the Mercedes, BMW, and Audi ranges (from the E-Class, 5 Series and A6 upwards). Meanwhile, Alfa Romeo will go after the lower end of the luxury spectrum with the new Giulia (aimed at the C-Class, 3 Series and A4) and other models to follow. FCA aims to turn Maserati and Alfa Romeo (along with Jeep) into global brands, broadening the narrow geographical appeal they have held until now. In order to generate enough profit to support the rest of the group as Ferrari has, Maserati will need to find a way to increase its profit margins. Bloomberg reports that Ferraris command a 13-percent profit margin, and while the ten percent that Maseratis list for is still triple that of the FCA average, slow sales are forcing some dealers to offer deep incentives that cut significantly into that margin. Related Video:

Maserati confirms limited edition Quattroporte Zegna for production

Last year two of the biggest names in Italian style – one from the automotive industry and one from fashion – announced a partnership. Together Maserati and Ermenegildo Zegna revealed a "concept" version of the Quattroporte at the Frankfurt Motor Show, only given how production-ready the show car already looked, nobody really believed it would remain just a concept. And now, having revealed the final version in Geneva, Maserati has confirmed it for production. Limited production, that is, because Maserati will only build 100 examples of the Quattroporte Zegna edition for consumption around the world. That's about one-thirtieth of the number of cars Maserati produces each month at this point, and while the Modenese automaker doesn't break down its sales figures by model, the QP accounts for a large proportion of those numbers. Maserati also hasn't said just how much it will charge for the Zegna edition, but you can bet it'll be a handsome premium – more than some of those designer-edition hatchbacks get at any rate – yet it'll undoubtedly offload the entire run in short order. "ONE OF 100" THE MASERATI QUATTROPORTE ZEGNA LIMITED EDITION Wednesday, July 16, 2014 – After making its world debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, Maserati has revealed an exclusive limited edition Maserati Quattroporte in collaboration with luxury Italian fashion house, Ermenegildo Zegna. Just 100 examples of the limited series will be built which feature colour schemes, materials and exclusive trims which link the histories of the two brands. To celebrate the launch of the Quattroporte Zegna Limited Edition, Maserati and Zegna are embarking on a tour of four international events starting in Shanghai in July 2014 before stopping in New York (Sept 2014), Dubai (Feb 2015) and Milan (Spring 2015). The events are designed to present the Quattroporte Zegna Limited Edition to an exclusive audience and to celebrate the partnership between the two Italian brands; both of whom are masters in Italian excellence. The exclusive event locations have been carefully selected to enhance the uniqueness of the alliance and represent the pinnacle of Italian elegance. Guests will be able to discover the car's premium finishes in detail and see the extraordinary result of the partnership. World famous Italian photographer, Fabrizio Ferri, will be in attendance at each of the four events capturing 100 unique images – 25 from each occasion.