Cars for Sale Ireland Blog

Filed under: Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hatchback, Fiat

There’s no question that Fiat’s “Seduction” ad was a big success. Launched just a few weeks ago to coincide with the North American debut of the Fiat 500 Abarth, the minute-long commercial quickly went viral to amass over two million views. And with good reason. The spot’s got everything: cars, sexy, funny…. So what more could Fiat do with the ad? Pop-Up Video, of course!

The VH1 program was most popular in the late 90s, but was revived just a couple of months ago by the (*ahem*) music television channel. So Fiat handed its precious video over to VH1 for the full pop-up treatment, complete with random snippets of information about its production and such. Follow the jump to check it out, along with the press release and – just because we love our readers so much – a special bonus video from the Abarth PR crew.

Continue reading VH1 does the Pop-Up Video thing with Abarth’s “Seduction” ad

VH1 does the Pop-Up Video thing with Abarth’s “Seduction” ad originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Europe, BMW, Specialty, Racing

We’re firm believers in the fact that there are few things on this green Earth that can’t be improved with the addition of a General Motors small block. Need proof? Take a peek over Jon Sibal’s site for a look at a BMW 1 Series M Coupe powered by a good old-fashioned American lump.

The GC10-V8 is actually a silhouette race car, which means the vehicle makes use of a complete tube chassis which is then covered in whatever sheet metal (or carbon fiber) you like. This machine was built by Global Concept Automobile, and began with a 1 Series M Coupe shell.

The team then applied some seriously-aggressive composite fender arches to cover the vehicle’s meaty race rubber. Sibal says the eight-pot at work in the GC10-V8 is good for a blistering 550 horsepower, and that a three-way Ohlins adjustable suspension takes care of keeping the coupe planted on the tarmac.

The racer has already gotten its feet wet in a couple of endurance races around France this year. Awesome. Head over to Jon Sibal’s site for more information and photos, and be sure to click past the jump for a look at the GC10-V8 in the pits.

Continue reading This BMW 1M makes 550 hp thanks to American muscle [w/video]

This BMW 1M makes 550 hp thanks to American muscle [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Truck, Work, Ford

The Ranger pickup has been an integral part of the Ford truck lineup for decades. But later this month, that will cease to be – at least here in the States. That’s when the very last Ranger will roll off the assembly line in St. Paul, Minnesota. And what do you know, it’s already found a buyer.

The last Ranger has been sold to Orkin, the pest control company that already relies on fleets of white Rangers (and Chevrolet Colorado pickups) with the red diamond logo on the door and all manner of insecticides and other tools of the trade in the back.

“Since 1983, Orkin has used the Ford Ranger as its primary fleet vehicle because it’s a reliable and economical truck,” Paul Youngpeter, Director of Fleet for Rollins, Inc. (Orkin’s parent company) tells Autoblog. “We’re honored that Ford has agreed that we will get the last Ranger, and we’ll put into our regular service rotation before it’s retired to our corporate archives or used for training.”

Orkin says they’ve got enough Rangers to last them for now, and that the company will pick a successor when the time comes. For our part, it seems only fitting to us that a terminated model should be used by exterminators, but one way or another, at least the final Ranger will be put to good use.

Final Ford Ranger to be built mid-month, already sold to Orkin originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Technology, Renault, Infotainment

We’ve seen plenty of tablets embedded into concepts and project cars, but Renault looks to be the first major automaker to bring a fully functional and embedded tablet into a production vehicle. And it’s doing it in two new cars due to arrive next year.

At the LeWeb consumer electronics show in France, Renault unveiled R-Link, a voice-activated telematics platform that combines entertainment, navigation and social functions into a single, integrated seven-inch touchscreen display.

The tablet – which we assume is removable, so this isn’t just a glorified touchscreen – can be controlled through either voice commands, the screen or the steering wheel, and Renault claims that 50 apps will be available when it launches on both the new Clio and Zoe models next year.

Navigation is provided by TomTom and Renault is courting developers to bring even more apps to market. However, the French automaker remains mum on specs and the operating system, both of which could pose a challenge to devs. Hit the jump for the release.

Continue reading Renault integrating custom tablet into 2012 Zoe and Clio

Renault integrating custom tablet into 2012 Zoe and Clio originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety, Cadillac, Toyota, Fiat

The 2012 Toyota Camry and 2012 Cadillac CTS have joined the ranks of vehicles that have earned the coveted five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The vehicles mark the 15th and 16th models to nab the top rating under the tougher NHTSA crash test standards enacted for 2011 models. Last year, the 2011 Camry took home four stars in the evaluations. Toyota reminds us that the 2012 Camry is built with high-strength steel to help protect the passenger cell against deflection in the event of an accident, and that the vehicle comes standard with 10 airbags, all of which contribute to the new model’s superior score.

The Fiat 500, meanwhile, didn’t fare so well under the range of crash evaluations. The tiny hatchback collected just three stars overall. The side-impact test was particularly cruel to the Italian compact, with NHTSA awarding the vehicle two stars in that category – a somewhat surprising result considering that Fiat went to the trouble of redesigning the 500 for U.S. crash test compatibility. The 500 finds itself in the company of the Dodge Caliber and outgoing Ford Escape as the only models tested so far to receive the three-star designation.

Fiat 500 nets three-star NHTSA safety rating; Toyota Camry and Cadillac CTS get five originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Performance, Europe, Crossover, Audi, BMW, Luxury

It’s been a spell since we caught wind of the rumored BMW X6 fighter from Audi, but Automotive News Europe reports the vehicle is still in development. The publication quotes Walter de’Silva, design chief with the Volkswagen Group, as saying Audi will definitely launch a more athletic crossover positioned between the Q5 and the Q7. Details are understandably scarce at the moment, but the vehicle will likely be designed to help Audi tap into the premium softroader segment where buyers aren’t afraid to pay top dollar for a vehicle. Unless Audi unexpectedly decides to completely scrap its alphanumeric naming scheme, odds are the newcomer will wear Q6 badges when it bows.

Previously, we’ve heard the Q6 will ride on the same bones as the Volkswagen Touareg and Porsche Cayenne, though no engine specifics have surfaced as of yet. It doesn’t take otherworldly powers of deduction to realize it wouldn’t be difficult for Audi to produce a hybrid Q6 if the vehicle does, in fact, share a chassis with its Volkswagen and Porsche cousins.

What about other bouncing baby crossovers from Audi? De’Silva said that the company is still investigating whether to introduce a new Q4 to give BMW X4 buyers another option.

Audi exec reconfirms plans for BMW X6 rival originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Convertible, Sedan, Performance, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Porsche, Ferrari, Luxury

Trident gave a few unsuspecting taxi passengers the ride of their lives in Guadalajara. In a promotion for the company’s new Twist gum, Trident swapped out one taxi company’s standard Nissan Sentra/Tsuru cabs with a Ferrari F430 Spider and a Porsche Panamera. Both vehicles were suitably decked out in yellow with a field of checkers. The cabs even came equipped with all the right lights to be legal, though seeing a cabbie wearing a full-on race helmet would give us a moment’s pause before hopping in inside.

We’re a bit surprised to see just how quickly these performance machines darted around town, though this isn’t the first time we’ve seen wild taxi rides. As you may recall, Red Bull released Scott Speed and his NASCAR racer on Chicago for a little high-octane fun not too long ago. Hit the jump to see the Ferrari and Porsche frolic through the streets of Guadalajara.

Continue reading Guadalajara taxi service ups its game with Ferrari and Porsche

Guadalajara taxi service ups its game with Ferrari and Porsche originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Hatchback, Subaru

WRX. Those three letters tell automotive enthusiasts the world over that they are not dealing with an ordinary Impreza, and it all began in rally racing with a 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four engine. Though some models – including the current WRX and STI in the United States – had engines displacing as much as 2.5 liters, the WRX earned its reputation with 2.0 liters, and that’s the displacement specified for competition use.

According to Motor Trend, the 2013 WRX, which will likely debut sometime in 2012, will go back to its original engine size. The new powerplant will reportedly be based on the engine found in the 2013 Subaru BRZ, a clean-sheet design for Subaru, with the addition of the expected turbocharger. That ought to bring power up from 200 horsepower to about 270.

Now we come to the question of what platform in which the engine will reside. While common sense would dictate that the latest version of the Impreza, which was recently released as a 2012 model, would get the WRX treatment, we’ve heard rumblings that Subaru would keep its current WRX shell around for a few more years while it continues development of the next chassis. Only time will tell.

Next-gen Subaru WRX targeting downsized 2.0-liter four that’s upsized to 270 hp originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released the findings of its 2010 national fatality and injury rate study. Last year, traffic fatalities fell to 32,885, marking the lowest level since 1949. The decline came despite the fact that American drivers covered 1.6 percent more ground than they did in 2009 by driving an additional 46 billion miles over the course of the year. In addition, 2010 carried the lowest fatality rate ever recorded by the federal agency with just 1.10 deaths per 100 million miles traveled. NHTSA attributes the decline to the agencies tireless efforts to push toward ever safer vehicles, though there are several factors at work here.

While fatalities declined in nearly every vehicle category, including minivans, SUVs and pickup trucks, 2010 also saw a decline in crashes involving drunk drivers. A total of 10,288 people passed away in those incidents, marking a decline of nearly five percent.

There were areas that saw an increase in fatalities, however. Specifically, 2010 was a bad year for pedestrians, motorcyclists and occupants of large trucks. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Continue reading Traffic fatalities fall to lowest levels since 1949

Traffic fatalities fall to lowest levels since 1949 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Ford, Earnings/Financials

In another sign of its success, Ford has announced that it will be paying out a quarterly dividend, the first time it will do so in over five years. The five-cents-a-share dividend will begin on March 1, 2012.

According to The Detroit Free Press, the move will cost Ford about $200 million per quarter. Ford is the first Detroit carmaker to pay a dividend on common stock since General Motors suspended its dividend in 2008. GM has been paying dividends on preferred stock this year.

Ford’s stock remains just below investment grade, but Ford officials think resuming paying a dividend should help signal the company’s financial strength.

Continue reading Ford reinstates dividend, first one in half-decade

Ford reinstates dividend, first one in half-decade originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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