The numbers are in for last week's Super Bowl event and they show that the winner is General Motors with its Chevrolet’s spot, “Miss Evelyn’s Wild Ride”. According to Nielsen, an estimated 119,628,000 viewers watched two guys describing a woman’s wild ride in a silver Chevrolet Camaro making it the most-watched commercial ever. The previous record holder was a Doritos ad from 2010 with 116,231,920 viewers. GM's winning streak continued with the Chevy Cruze ad that came in second with 119.3 million views.
However, despite the record viewing number,
Chevy's lovely ladies couldn't beat Volkswagen's little Darth Vader in the Passat ad for the most favorite commercial of the game with a Nieslen likability index of 186 (the average score for the Super Bowl ads is 100, meaning VW's Passat ad was almost twice as liked as the average commercial).
The German firm's second TV spot starring the Beetle was the 6th most favorite ad [146 score], while Chrysler's 200 with Eminem, 8th [138 score] and Audi's A8 10th [127 score]. You can watch the ads after the jump.
We've already told you about Volkswagen's plans to air two new commercials during this Sunday's Super Bowl event and even shown you a teaser trailer of the 'Black Beetle' ad, but today, the German automaker released the full TV spots for both the 2012 Passat and 2012 New (or is that New2?) Beetle on Youtube.
The first advert is about the upcoming Beetle and shows a real bug with white racing stripes acting like a car on the forest ground, while the other commercial is for the U.S.-market spec 2012 Passat and is more humorous concentrating on a child dressed up as Darth Vader. Watch them both right after the break.
The first advert is about the upcoming Beetle and shows a real bug with white racing stripes acting like a car on the forest ground, while the other commercial is for the U.S.-market spec 2012 Passat and is more humorous concentrating on a child dressed up as Darth Vader. Watch them both right after the break.
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Volkswagen is offering us a 10-second glimpse of its new 'Black Beetle' TV commercial that will air during the Super Bowl football game next Sunday, February 6, 2011. The is the first television spot for the next generation of the Volkswagen Beetle, which is scheduled for launch in May, 2011. However, the 'Black Beetle' commercial won't reveal the car itself as it is centered on a beetle (as in the insect) that runs around the forest outperforming all the other creatures. Follow the jump to watch the teaser spot.
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One of the most memorable movies quotes of all time is from the 1994 comedy-drama Forrest Gump, in which Tom Hanks’ character said: “Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get”. Fast-forward to today, and eBay seems to be the proverbial box of chocolates with some truly sweet surprises, like this VW Beetle-based 1973 Air Force project car, named Talon.
According to plaques bolted to the dashboard and driver door, the fiberglass Talon was built by cadets at the United States Air Force Academy over a 5-month period, between January and June 1973. Other than that, there’s no information about the purpose of this car and the seller got nowhere after an investigation of his own. He claims to have called an aviation museum, researched the names of the cadets on Facebook and posted pictures on multiple Volkswagen websites, but to no avail.
The Talon was once motivated by a variant of the Beetle’s flat-four gasoline engine (the owner doesn’t know which one exactly), mated to a manual gearbox. Currently, the powerplant doesn’t run and, judging by the pictures, the chassis is also in a pretty poor condition. Luckily, the fiberglass body aged well and the potential buyer will surely find enough Beetle parts to be able to restore this oddball creation.
The current bid at eBay stands at just US $1,300, making the Talon an offer worth considering. We know it’s a long-shot, but if anyone can offer us some information on this seemingly one-off project car, we would be much obliged.
Joining an increasing number of advertisers, Volkswagen plans to air two never before seen TV spots during the 2nd and 4th quarters of Super Bowl XLV on February 6. The 30-seconds ads will showcase two models, the all-new 2012 Passat sedan that we first saw in Detroit earlier this month, and the so-called 21st Century Beetle.
The German company has teamed with Lucasfilms for the 2012 Passat spot, which will feature a pint-sized Darth Vader making use of the Force when he discovers the family saloon in the driveway.
The commercial for the next generation of the Beetle won't actually show the car but it will supposedly tease its silhouette while showing a beetle scurrying through the ground like a car outperforming all the other creatures. "The ad is an homage to some of the greatest car chase scenes in the history of film and TV," said VW of America in a statement.The next Beetle is scheduled to get its official debut in May.
“Both spots show the creativity and innovation that people expect from an iconic brand like Volkswagen,” added Mike Sheldon, CEO, Deutsch LA, Volkswagen’s Agency of Record. “The Super Bowl is unlike any other media platform in the world in terms of its reach and cultural influence. It is tailor-made for big announcements and is the perfect way for VW to engage the American public.”
New Jersey’s Route 22 Limousines is selling this 1999 Volkswagen Beetle limousine. The six passenger vehicle was built in 2001 and is finished with a white exterior and grey leather interior with TV, minibar, mirrored roof and custom lighting. Imagine the look on the face of Daddy’s Little Princess when you bring this home to take her to the Senior Prom...
And imagine the look on the face of Daddy’s Little Princess’s mother when you try to explain the US$45,000 price tag. Sure, it may seem a little steep at first, though presumably Route 22 spent a fair amount of money lengthening and customizing this...uh...“unique” vehicle.
It occurs to me though, adding all that additional weight to a New Beetle is going to seriously impede the performance of its 2.0 L engine, especially when mated to the standard 4spd automatic transmission. You know what I mean: 0 to 60 mph (0 to 100 km/h) in four hours and a minimum turning circle of a mile (1.6 km). I hope Route 22 upgraded the brakes, at least, or the new owner is going to be in for some fun times on wet roads.
Though I suppose, unless you’re carrying the President of the United States, a limousine doesn’t really have to be fast or nimble: it just has to be big, comfy and have a well stocked minibar. I won’t bother asking what you readers think of this thing; unless you’re a bride-to-be or a prom attendee you’ll probably think this thing is daft as it looks. I could be wrong though...
In October ’09 we brought you details and pictures of WaterCar’s US$200,000 Python: a Corvette-engined sea going convertible / roadable speed boat. It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t cheap, but some child-like part of us was enthralled with the sheer absurdity of it. Well, if you're on a tight(er) budget, the company also offers a considerably cheaper model. The Gator is essentially a kit car, albeit an impressive looking one at that.
Inspired by the Myers Manx of the 1960s (and looking like a Jeep Wrangler), the US$29,500 Gator comes with a complete fibreglass body, gear box and transmission, water jet propulsion unit, high torque drive axles, front and rear suspension parts, head lights, steering assembly and various stainless steel parts.
All an enterprising buyer has to do is bolt in the chassis and engine from a Volkswagen Beetle and e viola; you have your very own amphibious automobile. Though one has to wonder: does this make the Python, which costs almost ten times as much, redundant?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
What is included in the kit:
1. WaterCar Fiberglass Body and Hull Assembly
2. WaterCar Patented Gear Box and Transmission Assembly
3. Rear Water Jet Propulsion Unit
2. Hood
3. Doors
4. Deck Lid
5. All Various Stainless Hinges and Door Latches
5. Windshield
6. Left and Right High Torque Drive Axles
7. Front and Rear Suspension Components
8. Head Light Assemblies
9. Steering Assembly (Both water and road)
10. Stainless Steel Hardware
PRICE FOR KIT: $29,500.00
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