Raunchy Lesbian Ad for Renault Twingo Banned in Italy

What woman wouldn’t falsely seduce another to steal her shirt? No, this isn’t another one of my sexist rants: it’s a (legitimate?) question posed by a Renault ad that has been banned in Italy.

The ad features two women – who I’ll refer to as the blonde and the brunette – who sneak off together for some hanky-panky bedroom fun. The brunette undresses; the blonde blindfolds her and steals her pink top, later comparing it to the color of her Renault Twingo Miss Sixty.

The ad was created by the Milanese arm of French advertising firm Publicis, which Renault had used before to great effect with the highly popular Papa et Nicole ads of the 1990s for the Renault Clio I. However, this latest ad has not gone down well in Italy, with TV RAI (essentially Italy’s BBC) and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's Mediaset organization refusing to air it. It has also outraged the nation’s gay-lesbian groups which claim it is offensive to homosexual women.

Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera asks:

“Is it controversial or cutting edge? One thing for certain though at no point during the advert is any technical aspect of the new Renault Twingo ever mentioned.”

Can’t you be both controversial and cutting edge? Lady Gaga (sort of) falls into this category, doesn’t she? *Is pelted with rotten tomatoes* Okay, okay; and let us never speak of her again.

Publicis spokeperson Daniele Tranchini defends the controversial ad:

“We wanted to create an advert that was original, enjoyable and at the same time not vulgar and I believe we have achieved that. What is clever is that you think the advert is going one way but in the end it goes another - its great don't you think?”

For the time being, the ad is only being aired on Sky and has not be shown outside of Italy. Thanks to YouTube, you – our loyal readers – can see the ad for yourselves and render your verdict in the comment’s section below.

By Tristan Hankins

Via: Dailymail & USA Today

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VIDEO: Chevrolet Tries to Explain the Volt's MPG Equivalent and MPG Ratings

Once upon a drive, all we had to know about a car's fuel consumption was how many miles the vehicle could travel on a single gallon of gas in the city, on the highway and on a combined route, regardless of whether the engine was fed with petrol or diesel.

Nowadays, the appearance of all-electric and extended range hybrid electric cars in showrooms has forced [ahem...] the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to embrace a new method to measure the energy consumption of alternative fuel vehicles called MPGe (Miles Per Gallon Equivalent).

The idea is to allow consumers to compare the energy consumption of EVs or Electric-Hybrid models such as the Leaf and the Volt to those of gasoline or diesel powered vehicles in terms of miles per gallon.

Knowing that many consumers are still baffled by the concept, General Motors released a short video where it tries to explain the new EPA ratings on the Chevrolet Volt. Scroll down to watch the clip.

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Aston Martin Launches New Apple App, Includes Virtual Accelerometer and More

It seems like every automaker is jumping on the Apple App-wagon these days and Aston Martin is no exception. The British firm today announced the availability of its new iPhone and iPod Touch app, the Aston Martin Explore, which comes with a variety of goodies including an acoustically accurate accelerometer and real life content, such as sounds from the entire current model line-up being driven to extreme on the track.

The Aston Martin ‘Explore’ app also offers exclusive content such as a virtual tour of the company’s Gaydon headquarters in the UK, including design and manufacturing facilities plus access to never before seen images and sound clips.

The new app is available to download for free from the iTunes App Store, with a version for the iPad to follow early next year. The British company added that it will also launch a premium [sic] Aston Martin ‘Experience’ app in the first quarter of 2011.

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MINI Flavored Double-Decker Bus Hits the Streets of Milan

For those of you enjoying the city of Milan in Italy, MINI's double-decker lifestyle bus will be making a short three-day stop at the Corso Vercelli shopping district from Wednesday, December 22 to Friday, December 24. The specially modified double-decker bus is a mobile play station that includes a shop for MINI's Lifestyle accessories, open from 10 am to 9 pm. More photos of MINI's tricked out London bus after the break.

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China to Box and Ship Great Wall to Bulgaria

You read that correctly, dear reader, though it’s not what you think. We’re not talking about the Great Wall, we’re talking Great Wall Motor [sic], a Chinese automaker that builds everything from sedans to pickups to hatchbacks and SUVs - some of which will bring to mind [sic times two] models from other European and Japanese carmakers. And, by mid-year 2011, Great Wall Motor will have a factory in Bahovitsa, Bulgaria! Yippee!

If you, like me, know only a few things about Bulgaria, here’s a little summary from the CIA World Factbook: it sits between Romania and Turkey; it has a population of around 7 million; Communism was dropped in 1990; the country joined NATO in 2004 and the European Union in 2007 and its primary exports are clothing, iron and steel, machinery and fuels. Fascinating!

The new plan is the brainchild of Bulgarian tycoon, ex-wrestler and self-professed patriot Grisha Ganchev. Mr. Granchev’s Litex firm raised 90% of the €97 million (US$130 million) needed the build the plant, with Great Wall providing the last 10. The plant is expected to generate 1,220 jobs and build some 50,000 vehicles from knock down kits a year.

Plamen Likyov, the production manager at Litex states, presumably reflects the views of many Bulgarians when he says: “The local people hope that this factory will mean work. The global economic crisis is felt here like everywhere, and many jobs were lost.”

However, it’s not all champagne and roses for Great Wall’s Bulgaria investment. David Sedgwick, the editor of Automotive News China, is convinced that Chinese automakers are not even close to challenging their European competitors. He explains why the Bahovitsa plant is unlikely to make waves:

“They bring in the kit and reassemble the car, and there’s not a lot of automation. You really want to pay attention when it’s a full-scale assembly plant. They can cost $500 million to $1 billion. When you see a Chinese automaker taking on that kind of investment, then you know they are serious.”

And there’s more, from Jonas Parell-Plesner, a senior policy fellow at London’s European Council on Foreign Relations:

“I think they invest in countries where they don’t expect a backlash.”

Ouch. The Bulgarian auto market isn’t exactly booming either, with just 26,813 cars being sold in 2009 and 57,927 the year before. It will be hard for any new manufacturer to make waves, especially against strong European competition.

Alexander Dimitrov, a sales manager at one of the nation’s Renault Dacia dealerships, explains:

“Bulgarians use cars to make an impression. They would rather buy a 10-year-old Mercedes than a new Chinese car.”

Mr. Granchev and Great Wall are undeterred, however. The Bulgarian multi-millionaire is convinced there’s a market for Chinese cars at the low end of the market. Andy Liu, Great Wall’s Deputy Head of European Marketing, agrees:

“Our equipment will be very good and our price will be very competitive. That’s a characteristic of Chinese manufacturers.”

One of the firm’s models, a sedan, is likely to sell for €5,000 (US$6,588), undercutting the Romanian built Dacia Logan by about €1,000 (US$1,318). A Great Wall spokesperson told the New York Times that the company would be setting up a dealer and parts / service network in the country, probably with the assistance of local importers.

Only time will tell whether Mr. Granchev’s investment will be more fruit than folly.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: New York Times

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Audi Proposes R8 Spyder Car Cover for Unhappy BMW and Mercedes Owners

From the creators of last year's R8 V10 garage door decal promo, comes this new advertising project for Audi. This time, creative advertising agency Lowe Roche, came up with a groovy Audi R8 Spyder car cover aimed at BMW and Mercedes-Benz owners who are disappointed with their vehicles, as well as the rest of us who can't afford [...] Ingolstadt's flagship roadster model.

Here's the description from Lowe Roche's webpage: "Don’t have an Audi R8 Spyder? Now you can pretend to have one. Trick your neighbors, and best of all, trick yourself into thinking you have the car of your dreams. Perfect for the BMW or Mercedes owner in your life filled with regret."

Is it just me, or does the wording make the description sound overly conceited?

Source: Lowe Roche

Saab Signs Deal to Return to China Market in 2011

Maintaining a presence in China is vital for any automaker these days, even more so for a company like Saab that is struggling to make a comeback after almost going down this year. The Swedish automaker signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with China Automobile Trading Co. LTD (CATC), which will allow the firm to re-enter the Chinese market after a three-year hiatus, as Saab's previous owner, General Motors, had pulled the brand out of China in 2008.

Under the agreement, the Beijing-based and government-owned CATC will assume responsibility for the import of Saab vehicles and spare parts for the Chinese market. Saab said that a contract sealing the deal is expected to be signed in the first quarter of 2011, with official sales starting in July 2011. The Swedish firm plans to start with a small network initially

Announcing the agreement, Saab Automobile CEO Jan Åke Jonsson said: “This agreement is vital for Saab, as it will be the foundation to develop a stronger presence in what is now the largest car market in the world. I am confident that CATC will prove to be the perfect partner for us as we revamp our sales activities in the Chinese market."

“Saab sees strong sales potential in China and we are confident that our product offering will be attractive to both existing and new customers in the market. We look forward to re-establishing the Saab brand in China next year with exciting new products like the new 9-5 Sedan and the 9-4X crossover vehicle.”