Archive for Automotive Videos

I guess she overestimated how far the EV mode would take her…

Two new video clips on BMW’s new Vision EfficientDynamics Frankfurt showcar have been released by the boys at Munich, making it a total of three videos now if you include the first one. One is 3 minute long video while the second one is a short 3D teaser of just under a minute long. I’ve also added the first video in case you missed it, so head on after the jump where you will find all three videos. You can also check out my previous post on the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept car to read more on BMW’s new turbodiesel-hybrid sports car concept.

Click here to read the rest of Two more videos of the BMW Vision ED Concept

It’s hard to tell what real world performance and experiences will be like for now but one thing’s for sure (though you can read my first impression story when I got to drive the car in Korea), the new Kia Forte Koup is a stunner when it comes to its looks.

If you just can’t get enough of the Koup, check out this fresh new CGI-heavy video from Kia promoting its new Kia Forte Koup after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of VIDEO: Kia Koup Promotional Footage

Does the car above look familiar to you? If you were online on this blog sometime last night you would have read about the new Renault Fluence. Yes, the Renault-Samsung SM3 was launched before the Fluence and the two cars are essentially one and the same.

Looking at the details released regarding the SM3 we discover more about the two cars. The platform that underpins the cars is the Megane’s Renault-Nissan C-platform, which is one segment higher than the stretched B-platforms that underpin the Latio and the Sylphy here in Malaysia.

It makes me wonder, considering the SM3 was originally a rebadge of our Sentra, will this model end up being a replacement for Nissan’s C-segment contender here in Malaysia once the Sylphy reaches its End-Of-Life? For awhile there was also a rumour that the Penske Automotive Group’s soon to be newly acquired Saturn brand would be selling this car in the US as a new model and that the Penske team were in Korea in July to do evaluations.

If you read the Fluence story you’ll also know that this car is set to be turned into an electric vehicle in 2011 and will be offered in certain countries like Israel in collaboration with Project Better Place. Basically, Project Better Place hopes to turn electricity into an easily accessible power source on the go via charging stations and automated battery-swap stations.

Look after the jump for more pix of the SM3, but what’ll interest you more is a video demonstration of Project Better Place’s battery swap station. It’s really pretty cool.

Click here to read the rest of Renault-Samsung SM3: Korean-rebadged Fluence

Here’s some beauty footage of the MINI Coupe Concept’s exterior and interior that BMW typically produces for publications to slice up and use in their videos. You don’t really get to see the car in much action, but in typically quirky MINI style there’s bound to be a promo video of it later depicting the Coupe Concept actually driven by people that are as fun (and overdressed) as their car looks.

Click here to read the rest of VIDEO: MINI Coupe Concept Beauty Shots

The future is one where engines have not just been downsized but completely eliminated, or at least that’s the prophecy that the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics makes. The Frankfurt-bound concept has been teaser in this new video from BMW. It’s a bumper-view of the concept car racing down some green B-roads and guess what – no engine noise. It’s definitely a really powerful electric car of sorts, not sure if it will be powered by plug-in chargeable batteries or hydrogen fuel cell. But the sight of the bizarre tail lamps above makes the question of how this new concept will look like an equally big questions as what it’s powered by. Watch the video after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept teaser

Saab’s Head of Brand Design says these are exciting times for Saab and that’s quite true actually, as Saab now has a new car and a new owner as well.

GM and Koenigsegg’s deal has been confirmed and 100% of Saab stock will be transferred to Koenigsegg by the end of the year, subject to terms and conditions including funding commitments and transitional assistance for Saab by GM from being a GM brand into a new independent marque.

The new Saab 9-5 looks considerably less like its predecessors and it reminds me a little of a large Skoda Fabia with a butt, for some reason. It’s got design cues inspired by the Saab Aero X concept car. The interior is typically Saab with jetfighter cockpit inspiration and the backlighting is all done in an old school green. I think one of the last manufacturers around to use green backlighting was Ford with the pre-facelift Focus, Ranger and etc. Know of any else? But Saab’s green has a much more premium look to it – more jetfighter instrumentation than pasar malam digital clock.

The engine options can take either one of 3 fuels – petrol, diesel and E85 bioethanol. At launch time, the 9-5 will have a 160hp inline-4 turbodiesel, a 220hp 2.0 liter turbocharged petrol engine, and a 2.8 liter V6 turbo with XWD all-wheel drive making 300 horses and 400Nm of torque to help get all those horses down onto the tar. The BioPower E85 engine will be available after the launch – a 2.0 liter unit. Another petrol engine will also be added, an entry level 180hp 1.6 liter petrol.

Loads of buzzwords are packed into the marketing brochure – head-up information display (HUD); adaptive headlights (Bi-Xenon Smart Beam); adaptive cruise control; Saab DriveSense adaptive chassis with real-time damping control; keyless entry and starting; dual-zone climate control; dynamic parking assistance, and Saab XWD with eLSD. The car’s entertainment system uses a hard drive for map data and has reserved 10GB of dedicated music storage.

Look after the jump for a video and photos of the new 9-5.

Click here to read the rest of New 2010 Saab 9-5 unveiled: Photos and Video

I’m sure there are some of you that wonder why the new Ferrari 458 Italia looks the way it does, especially those that don’t really like it. According to Ferrari, every design feature on the 458 Italia is driven by aerodynamics, and the video after the jump explains each grille’s function as well as how the deformable winglets at the grille area work. Watch the video after the jump. There’s also one previous video, in case you missed that.

Click here to read the rest of VIDEO: Ferrari 458 Italia’s Styling Elements

MINI is officially 50 years and 1 day old today, and BMW AG celebrated the MINI brand’s “birthday” yesterday with a celebration video that you will find after the jump. And of course their other present to the brand would be the new MINI Coupe Concept. In your opinion, do you consider MINI a continuation of the old school Mini? Or something completely new altogether that’s only a few years old now? Is MINI 50 years old or is Mini 50 years old? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Click here to read the rest of VIDEO: MINI 50th birthday celebration song

BMW driver Tommy Milner talks about what it feels like to be a race car driver: it’s not about driving a really fast car, its about racing with someone else, and hopefully winning. We get to see some sights and sounds of the new BMW M3 GTR race car, but lots of the video are actually screens from the Need For Speed Shift game which features the M3 GTR. Watch the video after the jump. It’s quite worth a watch to see what Milner has to say about being in a racecar in the heat of a race.

Click here to read the rest of VIDEO: BMW M3 GTR in Need For Speed Shift

This is quite a funny but kinda long ad for the Perodua Kelisa that I found on Youtube. For some reason I don’t remember ever seeing it on TV, but then again I don’t watch TV that often. It’s directed by Barney Chua and produced by Ira Carissa Shah for Perodua, and is inspired by Ultraman and Thunderbirds, amongst others. The Kelisa special editions (with the stripes and etc) saves the world from a certain Dr Bore.

Click here to read the rest of VIDEO: Perodua Kelisa vs Dr Bore TVC