When Croatian Mate Rimac's engine gave up on his E30 3 Series, he decided that instead of replacing the engine or sell the remainder to the scrap yard, he would go about creating an electric BMW using nothing but off the shelf parts.
The fourth and latest incarnation of his project, which took him two years to build, is a spectacular machine cabable of beating most cars in a straight-line drag race. The car's output stands at 900 bhp and travels to 100km/h in around 3.3 seconds. And depending on how furiously he drives it, can allegedely travel around 160km on each charge.
It's certainly proved it's speed - out-dragging a new Tesla below!
Audi USA has launched a new 60s TV ad, which the brand has billed as a prelude to its upcoming Super Bowl ad.
Featuring the new flagship A8 sedan, the message dove-tails nicely from the previous communications highlighting "progress" in motoring.
British car manufacturer Lotus has decided that they are no longer just going to rely on their cars to build awareness and a affinity.
Following in Ferrari's footsteps - the brand has announced its intentions of launching a luxury clothing and accessories collection Lotus Originals, with the collection said to be inspired by the heritage and attention to craftsmanship core to the Lotus brand DNA.
The online store is the first stage in establishing Lotus Originals, with a flagship retail store opening in London later this year.
Via - Lotus
Below is irrefutable proof that when it comes to blending emotion and branding, no one does it better than a loyal customer.
The video is a fan-made montage edited by the son of a now-deceased motorcycle owner that tells the story behind what the bike meant to the family and how it was restored to its glory after the original owner passed away. According to Brandchannel, even the rights to the soundtrack was bought by the original maker of the video for $1000. It's $1000 well spent, as it really captures the essence of the emotion of the story.
Ball is now firmly in the BMW Motorcycle division's court!
BMW is about to release series of four films about the future of mobility, where it could lead and how it could be shaped.
Each documentary will be released once a week online,and features interviews with trend-setters, designers, engineers, scientists and pioneers.
Below is a trailer that has already been released - and looks set to be very interesting as a series.
Mercedes Benz US recently launched a social media stunt driven by the twitter platform.
The idea revolves around a challenge for four teams of two from around the US who have been picked to race Dallas at Cowboys Stadium - with one team each leaving from New York, Tampa, Chicago and Los Angeles. Mercedes' ultimate goal is to achieve a combined 7087730 followers through the challenge.
Each team needs to collect something Mercedes is calling "tweet fuel", which will help push the team a little bit further in their respective vehicles, with NY behind the wheel of a 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL550 4Matic, Tampa driving a 2011 E550 Cabriolet, Chicago getting the keys to a 2011 GL350 BlueTec and LA will use a 2011 S400 Hybrid.
If they "win," each member will receive a 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe.
Captain Morgan provides irrefutable proof that laughter and rum are the best ways to stay fit and healthy.
Lexus USA has recently launched a new campaign called "The Hard Way".
The various executions are a way for Lexus to entrench the brand's promise of "The Pursuit of Perfection" in a very functional way, allowing the audience to see the processes and demonstrating the results of the rigorous production that Lexus vehicles undergo.
Might it also be an attempt at re-establishing the reliability inherent to Toyota/Lexus vehicles prior to the 2009/2010 recalls?
Below is one of the executions, called "Chain", followed by an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the making of the commercial:
Heineken - unlike so many SA commercials in the beer category - understands so well that brands operating in this category needn't be overly deep and inspirational to be successful and well liked by consumers.
Below is yet another fantastic demonstration of the power of engaging and entertaining your audience!
The communications for the new Aston Martin Rapide 4-door sedan was launched last week with a heavy digital presence.
The centerpiece of the campaign is a commercial that runs 6 minutes and 25 seconds, which can be watched in three parts on a section of the Aston Martin Web site.
The campaign idea, "True Power Should Be Shared", is brought to life in the web series that follows a mission embarked upon by four Britons who are tasked with the sharing of the ultimate "Power" - that of time.
James Temple, executive creative director at R/GA London - the agency tasked with the campaign - said the communication will seek to bring to life the concept that a four-door Aston Martin “provides the same exhilarating experienced expected and loved in the two-door Aston Martin.”
The campaign will also play out in social media. For instance, the four members of the mysterious team are on Twitter and they will send messages to people who follow them.
Below is the first episode:
Levi's assessed the resources used in the manufacturing process of 501 denim in 2007 and discovered its jeans were, like the human body, mostly made of water.
Over the lifetime of its jeans, from the cotton fields to consumer to the laundry machine, an average pair of Levi's was found to use up 3480 liters of water, or"the equivalent of running a garden hose for 106 minutes."
Realising that it was difficult to change the behaviour of cotton farmers and consumers alike, Levi's decided to make a difference themselves.
The innovation in an attempt to save water in the manufacturing process has resulted in the Levi's Waterwill cost the same as the original Levi's, but will use 28% less water in the finishing process, which when multiplied by the 1.5 million pairs Levi's expects to sell this year, adds up to 16 million fewer liters of water consumed.
Intel, in partnership with Adidas, has launched a spectacular virtual display that renders products in 3-D, and allows a shopper to spin and zoom in on the shoes, and call up specs from a touch-screen display.
Supplemented by a supply of actual shoes that can serve as fit models, the display wall allows retailers to deliver massive inventory in a relatively small space.
The clever use of technology can really catapult traditional retailers into more interactive and immersive experiences for shoppers and is the closest any brand has come to combining e-commerce and traditional retail.
Mercedes Benz has just showcased their latest design experiment at the Detroit Auto Show. Known as "Aesthetics No. 2", the designers drew inspiration from organic forms and made use of an extensive sculptural process in order to arrive at the final design.
It's a creative way for a luxury brand to showcase not only their premium nature, but also provides a more human connection for the everyday person and certainly does a great job at building the brand.
