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The Google Car Is A Huge Threat To The Auto Industry (GOOG, GM, TSLA)

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google selfdrivingcar

It's small. It's cute. It's from Google. It can drive itself.

And it's absolutely terrifying to everyone in the auto industry.

The Google Car might not look like much, but its existence as an actual production vehicle has auto executives waking up in a cold sweat.

At the moment, the Google Car is in the testing phase.

But in the middle of last year, it was in the prototype phase.

In six short months, Google fires up an assembly line and started constructing a version that can drive itself on public roads (as long as an authorized Google employee is at the wheel — and yes, the Google Car now has a steering wheel, something the prototype lacked).

This means that Google is a car company.

A car company that's developed the most radical idea about transportation since the car replaced the horse.

A tiny, slow, self-driving podmobile isn't itself a direct or immediate threat to companies that now build large, fast, expensive SUVs driven by humans. 

But the idea is.

google_car_mockup_may_2014

Think about it. Right now, you typically borrow a lot of money to buy a new car, watch it immediately lose 15% of its value, shoulder the burden of maintaining it, insure it, buy gas for it, and in many areas drive it twice a day in increasingly onerous traffic. You car has a range of around 400 miles, but you drive it 40 miles a day. A couple of times a year, you go on a road trip. Or maybe you don't, and the car spends two idle weeks sitting in your garage. When you aren't driving it to and from work, it fills a parking space.

This is such a bad deal for the consumer that last year the auto industry sold 17 million new cars and trucks in the U.S. alone.

Car-makers made a lot of money. The consensus is that the industry has recovered from the dark days of the Great Recession and is now poised to reach new heights.

Not incidentally, all these car sales have created a huge amount of additional economic activity. Banks making auto loans. Investment banks packaging auto-loan backed securities and selling them to investors. Car washes washing cars. Car dealerships fixing cars. Oil change shops making oil changes. People making dangling pine-tree-shaped car deodorizers. Parking lot operators. Cities that charge vast sums to park on their streets.

And so on and so on.

The Google Car idea would change of all this.

It boils down to this: if you take the individual driver out of the picture, the first domino is pushed, and the long row of dominoes that is the global auto industry falls. 

google self-driving car

This is Google's goal. Maybe not to do in the global auto industry, but definitely to push over that first domino.

Once the driver isn't required to drive the car, the "automobile" can finally live up to its name and mobilize autonomously. If you need to get somewhere in a car, you summon one using some type of GPS-enabled technology, a Google Car arrives, its drives you where you need to go while you do something else, and it hums away once you arrive at your destination.

Repeat as necessary.

The people who still want to drive themselves will be forced to buy vintage Ferraris at auction, brew their own gas, and drive them very fast on tracks.

They'll be sort of like people who enjoy opera or horseback riding.

horseback rider

"No way!" you're thinking. "This will never happen!"

And I'll remind you that a vast investment had been made in the 18th and 19th century in a transportation infrastructure that relied on animal husbandry, saddles, blacksmiths, and hay.

It vanished in just a few decades. People still ride horses and occasionally in horse-drawn coaches, if they're members of the British Royal Family and have to get married.

Otherwise, the car driven by a human decisively beat the horse ridden by a human.

And if the Google Car future comes to pass, the car driven by a human will be beaten by a car driven by a computer.

Ferrari-Race-1

Worst case scenario for the auto industry is that the Google Car advances according to plan and in 20 years no one ever buys a personal car again. 

Ever.

For the rest of human history.

There was a lot of talk at the Detroit Auto Show this week about General Motors unveiling a small, cheap electric-car concept that would be a "Tesla Killer," shattering the dreams of Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

There was zero talk about Google having unveiled an Auto Industry Killer in December of last year.

And that's because nobody wants to talk seriously about their impending doom.

SEE ALSO: GM Could Put Tesla Out Of Business Tomorrow If It Wanted

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Tesla Gets Crushed (TSLA)

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Elon Musk

Tesla fell 6% in trading on Wednesday, closing at $193 a share. 

The stock dipped as low as $188 before recovering.

The drop was signaled Tuesday when CEO Elon Musk told a group of journalists at the Detroit Auto Show that Tesla sales in China were disappointing in the fourth quarter and that the company would not achieve profitability until 2020.

Tesla is down significantly from a peak trading price of $291, achieved in September.

The stock swooned last year, but it bounced back when Musk revealed the all-wheel-drive "D" version of the company's Model S electric car.

Analysts and observers are closely following Tesla's ability to deliver on its sales targets. With the stock up over 1,000% from its 2010 IPO, a huge amount of future growth is priced into shares. 

Tesla hasn't exactly struggled to build and deliver the Model S, but the company is unlikely to meet its goals for 2014. If Tesla does fall short, it won't be by much, however. The main issue is a disconnect between the cars Tesla takes deposits on and the cars it delivers, when it can officially book a sale.

We'll have a better sense next month when Tesla reports 2014 fourth-quarter earnings.

Musk chalked up the weakness in China to misunderstandings in the Chinese market about Tesla's charging infrastructure. He said those misperceptions — that the Model S lacked the infrastructure to enable adequate range — have been cleared up.

Tesla has two more models slated for 2015 and 2017. First will come the Model X SUV. Musk said Tesla had sold out its 2015 production, which means that the company has taken deposits for all the Model X units it can build during the year (the company is operating only one production line). 

The important mass-market Model 3 is scheduled for 2017. 

Musk predicted Tesla would be selling millions of cars by 2025.

For context, Musk hasn't historically held back on dispensing bad news about Tesla. Last year, he sent the stock into a dive when he said shares were overvalued.

In after-hours trading, Tesla shares were up very slightly.

TSLA Chart 1/14/15 3

NOW WATCH: The Full Story Of Elon Musk Is Much More Awesome Than You Realize

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk Just Said Tesla Sales Are Tanking In China, Sending Stock Down 6%

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Jaguar's First-Ever SUV Is Stunning

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Jaguar C-X17

Jaguar announced the imminent arrival of the first crossover SUV in company history this week at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. The SUV — christened the "F-PACE"— will be based on Jaguar's well received C-X17 concept car. 

Founded in 1922 as the Swallow Sidecar Company, Jaguar has built a fine reputation for building stylish, luxurious, and sporty vehicles. However, it has never ventured into the booming luxury crossover SUV market.

"The Jaguar F-PACE, inspired by the F-TYPE, represents a perfectly judged balance of style, performance, and practicality," Jaguar design director Ian Callum said.

"It offers a unique combination of Jaguar sports car inspired exterior design, fused beautifully with a thoroughly practical and spacious luxury interior. The F-PACE is our family sports car."

Jaguar C-X17

Since 2008, both Jaguar and its stablemate Land Rover/Range Rover have been under the direction of India's Tata Group.  Many questioned whether the launch of a Jaguar off-roader would cannibalize sales from Land Rover — especially with presence of smaller models such as the Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport.

However, company executives told Business Insider that not only will the crossover not steal sales from its corporate siblings, the research shows that 90% of future F-PACE sales will involve stealing customers from its competitors.

This assessment makes sense. Although a Jaguar SUV and Land Rover/Range Rover may seem like direct competitors based on price and available features, the brands are actually going after different customers.

While LR/RR possesses a more rugged go-anywhere-in-luxury feel, Jaguar is more urbane and suave. It's difficult to picture the family hunting hound in the back seat of a Jag. 

Jaguar C-X17

As for the somewhat goofy name, Callum told AutoExpress that the goal was to convey a sense of sportiness. Although a few other names, such as the "X-Type" were considered — the company eventually settled on the F-PACE designation. Besides, there was already a Jaguar X-Type, a compact luxury sedan from the early 2000s

The legendary designer believes that "after time, people will get used to [the name]."

Jaguar has not yet released any official pricing or engine information. However, we fully believe the company's terrific 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine will be included.

I had the opportunity to spend a few days behind the wheel of Jag's flagship XJL sedan equipped with a 340 horsepower version of the engine. It was fantastic. The supercharged 6-cylinder handled the 4,000-plus-lb., 17-ft.-long luxury limo with remarkable ease. 

However, Jaguar could also join corporate stablemates Evoque and Discovery Sport and offer the same Ford EcoBoost-derived 240-horsepower 4-cylinder engine.

The Jaguar F-PACE crossover is expected to go on sale in 2016. We will follow up as soon as more information is available.

Jaguar F-PACE

SEE ALSO: 24 Awesome Cars You Can't Miss At The Detroit Auto Show

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Philadelphia Cab Driver Gets $1,000 Tip For Two-Minute Drive

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Highway in Philadelphia

New York (AFP) - A quick chat and a two-minute drive is all it took for an American cab driver to be tipped nearly $1,000.

Oumar Maiga, a night-shift driver from Philadelphia, was so stunned he waited a month for the credit card transaction to clear, convinced the mystery benefactor might claim a mix-up.

His boss, Freedom Taxi owner Everett Abitbol, said it was the largest tip he had ever seen for such a small fare: $4.31 for a brief, late-night pick-up in downtown Philadelphia.

Maiga picked up the anonymous passenger and the two struck up a conversation.

The two exchanged pleasantries about the driver's busy schedule in the run up to Christmas and the customer said he knew being a cabbie was a tough job, Abitbol told AFP.

"He said, 'hey, I'm going to take care of you' and when our driver looked down he said 'sir, I think you made a mistake' but he said 'that's what I want to give you, I know what I did'."

Abitbol said the tip couldn't have happened to a nicer man, adding that Maiga had been with the company since it opened in 2011.

"He's a family guy, a very, very nice driver," said Abitbol. "You can always rely on him."

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Protesters Chained To Barrels Have Shut Down A Massachusetts Highway

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i93 Protest

Protesters attached to 1,200-pound barrels shut down both directions of I-93 in the Medford-Somerville area of Massachusetts, disrupting the morning commute into Boston.

Massachusetts State Police have arrested 17 demonstrators who sought to interfere with "business as usual" and protest police and state violence against minorities, Boston.com reported.

According to the Boston Globe, the protest began this morning around 7:00 AM with a group of six demonstrators attaching themselves to massive, concrete-filled oil barrels.

The AP reported that today's protest was organized by the Boston contingent of the organization Black Lives Matter.

According to its website, Black Lives Matter was formed in 2o12 after the death of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African American who was killed in Florida by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch member. 

The I-93 protesters have since been removed and police are working to clear up the traffic tie-ups.

Over the past few months, protests have sprung up around the country in reaction to the recent spate of high-profile deaths of black men at the hands of white police officers.

Outrage was further fueled when the officers responsible for the deaths were not indicted.

 

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BMW Returns To The Super Bowl After A Four-Year Absence (BMW)

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bmw i3

BMW is returning to advertising during the Super Bowl after a four-year hiatus, the automaker announced in a press release on Thursday.

The company has shelled out for a 60-second spot to promote its electric i3 vehicle. Super Bowl broadcaster NBC is currently asking up to $4.5 million per 30-seconds of air time during the commercial breaks.

Trudy Hardy, BMW of North America vice president of marketing, says in the release: "As one in three Americans will tune in to watch the Super Bowl, we are thrilled to use this platform to educate viewers on the importance of electric mobility. Big ideas like the BMW i3 take a little getting used to, and the creative surrounding our spot will play on this analogy."

KBS is the agency behind the spot.

Other than that, details are pretty scant.

BMW joins fellow car marques Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and the Toyota Camry on the roster for the commercial breaks during Super Bowl XLIX, which takes place on February 1.

 

SEE ALSO: Here Is Everything We Know About The 2015 Super Bowl Ads

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5 Reasons Why Tesla Is Struggling In China (TSLA)

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Elon Musk

Tesla got crushed on Wednesday, partially due to Elon Musk breaking the news that Tesla sales in China were "unexpectedly weak" in the fourth quarter.  

Echoing Musk's explanation, Tesla communications chief Ricardo Reyes told Business Insider that "misperceptions about the ease of charging Model S were the main reason for the dip" in Chinese sales.

"To clear up those misperceptions, we are explaining the ease and convenience of charging and continue expanding the charging network in the country," he said in an email. 

While Reyes said that "overall China constitutes a small percentage of our sales for now," the stakes for Tesla's venture into China look large. Already the world's biggest auto market, over 22 million cars were sold there in 2013 — accounting for over 25% of the global total. 

Former Tesla China chief Veronica Wu said in January 2014 that China would account for 30 to 35% of Tesla's global sales in 2014. She resigned in December. 

The number of charging stations is indeed increasing. Quartz reports that the Chinese government has built 19,000 charging sites across China, while Tesla has placed 23 of its Supercharger stations in 10 Chinese cities.

To ramp up that infrastructure, Musk has struck deals with telecom operator China Unicom and real estate developer Soho China to build over 700 charging stations in 70 Chinese cities, reportedly giving China the second-largest charging infrastructure after the US. 

In talks with Chinese auto industry analysts, Business Insider has learned that Tesla has a host of commercial and cultural hurdles to overcome if it's going to succeed in the Chinese auto market. 

They include:

The early adopters have already bought their cars. "In any new product intro, you get a lot of buzz early, where early adopters run out and put their money down, and then you have a period where it's not new anymore" explained analyst Bill Russo, who served as the VP of Northeast Asia for Chrysler before moving into consulting. "The numbers are always skewed — the easy sales are the ones you get early on." 

The early adopter pool is comparatively small."For the people in China who bought the Model S, it's not their first car," argued analyst Jochen Siebert. "It's their third or fourth car, the same set of people who would buy a Porsche 911 — there's only a certain percent of people who want to buy this car." 

Early numbers may be inflated by "scalper" intermediaries. In the same way that scalpers re-sell football game tickets at a markup, Russo explained that a scalper economy persists for auto imports in China. "When you have a limited quantity available, scalpers run in an buy a quantity of cars early on, they flip them to end users or buyers," he said. "You see high numbers in the early stage, but you're not getting a clear run rate until the market reaches level of maturity."

There's still lots of electric car anxiety. Siebert says that with any electric vehicle in China, there's the anxiety of "when and where will I charge my vehicle." Plus it's harder to do personal charging stations in the China. Quartz reported that 74% of urbanized Chinese live in apartments instead of detached homes and "park their cars in shared garages where parking operators have deemed charging stations a fire hazard." 

The consumption isn't conspicuous enough. While it seems strange, Siebert say that one of the biggest complaints about the Model S is that it's not sufficiently braggable. "When Chinese rich buy cars, they want to show off," he said. The Model S is 56.5 inches tall, so it's a fairly small vehicle. He said that "the car that Chinese love" is the muscular Porsche Cayenne SUV, which stands at 67.4 inches. Porsche sold 37,425 cars in China in 2013, and a full 26,666 of them were the Cayenne SUV — accounting for over 70% of sales.

Tesla needs to learn from that.  "The Tesla is an advertisement, but it’s not tall enough," Siebert said. "the showoff value is too low." Tesla has a better shot with the Model X SUV, slated to arrive in China in 2016, he said. With those upward-opening "Falcon" doors and a 64 inch height, it looks like a stronger bid to catch the eye of China's newly rich.  

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk Uses This Ancient Critical-Thinking Strategy To Outsmart Everybody Else

SEE ALSO: The Making Of Tesla: Invention, Betrayal, And The Birth Of The Roadster

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This Is The Gorgeous Infiniti We've All Been Waiting For

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Infiniti Q60 Concept

With the introduction of the Q60 Concept at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, Infiniti gave us a tantalizing glimpse at what could become the next generation of its popular luxury sport coupe.

For years, the Infiniti coupe has been one of the most popular entry level luxury cars on the market. The Q60's high style, features, and performance — all at a reasonable price — made it one of the go-to options for young professionals and older buyers alike. 

However, the current model has been on the market since 2006 and is getting very long in the tooth. The Q60 — it used be identified as a "G-Series" car before Infiniti changed its naming convention — is in dire need of a refresh to make it competitive in the 2010s and beyond.

And from the looks of it, the Q60 Concept looks to be that refresh we've all been waiting for.

"This concept goes beyond a flight-of-fancy design exercise — it is the next proof point in Infiniti's concept-to-production approach," said Infiniti's vice president for product strategy, Francois Bancon.

"Come next year, Infiniti will produce a sports coupe with influences from the Q60 Concept."

Infiniti Q60 Concept

One of the current model's hallmark features is its fantastic V6 engine. With more than 300 horsepower on tap, the VQ V6 has been a faithful soldier. However, it lacks some of the modern horsepower generation and fuel-saving technology that many of its competitors now possess.

With the Q60 Concept, the Infiniti coupe will feature a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged direct-injection V6 engine. Infiniti said the new engine will offer a significant improvement in fuel economy while boosting torque and horsepower. 

Infiniti Q60 Concept

"The Q60 Concept is Infiniti's vision for a sports coupe," declared Infiniti's design director Alfonso Albaisa.

"Design, performance and premium quality – these are what makes a sports coupe stand above the crowd. And these are what you'll find on the definitive Q60 Concept."

The Q60 Concept's menacing front end, creased body lines, and swoopy silhouette give the car great presence, in motion or standing still. 

The concept's interior looks nearly production-ready and bears a striking resemblance to the brand's Q50 sedan. We had the opportunity to spend a few days with a Q50 Hybrid last year, and found the leather-lined LCD-centric interior to be comfortable and easy to use.

Infiniti Q60 Concept

The Q60 concept is the latest in a recent line of impressive concept cars produced by the Hong Kong-based luxury brand. Infiniti made waves last year with the awesome Eau Rouge concept, featuring the company's high-tech Q50 sedan with the powertrain from Nissan's legendary GT-R supercar.

As far as the Q60 goes, we hope the Infiniti stays true to the concept's impressive style and technology.

SEE ALSO: 24 Awesome Cars You Can't Miss At The Detroit Auto Show

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The Enemy Of The Google Car Is — Snow! (GOOG)

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snowstorm

Google is now a car company. 

Late last year, it rolled out test versions of the prototype self-driving podmobile it first revealed to the public in mid-2014.

These autonomous vehicles will now take to the roadways of California in an effort to push the envelope on the self-driving concept that Google pioneered with modified Toyota Priuses.

The Google Car has a critical foe however — and it isn't the traditional auto industry.

It's snow.

Speaking at the Detroit Auto Show, the guy in charge of Google bold experiment in self-driving said that alpine conditions are not something the Google Car will be tackling, at least not right away.

“It turns out in Mountain View, it doesn’t snow,” Chris Urmson told Bloomberg.

“There are a lot of places where we can get an initial deployment, understand the tests, see how people use it and then push the technological boundaries into these more challenging situations.”

Urmson also denied that Google is now a car company, insisting that the tech giant is just that and only that. So far, Google has partnered with various manufacturers to build the Google Car.

However, even though Urmson contrasted Google's skill at creating "self-driving technology" with the automakers' ability to build cars, it's more than worth noting that the automobile as we know could undergo a radical change if Google can perfect its revolutionary self-driving idea.

google selfdrivingcar

SEE ALSO: The Google Car Is A Huge Threat To The Auto Industry

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Ford's Shelby GT350R Is the Baddest Mustang Of Them All (F)

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Shelby GT350R Mustang

Formally introduced to the public at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show, Ford's all new Shelby GT350R is not for the faint of heart. It's the most intense track-ready Mustang we've seen for a very long time. The Shelby exists for one reason and one reason only — to be a beast that turns laps. 

To create the ultimate track ready 'Stang, Ford took the already intense Shelby GT350 that was first introduced last fall at the LA Auto Show — and turned it up to 11.

According to Ford, the engineers "simplified, then added lightness," a strategy that's been employed by other carmakers, notably Lotus, with its featherweight, straightforward cars.

The GT350R was stripped of its back seats, stereo, air conditioning, carpets, trunk floorboard, and backup camera. Lightweight racing features such as carbon fiber wheels were added. In all, the Shelby went on a 130-lbs diet.

The result should be quicker acceleration, better braking, nimbler handling, and better control through the corners — everything a race car driver is looking for.

"The Shelby GT350R Mustang is a no-compromise car in the pursuit of maximum track capability," said Raj Nair, the Ford Group's vice president of global product development.

"It is a thoroughbred street car making use of technology and ingenuity to deliver performance few enthusiasts have ever experienced."

The newest member of the Shelby family looks to be a fitting homage to the 34 fire-breathing GT350R racers built by Shelby in 1965.

Ford Shelby GT350R Mustang

At the heart of the Shelby is a 5.2-liter 500-horsepower V8 engine built using technology from Ford's deep well of motorsports experience.  Although 500 horsepower may not  sound overwhelming when compared to the Corvette Z06's 650 or the HEMI Hellcat's 707, Ford's not concerned. There's more to this car that just raw grunt.

"The Shelby GT350R Mustang is a car with the nimbleness and power delivery you want on a road course," Nair said.

"This isn’t just about horsepower. The Shelby GT350R is an all-around balanced athlete – one that is extraordinarily precise and agile."

Ford Shelby GT350R

The truly gnarly Shelby GT350R will arrive in US and Canadian Ford Show rooms later this year. For an up-close look, watch this video of a camouflaged prototype tear up the legendary Nurburgring race track in Germany.

SEE ALSO: 24 Awesome Cars You Can't Miss At The Detroit Auto Show

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Here Is Everything We Know About The 2015 Super Bowl Ads

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budweiser lost dog

Super Bowl XLIX is fast approaching, and already some of the world's biggest brands are teasing details about the ads they will be running during the big game.

Click here to skip straight to the ads>>

The commercial breaks are once again set to be a flashy affair, and it's little surprise: Super Bowl 2015 broadcaster NBC is seeking $4.4 million to $4.5 million per 30-second spot, up on the $4 million price tag FOX set last year. Ninety-five percent of the in-game TV ad space has been sold so far.

We're compiling everything you need to know about the commercial side of this year's big game, and we'll keep updating this post right up until Feb. 1, when you can follow our live coverage.

All the brands in this slideshow are organized in alphabetical order for ease of navigation.

Anheuser-Busch

The brewer Anheuser-Busch is going all out once again, this time airing three minutes, 30 seconds of ads during the event.

It has two ads planned for Bud Light, each created by a different agency, and another for Bud, as Adweek details.

  • "Lost Dog," has been created by Anomaly and will show how "only your best buds are the ones who always have your back." It acts as the sequel to last year's much-loved "Puppy Love" spot and features a cute canine and the famous Clydesdale horses.
  • Another Bud Light spot created by EnergyBBDO is called "Coin" and tells the story of a drinker who plays a life-size Pac Man game. The brand released a teaser, so we know what to expect, on January 16.
  • The final spot is for Bud, which is another Anomaly effort. This ad focuses on how the beer is brewed.

The brewer plans to release each ad online in the week before the game.



Avocados from Mexico

Avocados from Mexico announced in January it would run a 30-second ad during the Super Bowl, but it will keep its TV ad creative under wraps until the game.

The brand will also be creating other marketing opportunities around the football season. That will include social-media activity featuring American TV host Mario Lopez and in-store ads.

In a press release, Avocados from Mexico explained the reasoning behind advertising a warm-weather fruit during the middle of winter: During the month of last year’s Super Bowl, 70 million avocados were sold in the US.



BMW

BMW is returning to the Super Bowl after a four-year hiatus, with a 60-second spot to promote its i3 electric car.

BMW's North American vice president of marketing Trudy Hardy says the company will use the Super Bowl as a platform to "educate" viewers about the benefits of electric cars.

KBS is the agency behind the spot, but we don't have any more details yet about its creative direction.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See Inside The Most Futuristic Cruise Ship On The Planet

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QuantumOfTheSeas

Royal Caribbean has launched a virtual tour of one of its newest cruise ships in a partnership with Google Street View.

Quantum of the Seas is one of the most advanced ships on earth, and it will cruise in the Caribbean this spring before heading to the South China Sea in the fall.

It has a bumper-car track, a cocktail bar staffed by robots, and a skydiving simulator.

As on every luxury cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas has a swimming pool on the top deck.



But it also features the largest bumper-car track ever installed on a vessel.



The same space becomes a basketball court or rollerblade track during the day.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Mercedes-Benz Teases Its Super Bowl Ad

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mercedes benz super bowl

Mercedes-Benz is returning to Super Bowl advertising this year after a one-year break.

The ad, created by Merkley & Partners, will air during the fourth quarter of the big game. Mercedes-Benz says it is putting a “modern twist” on the classic Aesop’s Fables story of a race between a tortoise and a hare.

To tease the “Big Race” Super Bowl spot, Mercedes-Benz is airing a separate ad during this weekend’s NFL Conference Championships on Sunday January 18. Watch the video below.

The teaser ads will see NFL legend Jerry Rice and ESPN presenters Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic take part in a sports talk show dubbed “Showdown with Jerry Rice.” They will invite on various guests to debate who will win “The Big Race.”

The “Big Race” campaign extends online to a dedicated website where visitors can see extra content from Mike and Mike and vote for who they think will win “The Big Race,” which will also see them entered into a competition.

Mercedes’ last Super Bowl appearance was in 2013, with a spot starring William Dafoe and Kate Upton, soundtracked by The Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil.”

The amount of automakers advertising during the Super Bowl has declined this time around, according to this year's broadcaster NBC, which provided an ad sales update earlier this month. General Motors and Volkswagen have previously indicated they won't be advertising. That said, we know Lexus, Nissan and the Toyota Camry are all joining Mercedes-Benz on the roster for the commercial breaks during Super Bowl XLIX, which takes place on February 1.

Watch the Mercedes-Benz Super Bowl teaser ad here:

SEE ALSO: Here Is Everything We Know About The 2015 Super Bowl Ads

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This Incredible $1 Million Classic Car Was Found In A Barn

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1964_Shelby_Cobra_289 8

This 1964 Shelby 289 Cobra is up for auction this weekend in Scottsdale, offered by Gooding & Company for — wait for it — upwards of $1.4 million. 

Before you say "Wha?!" because this rare American sports car looks like it was dug up from a dirt pile someplace in the Upper Midwest, know that its value derives largely from its current less-than-perfect condition.

It's what's known in the car collecting world as a "barn find." 
1964_Shelby_Cobra_289 15

It's the Holy Grail of car collectors who pursue pure examples of their dream cars — cars that haven't been messed with or modified. Cars that can serve as the basis for loving restorations.

American motorsports legend Carroll Shelby is responsible for this diamond in the rough. He created his Shelby Cobras in the 1960s, and over the decades they've become some of most most desirable collectibles. They combine a kind of raw American spirit with smooth, lightly European style. 

1964_Shelby_Cobra_289 73

This one spent 40 years with the same owner. My Business Insider colleague Ben Zhang lamented that the owner didn't invest in upkeep, a fair complaint, but I pointed out that all the owner had to do was keep the car in a barn for four decades in order to make a million bucks.

Such is the mythology that surrounds Shelby.

SEE ALSO: 59 Antique Cars Will Be Sold At Auction After They Were Found Decaying In A French Barn

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The Frozen, Decaying Classic Cars Of Detroit

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Abandoned Cars Detroit

The city of Detroit has been defined by the automotive industry as much as America's cars bear the influence of the city's people and culture. Sadly, the city and its slow and infamous decline have been well documented over the years.

Fortunately, things are beginning to look up. A judge declared last November that the city was fit to emerge from the largest municipal bankruptcy in American history. The city is beginning to reinvest in some of its blighted neighborhoods, and Detroit's "Big Three" automakers are finally running smoothly again.

However, Detroit has yet to fully recover from decades of crime, financial mismanagement, and population loss. Blight still exists. Reuters photographer Joshua Lott ventured into the city to document the noble symbols of Detroit's struggles: its abandoned and neglected classic cars. 

Lott found this Chevrolet Suburban from the early 2000s in a vacant lot. It had been stripped of its engines, a few of its wheels, and most of its more valuable parts.



This 1980s-era Lincoln Town Car spends its time sitting in someone's back yard...



...while this Town Car from the early 2000s sits abandoned in front of a local business.



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These Gorgeous, Classic Million-Dollar Porsches Will Be Auctioned In Arizona

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A healthy number of very sweet classic Porsches are up for auction on Friday and Saturday in Scottsdale, Ariz. The auction house Gooding & Company is handing the hammer for these fine examples of German engineering — not to mention styling, as the 1973 911 Carerra categorically demonstrates. I drooled over 911s of this vintage when I was a youngster. But how often did I see one in yellow? Not that often.

Pick this traffic-stopper up for a cool $1.5 million at the top end of the estimate.

Now a few more of Stuttgart's finest:

It's a 1989 959 Sport. Kinds of looks like Baymax from "Big Hero 6." George Lucas would dig this car. Take it home for $2 million, if it tops estimates.1988_Porsche_959_Sport_MM 4(2)

Not all the Porsches in Scottsdale are over-the-top. This sweet little 1963 356 Carerra 2 Coupe shows off the core of Porsche's iconic style and shape — with a sassy red paint job! A bargain at $650,000.1963_Porsche_356_Carrera_2_Coupe 03

But this 1967 911 2.0 S is the real steal: $325,000!

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Porsche also does racing — and has for a long time. This 1966 906 Carerra 6 competed for the brand in one of its heyday decades. It spent six years on the track. And now we're getting back to the upper realms of pricing: $2.4 million.1966_Porsche_906_Carrera_6 49

SEE ALSO: This Incredible $1 Million Classic Car Was Found In A Barn

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10 Safest Low-Cost Airlines In The World

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The low-cost airline business model has only been around for a couple of decades, but it has developed a major presence in the airline business.

According to PWC, low-cost airlines account for more than 25% of the world's aviation business.

From a pool of 449 carriers around the world, AirlineRatings.com selected the 10 safest low-cost and leisure charter airlines in the world. 

To compile its list, the website evaluated each airline based on its standing with international regulators, its fatality record over the past 10 years, its results from an International Air Transportation Association(IATA) safety audit, and whether the airline's country of origin conforms with the International Civil Aviation Organization's 8-point safety parameters.

All of the airlines on this list passed those tests with flying colors.

Aer Lingus — Ireland's national carrier — operates a hybrid low-cost model that offers some of full service luxuries on its long-haul routes. The airline has not suffered a fatal accident since the 1960s.



Alaska Airlines: According to AirlineRatings.com, the Seattle-based airline has had the best on-time performance of any North American-based carrier three years running. Alaska Airlines has not had a fatal accident since 2000.



Icelandair: The Reykjavik-based carrier operates a hybrid low-cost business model using a fleet of Boeing 757 jets. Complementary meals are offered on economy comfort and its business class, but not in economy. Icelandair has not had a fatal accident since the late 1970s.



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Rocket Technology Could Help This Car Go 1,000 MPH And Break The World Record

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The team behind Bloodhound Supersonic Car is aiming to break the world land speed record by traveling 1,000 miles per hour. The vehicle will need 135,000 horsepower to reach those speeds as well as a combination of jet and rocket technology.

In September, the project plans to head to Hakskeen Pan, a desert in the northwestern corner of South Africa, where they'll attempt to break the supersonic barrier.

In 2016, they intend to return to break the world record and travel faster than 1,000 mph.

Produced by Jason Gaines. Video courtesy of Associated Press.

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