(Source: Autoblog)

Lamborghini has talked about the idea of creating their own Power Yacht for awhile. Reports fr0m Autoblog seem to indicate that this concept has been taken a step further. The first prototype is currently in production and will be made out of lightweight carbon-Kevlar. There is talk of  various engines starting at two 550HP V12′s to twin 950hp Seatek turbo diesels. The design is beautiful taking inspiration from Lamborghini classics like the Countach, Gallardo, and Reventon. I hope all goes well with the prototype because I would love to see one of these sailing through Biscayne bay.

This is a cool video I found of the 2010 Active Autowerke Charity Rally around South Florida. I love videos like these especially in my home town. There is nothing better than watching a line of M3′s speed down a highway. But, when you see it on a road you travel down once a week the familiarity makes it even better. The rally hit all the best spots going from Watson Island to Palm Beach then back to Ft. Lauderdale. It looks like a lot of fun. With the money going to Children’s Chancer Research Fund, I hope they do another Charity Rally next year.

(Source: ASUS)

We all have different bits a gear with our favorite car companies logos, but a Lamborghini hard drive? That seems a bit over the top. I’m normally a fan of these things. My wallet has a BMW M badge on it. I like the t-shirts, jackets, and bikes. But, to pay extra to have a Lamborghini badge slapped onto a plastic box that sits on top of your computer is where I draw the line. As you would expect, this sleek black box with the trademark Lamborghini badge comes at trademark Lamborghini prices. For 500 GB you should expect to pay $120. Most other hard drives that cost that have double the memory. No doubt it’s cool, but there are cooler things that wear the Lamborghini badge.

BMW took a very different approach with their Super Bowl commercials. Instead of trying to be funny they decided to focus on their core values. We first saw an ad talking about their new plant in North Carolina and how all the X3′s are produced there. The second commercial promoted their diesel line of cars. Their site is also trying to promote the switch to diesel, showing visitors the amount of money and gallons of fuel that they can save by making the switch. Overall, BMW took an interesting direction that defiantly made them stick out among the other Super Bowl commercials.

BMW: Designed in America Built in America

BMW: Ch- Ch- Changed

Mini’s Cram it in the Boot commercial was much more light hearted than BMW’s. The ad got the idea across that the new countryman is more spacious than its little brother, while also being funny.

Mini: Cram It in the Boot

(Credit: VWoA)

This week at the Chicago Auto Show the new Volkswagen Jetta GLI was announced. As I’m sure you would expect from the outside it looks like a more sporty version of the current Jetta. On the inside it has a nice beefy steering wheel, sporty seats, and other GLI trim bits. But, what we all really care about is whats under the hood. The new GLI will have a four-cylinder turbo 200 horsepower engine with a six-speed manual transmission standard. Pay a little extra and you can have their dual-clutch six speed flappy paddle gearbox. From the pictures so far, it looks like a nice alternative to the GTI if a hatchback is not your thing. The new Volkswagen Jetta GLI will start at $23,495 and should be on sale late this year.

This year Audi and VW had three solid Super Bowl commercials. Audi used the theme of luxury prison riots. Along with the one commercial run during the Super Bowl, Audi also created two other “teaser ads” that can be seen here.  All three are quite funny but really didn’t say a whole lot about the car.  There is just under 7 minutes video altogether and the A8 is only featured for 20 seconds. As far as advertising a new car this was a bit of a miss.

Audi: Release the hounds

VW’s ads were much more upbeat. Although all we saw was the outline of the shape of the new beetle. The running animated beetle got most people at my Super Bowl party excited about the car. However, what really stole the show for me was the Star Wars themed 2012 Passat commercial. I’m sure there was a time in my life where I was dressed up like Darth Vader doing the same thing. The kid they got for that ad was perfect, it showed enough of the car, and was memorable. It’s defiantly my favorite commercial of the Super Bowl.

VW: Black Beetle commercial

http://www.youtube.com/blackbeetle

VW: The Force

http://www.youtube.com/vw#p/a/u/0/R55e-uHQna0

(Source: Autoblog)

Last week we talked about the 24 hours of Nurburing, and with the announcement that the GTI is going to return to the race this year, I’m even more excited. Volkswagen has decided to celebrate the the GTI’s 35th anaversary by having a brand new race spec GTI replace the Scirocco for this years race. The GTI is armed with a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine that puts out 434 horsepower and 398 pound-feet of torque. VW also decided to make this car all wheel drive and give it an seriously large spoiler to keep it as flat as possible through the 154 turns at the Nurburgring. The race starts June 23rd and hopefully the GTI’s return to the Nurburgring will bring victory for Volkswagen.

(Source: Itunes)

The Zilla iPhone app is a new telemetry program for your car. It will measure G-forces, weight transfer, and speed. The key is to have it secured to the car through a dock to get accurate readings. iPod integration is also included so that you can change songs while it still collects data. With it only costing $3.99 the Zilla iPhone app is defiantly worth a try.

(Source: iTunes)