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bharatiyamedia-blog · 5 years ago

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With MIB: Worldwide, Lexus Is Forged as a Blockbuster Automotive

http://tinyurl.com/yyh99urc When moviegoers first noticed King T’Challa in motion as Black Panther it was an actual showstopper: The Marvel comedian guide character clings to the highest of a modern new Lexus LC sports activities coupe as he surfs by means of the busy streets of Busan, South Korea, in a high-speed chase that in the end destroys his remote-controlled experience. The scene’s a crowdpleaser, to make sure—and it efficiently sells Lexus’ picture as a maker of high-performance luxurious sports activities vehicles to a youthful viewers. Beginning this weekend, with a outstanding position in Sony’s sci-fi franchise Males in Black: Worldwide, the Japanese automotive firm hopes so as to add one other hit to its credit, giving it supporting roles in summer season blockbusters for 2 years working. However betting on a film’s success is a recreation that the majority veteran studio executives have a tough time taking part in, not to mention luxurious automotive manufacturers. And irrespective of how a lot cash is sunk right into a undertaking, there aren’t any ensures on the field workplace. As an example, Black Panther may have been a giant miss for the Japanese luxurious automaker. The titular foremost character, who guidelines a fictional technologically superior African nation, was comparatively unknown to most audiences previous to the film’s launch. Lexus executives weren’t allowed to learn the script earlier than signing on to help the movie, giving the corporate no assure of how its model would seem on display screen. The manufacturing additionally needed six coupes to make use of for filming, which compelled Lexus to offer custom-built prototypes that may value upwards of $1 million every, for the reason that precise automobile was not being produced. For Lexus, whose company father or mother Toyota isn’t recognized for danger taking, the gamble paid off. Black Panther blew away expectations to develop into 2018’s highest-grossing film within the U.S., incomes greater than $700 million domestically, and practically $1.Four billion worldwide. And the movie didn’t simply enchantment to comedian guide followers, it also over-indexed with African-Americans, on condition that Black Panther was the primary big-budget Marvel Studio’s film to characteristic a black actor because the lead. “Lexus has all the time been dedicated to celebrating the wealthy range of our clients, however Black Panther catapulted it to a brand new degree,” says Lisa Materazzo, Lexus’ vp of promoting. Betting on blockbusters With Males in Black: Worldwide, Lexus is taking much less of a danger. Sony has put appreciable sources into respiratory new life into its $2 billion franchise, which now stars Chris Hemsworth (Marvel’s hammer-wielding Thor) and Tessa Thompson, who proved a profitable duo collectively in Thor: Ragnarok. Within the new MIB movie, Lexus’ aggressive RC F sports activities coupe races by means of London, serving to brokers escape threatening aliens, earlier than remodeling right into a jet. Lexus’ RX Hybrid and LX SUVs are additionally featured in scenes with alien encounters. In each MIB and Panther, Lexus is portrayed as a future-forward designer of high-tech autos, a positioning that promotes the corporate’s latest slogan “Expertise Wonderful.” “The fantastic thing about movie integrations is that not one of the conventional guidelines apply,” Materazzo says. “It’s a possibility to accomplice with filmmakers to think about the entire prospects.” This isn’t essentially new floor for Lexus, which has launched different high-tech merchandise like a hoverboard and sports activities yacht idea over the previous a number of years to broaden the model’s enchantment to prosperous patrons within the sought-after 45- to 55-year-old market. Lexus is wanting to make use of movies as a option to launch new emotionally participating campaigns across the launch of its new sports activities vehicles and luxurious sedans and SUVs. It particularly sees motion pictures as a option to faucet into conversations round cultural occasions. However forcing your model into the story doesn’t come low-cost. Along with offering costly prototypes to filmmakers for Panther, Lexus produced a comic book guide and {custom} movies, in addition to purchased a 30-second Tremendous Bowl spot for the tie-in and LC 500 launch that value the corporate greater than $5 million. However when Marvel’s motion pictures have made a mixed $21 billion worldwide to this point (together with the newest “Avengers”), you are taking the chance. A technique as previous as Bond, James Bond If Lexus looks like it’s siding as much as well-dressed secret brokers, there’s a motive: The model is targeted on pushing the efficiency of its vehicles, technological innovation and magnificence—whereas having some enjoyable. That sort of limits simply who will get to drive its hero vehicles. “We think about how our product aligns with the character who drives it,” Materazzo says, and “how the combination would possibly allow us to light up a core model fact throughout the story.” However the automaker wasn’t particularly trying to get into the superhero enterprise, although Black Panther was anticipated to be groundbreaking in bringing the character to the massive display screen, on condition that star Chadwick Boseman is the primary black actor to headline a big-budget superhero movie which includes a largely African-American solid. So placing Black Panther in a LS 500 sedan and LC 500 coupe within the movie and advertising supplies was akin to pairing James Bond with Aston Martin. However moviegoers haven’t all the time embraced the movies Lexus has supported with product placement. In 2017, the identical yr “Expertise Wonderful” launched, Lexus developed the designs for a futuristic jet for Luc Besson’s expensive sci-fi fantasy Valerian and the Metropolis of a Thousand Planets, which didn’t take off, incomes simply $226 million worldwide. Alternatively, when the movies work, they clearly assist enhance Lexus’ model picture, and increase gross sales. It’s “Lengthy Reside the King” Tremendous Bowl spot helped increase searches for Lexus’ LS sedan by 2,500%, in accordance with auto website Kelley Blue E book shortly after the advert launched. And on-line searches for Lexus rose 15% the week after Panther’s debut, whereas the LC 500 was up 10% by itself, in accordance with Autotrader. Lexus recorded its finest international gross sales yr in 2018, transferring 698,330 autos off dealership tons, a rise of 4.5%—a tricky determine for anybody to succeed in, in what’s changing into a crowded luxurious auto market. “Auto corporations partnering on motion pictures is extra about publicity than gross sales,” says Michelle Krebs, govt analyst at Autotrader. That is true particularly summer season blockbusters that entice thousands and thousands of moviegoers, she provides, noting that Nissan’s affiliation with the Star Wars movies enabled it to have a themed auto present exhibit, “which absolutely drew a number of youngsters with their mother and father in tow to an exhibit they may in any other case have skipped.” Along with the Black Panther franchise—which Lexus isn’t anticipated to surrender although a sequel isn’t anticipated till 2021—the automaker will doubtless seem in future Marvel motion pictures. Marvel Studios’ advertising experts desire long-term relationships with manufacturers. As an example, Audi has been the automobile of selection for Iron Man since 2008. Different Avengers movies additionally featured Acura. Nevertheless it additionally has eyes on different franchises, as evidenced by its high-visibility position in MIB. Lexus says doesn’t have a “strict rule” for what number of movies it needs to rally round per yr, “one excessive profile partnership per yr (feels) about proper,” Materazzo says. “We’re actively contemplating a number of prospects.” Whether or not MIB tanks or soars, Lexus’ diversification is a great technique for Hollywood tentpole model integrations. As a result of even with all of Black Panther‘s success, if the film proved one factor it’s that you could’t keep in Wakanda without end. Source link

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googlenewson · 5 years ago

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When moviegoers first saw King T'Challa in action as Black Panther it was a real showstopper: The Marvel comic book character clings to the top of a sleek new Lexus LC sports coupe as he surfs through the busy streets of Busan, South Korea, in a high-speed chase that ultimately destroys his remote-controlled ride.

The scene’s a crowdpleaser, to be sure--and it successfully sells Lexus' image as a maker of high-performance luxury sports cars to a younger audience. Starting this weekend, with a prominent role in Sony's sci-fi franchise Men in Black: International, the Japanese automotive company hopes to add another hit to its credits, giving it supporting roles in summer blockbusters for two years running.

But betting on a movie's success is a game that most veteran studio executives have a hard time playing, let alone luxury automotive brands. And no matter how much money is sunk into a project, there are no guarantees at the box office.

For instance, Black Panther could have been a big miss for the Japanese luxury automaker. The titular main character, who rules a fictional technologically advanced African nation, was relatively unknown to most audiences prior to the movie’s release. Lexus executives weren’t allowed to read the script before signing on to support the film, giving the company no guarantee of how its brand would appear on screen. The production also wanted six coupes to use for filming, which forced Lexus to provide custom-built prototypes that can cost upwards of $1 million each, since the actual car was not being produced.

For Lexus, whose corporate parent Toyota isn't known for risk taking, the gamble paid off. Black Panther blew away expectations to become 2018’s highest-grossing movie in the U.S., earning more than $700 million domestically, and nearly $1.4 billion worldwide. And the film didn't just appeal to comic book fans, it also over-indexed with African-Americans, given that Black Panther was the first big-budget Marvel Studio’s movie to feature a black actor as the lead.

"Lexus has always been committed to celebrating the rich diversity of our customers, but Black Panther catapulted it to a new level," says Lisa Materazzo, Lexus’ vice president of marketing.

Betting on blockbusters

With Men in Black: International, Lexus is taking less of a risk. Sony has put considerable resources into breathing new life into its $2 billion franchise, which now stars Chris Hemsworth (Marvel's hammer-wielding Thor) and Tessa Thompson, who proved a winning duo together in Thor: Ragnarok.

In the new MIB film, Lexus' aggressive RC F sports coupe races through London, helping agents escape threatening aliens, before transforming into a jet. Lexus' RX Hybrid and LX SUVs are also featured in scenes with alien encounters.

In both MIB and Panther, Lexus is portrayed as a future-forward designer of high-tech vehicles, a positioning that promotes the company's newest slogan "Experience Amazing." "The beauty of film integrations is that none of the traditional rules apply," Materazzo says. "It's an opportunity to partner with filmmakers to imagine all of the possibilities."

This isn't necessarily new ground for Lexus, which has introduced other high-tech products like a hoverboard and sports yacht concept over the past several years to expand the brand's appeal to affluent buyers in the sought-after 45- to 55-year-old market.

Lexus is looking to use films as a way to launch new emotionally engaging campaigns around the release of its new sports cars and luxury sedans and SUVs. It especially sees movies as a way to tap into conversations around cultural events.

But forcing your brand into the story doesn’t come cheap. In addition to providing expensive prototypes to filmmakers for Panther, Lexus produced a comic book and custom videos, as well as bought a 30-second Super Bowl spot for the tie-in and LC 500 launch that cost the company more than $5 million.

But when Marvel's movies have made a combined $21 billion worldwide to date (including the most recent "Avengers"), you take the risk.

A strategy as old as Bond, James Bond

If Lexus seems like it's siding up to well-dressed secret agents, there's a reason: The brand is focused on pushing the performance of its cars, technological innovation and style--while having some fun. That kind of limits just who gets to drive its hero cars.

"We consider how our product aligns with the character who drives it," Materazzo says, and "how the integration might enable us to illuminate a core brand truth within the story.”

But the automaker wasn't specifically looking to get into the superhero business, though Black Panther was expected to be groundbreaking in bringing the character to the big screen, given that star Chadwick Boseman is the first black actor to headline a big-budget superhero film which features a largely African-American cast.

So putting Black Panther in a LS 500 sedan and LC 500 coupe in the film and marketing materials was akin to pairing James Bond with Aston Martin.

But moviegoers haven't always embraced the films Lexus has supported with product placement. In 2017, the same year "Experience Amazing" launched, Lexus developed the designs for a futuristic jet for Luc Besson's pricey sci-fi fantasy Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, which didn't take off, earning just $226 million worldwide.

On the other hand, when the films work, they clearly help improve Lexus' brand image, and boost sales. It’s "Long Live the King" Super Bowl spot helped boost searches for Lexus' LS sedan by 2,500%, according to auto site Kelley Blue Book shortly after the ad launched. And online searches for Lexus rose 15% the week after Panther's debut, while the LC 500 was up 10% on its own, according to Autotrader.

Lexus recorded its best global sales year in 2018, moving 698,330 vehicles off dealership lots, an increase of 4.5%--a tough figure for anyone to reach, in what's becoming a crowded luxury auto market.

"Auto companies partnering on movies is more about exposure than sales," says Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Autotrader. This is true especially summer blockbusters that attract millions of moviegoers, she adds, noting that Nissan's affiliation with the Star Wars films enabled it to have a themed auto show exhibit, "which surely drew lots of kids with their parents in tow to an exhibit they might otherwise have skipped."

In addition to the Black Panther franchise--which Lexus isn't expected to give up though a sequel isn't expected until 2021--the automaker will likely appear in future Marvel movies. Marvel Studios' marketing mavens prefer long-term relationships with brands. For instance, Audi has been the vehicle of choice for Iron Man since 2008. Other Avengers films also featured Acura.

But it also has eyes on other franchises, as evidenced by its high-visibility role in MIB. Lexus says doesn't have a "strict rule" for how many films it wants to rally around per year, "one high profile partnership per year (feels) about right," Materazzo says. "We are actively considering several possibilities."

Whether MIB tanks or soars, Lexus’ diversification is a smart strategy for Hollywood tentpole brand integrations. Because even with all of Black Panther‘s success, if the movie proved one thing it’s that you can’t stay in Wakanda forever.

from Fortune http://bit.ly/31woXIw

#World News

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jesusvasser · 7 years ago

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Wheelspinning Our Way Through 2017

If 2017 was the year of President Trump everywhere else, in the automotive world, it seemed to be the year of Elon Musk. Again. Musk’s Tesla began 2017 with some 440,000 intenders each holding $1,000 deposit receipts for a new $35,000+ Model 3 with hopes they would start to get their cars by midyear.

Tesla ended 2017 with Musk now building anticipation for a new semi truck, apparently named “Semi,” which he says will have a 500-mile range and will begin deliveries in 2019, with a new Roadster model—actually a 2+2 targa grand touring car capable of 250 mph+ and 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds—arriving at dealers a year later.

Musk said Tesla delivered just 233 Model 3s by the end of the third quarter. When I asked Tesla public relations for an update on deliveries through, at least, mid-December, the response was to refer to Musk’s third-quarter analysts’ call held November 1. Tesla PR said the number of deliveries will be updated in the first quarter 2018 analysts’ call. So it goes.

In reality, 2017 was the year that traditional automakers ramped up their counter-assault on Tesla’s electric vehicles, with plans for everything from fuel cells and solid-state batteries to new ways to make the internal combustion engine cleaner and more efficient. Here’s how I saw the year in automobiles …

Fords with a future: CEO Mark Fields announces a $700-million investment in its Flat Rock, Michigan, plant to build a hybrid Mustang, a 300-plus mile EV SUV by 2020, and a hybrid-powered fully autonomous vehicle by 2021. Ford also will build hybrid versions of its F-150 pickup, and its Explorer-based Interceptor Police Utility vehicle and Taurus-based Police Interceptor sedan. At the same time, Fields attempts to assuage President-elect Trump’s anti-North American Free Trade Agreement position by cancelling plans for a new Mexican assembly plant.

Mary Barra adds “chairman” to her title: General Motors’ board elects its first female CEO to become its first female chairman, as well. Through much of its 109-year history, GM has assigned those titles to separate executives.

U.S. auto sales hits another record: Automakers report January 5 that they sold 17.54 million cars and light trucks in 2016, topping 2015, the previous record year, by 56,211 units. While car sales clearly have peaked, we’ll finish off calendar year ’17 at a still-healthy 17.1 million, according to AutoTrader’s mid-December estimate.

North American International Auto Show highlights: The 2017 Detroit Auto Show featured the new Kia Stinger, Mercedes-Benz E-Class coupe, Toyota Camry, Nissan Vmotion 2.0 concept (the next Altima), Honda Odyssey, Infiniti QX50 concept, Chevrolet Traverse, Lexus LS, and Volkswagen I.D. Buzz concept (a modern EV Microbus). Sergio Marchionne reveals in his annual Detroit show press conference that the next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee will share the new longitudinal engine platform that underpins the Alfa Romeo Stelvio. Ford shows nothing of significance.

EPA says Fiat Chrysler’s diesel Jeeps and Rams violate the Clean Air Act with defeat devices: Just prior to President Trump taking office, the Environmental Protection Agency announces it’s investigating Fiat Chrysler for alleged fuel economy/emissions test cheating devices on its Jeep and Ram EcoDiesel engines. Fiat Chrysler in May announces it has a software fix to solve the problem.

GM and Honda announce a fuel cell deal: In late January, General Motors and Honda announce a joint venture to design and develop a next-generation, compact fuel cell stack. They plan to build these fuel cell stacks together at a GM plant in Brownstown Township, Michigan, that assembles battery packs for the Chevrolet Bolt and Volt by 2021.

Geneva International Motor Show Highlights: The new McLaren 720S was the show’s runaway hit, though Robert Cumberford also singles out the Fittipaldi EF7 by Pininfarina. Automobile staff also like the Aston Martin Valkyrie, Mercedes-AMG Concept GT, Volkswagen Arteon, Range Rover Velar, Alpine A110, Volvo XC60, and Bentley EXP12 Speed 6e.

GM sells Opel/Vauxhall to PSA Peugeot Citroen for $2.3 billion: The world’s third-largest automaker runs from one of the world’s largest markets¬—the European Union, collectively, is about as large as the U.S. market in millions of annual sales. It’s also a very tough market, with strict regulations, loose enforcement (see, German-brand diesels), and relatively strong unions that make it hard to move assembly plants to former Soviet satellite countries with lower labor costs. In the end, though, it may have been Brexit that pushed the sale over the line. GM’s Vauxhall was stronger in the United Kingdom than was Opel on the Continent.

Trump rescinds the Obama administration 2025 CAFE standard: Automakers selling cars and trucks in the U.S. were required to reach a 54.5-mpg Corporate Average Fuel Economy standard under an agreement reached with the Obama administration in 2010, shortly after the GM and Chrysler loan guarantee bailouts. But the standard always was subject to a “mid-term review” that could pull back the standards. The new Trump administration jumps ahead of that review with an executive order. For automakers, it will offer relief from having to reach the 54.5-mpg CAFE number. However, automakers already were well on their way in engineering new powertrains and lighter, more aerodynamic (and CAFE standard “footprint” measurements) bodies. We’re not likely to see much pullback from those plans, so most automakers will probably be close to meeting the ’25 standard, if a few years late, anyway. What’s more, Trump’s executive order does nothing to the California Mandate requiring a certain percentage of zero-emissions vehicles sold there and in 16 other, mostly coastal states. The California Zero Emissions Mandate already is responsible for cars like the Chevy Bolt and Nissan Leaf, as well as Tesla’s relative success.

Trump wants to tear up NAFTA and place a tariff on Mexican-built autos: After the U.S. auto sales peaks of 2015 and 2016, there’s no shortage of auto manufacturing capacity. As I reported in late March, Trump’s plan to tear up the North American Free Trade Agreement would not push automakers to build new, $1-billion+ factories in the United States (although Volvo, for one, already plans its first assembly plant here). The president specifically attacks Ford for moving Focus production from Michigan to Mexico in 2018, though it’s adding more profitable Ranger pickup and Bronco sport/utility production in its place in Michigan. Ford has since rescinded its plans for a new Mexican plant, and instead will move Focus production to China. President Trump has yet to act on rescinding U.S. participation in NAFTA.

Tesla’s market cap exceeds GM’s and Ford’s: Tesla’s market capitalization first passes Ford Motor Company’s, then in April, General Motors’. Tesla stock has since settled into the low $300s-per-share range, while GM stock has rallied to top the disruptive EV automaker’s cap, again. As of December 21, Tesla was worth about $55.1 billion to GM’s $60.1 billion. Wall Street bulls have defended Tesla’s stock value as a sign of an all-electric future. Tesla will be well positioned to lead that future, the bulls say, though as it continues to lose money and have problems getting Model 3 production up to speed, more and more bears are popping up in the analysts’ community.

Tesla loses $397 million in the first quarter: The losses are worse than analysts’ expectations, but by early June, stock values start to rise again.

Ford fires Fields: Ford Motor Company CEO Mark Fields, a corporate veteran credited for turning around Mazda (which Ford formerly controlled) in the late 1990s, is fired allegedly for lagging on electric car development. The real reason is Ford’s lagging stock value, a bigger concern for William Clay Ford and his relatives, who control the company with 40 percent of its stock. Fields’ replacement is Jim Hackett, hired away from the office furniture company, Steelcase.

GM shareholders reject a dual-class stock proposal: Greenlight Capital wants to split GM stock into two classes [not unlike Ford’s Class B stock] in order to cash in some value out of the automaker. To those of us far from Wall Street it seems the sort of action that would put GM in the same position it was in 12 years ago, when an economic downturn or a change in automotive tastes due to something like a spike in oil prices could lead to serious cash shortage. At GM’s annual meeting in June, shareholders roundly reject Greenlight’s proposal.

BMW 2 Series to lose manual option?: In June, a BMW executive in Germany was quoted indicating that the company would stop importing manual transmission 2 Series models to the U.S. The uproar that caused in the purist-enthusiasts’ community resulted in a clarification. If BMW stops selling stick shift 2 Series models here, it won’t be until the car’s next generation, expected to be the 2020 model year (now less than two years away). Automobile magazine’s Four Seasons ‘17 M2 came with just one option; the dual-clutch seven-speed automatic, because, BMW said, customer demand for the manual created a shortage. I wouldn’t be surprised if the next 2 Series came only with a DCT, which is handy for Level III or IV autonomous features. And the upcoming X2 “sport/activity vehicle” almost certainly will not be offered with a three-pedal layout.

Volvo goes all-electrified by 2019: The misleading headline at Volvo’s own website reads, “Volvo goes all-electric,” but the copy underneath says that by ’19, all Volvos will have an electric motor. While the hyperbole led The Cult of Elon to believe they had won their revolution, at Volvo, this entails everything from pure battery-EV to plug-in hybrid to 48-volt. For sure, the 48-volt revolution is coming, with that technology aiding stop/start systems and in some cases limited EV driving while accommodating the expansion of elaborate infotainment systems. In any event, Volvo’s announcement spurred similar claims later in the year from rival premium automakers.

Nissan launches ProPilot Assist in its all-new, 2018 Leaf: The automated cruise control will start and stop in rush hour traffic, but you still have to keep your hands on the steering wheel, which gently helps you around curves. The new Nissan Leaf’s range is now 150 miles on a full charge, still 78 miles short of the Chevy Bolt’s stated range.

Cadillac launches Super Cruise: Is Cadillac in the autonomy lead? Yes, I think it is, even if Mercedes-Benz and Volvo have slightly more capable systems in the works. As part of Super Cruise’s safety redundancy, GM mapped 180,000 miles of U.S. roads. You must take the wheel of the Cadillac CT6 to change lanes, but otherwise it’s even easier than two-fingertip steering on long, boring Interstates.

Toyota and Mazda announce joint-venture U.S. assembly plant: Likely to be built somewhere in the UAW-bereft Southeast, the joint venture also will help struggling Mazda get into electrified powertrains. Let’s hope it leads to a future for the Mazda MX-5 Miata and Toyota 86, as their Fiat and Subaru deals are not likely to have sequels.

Mazda announces Skyactive X engine technology: Mazda will equip its next 3, coming in 2019, with a compression ignition gasoline powered engine said to nearly equal a similar-sized four-cylinder turbodiesel, and match it for CO2 emissions.

Fiat Chrysler ‘confirms’ it has not been approached by Great Wall Motors: The late-summer denial that a Chinese automaker was looking to buy Fiat Chrysler comes in the middle of a year in which CEO Sergio Marchionne is pretty transparent about his desire to find a dance partner. In my Motor City Blogman column, I note that Jeep and Ram are the two brands that would attract such a partner, and that if Marchionne expected value to be paid for the rest of the brands, the company might have to go it alone for a while longer.

IAA Frankfurt motor show highlights: The Honda Urban EV concept, Mercedes-AMG Project One, a roadgoing F1 car driven onto the stage by Lewis Hamilton (who would soon win his fourth World Driver’s Championship), Renault Symbioz concept, a modern rolling living room, Ferrari Portofino, Hyundai Kona, Kia Proceed concept, and according to Robert Cumberford, the new Borgward Isabella and something called the Aspark Owl.

Delphi splits in two: We don’t often cover Tier One suppliers, but it’s worth noting that this former GM parts division this year split into two companies. Delphi Technology continues to work on updating and improving powertrains, mostly the internal combustion engine, while Aptiv covers autonomy and connectivity. While I often write about automakers’ latest autonomous technology breakthroughs, much of the advances are coming from companies like Aptiv, Continental, Bosch, etc.

GM will launch ‘at least’ 20 new battery-electric or fuel cell vehicles by 2023: While no one has figured out how to make money on BEVs or fuel cells yet, this announcement spurs on GM’s already soaring share prices. The first two new EVs will arrive by mid-2019 and will be based on the current Chevy Bolt, while the new models after that will be off a new electric/fuel cell platform, including what looks to be the C8 Corvette E-ray.

Tokyo Motor Show highlights: The Honda EV Coupe concept, Mazda Vision Coupe concept, Mazda Kai concept (next Mazda3), Subaru Viviz Performance concept (next WRX/STI), Daihatsu DN Compagno concept, and the Toyota TJ Cruiser. In time for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Toyota also displays a new Century limousine and a Tokyo cab, replacing models first designed for the 1964 Olympics that raised the city out of its postwar doldrums.

Tesla loses record $619 million in the third quarter: The cost of developing the much-awaited Tesla Model 3 and its production facility no doubt contributed to all this red ink. CEO Elon Musk says Tesla delivered just 233 of its mass-market EVs as of the end of the quarter, and says ramp-up of production to 5,000 per month now is delayed to the end of the first quarter of 2018—originally, this was the goal for the end of the year.

Peugeot-Citroen launches car-sharing service ahead of return to the U.S.: Free2Move is launched as an aggregation app for Car2Go and Zipcar in Seattle. The app will help PSA relearn the U.S. market ahead of its planned return selling cars here, says North American chief Larry Dominique. PSA will sell one of it from Performance Junk WP Feed 4 http://ift.tt/2BXQdmE via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Performance Junk WP Feed 4

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eddiejpoplar · 7 years ago

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Wheelspinning Our Way Through 2017

Tesla loses $397 million in the first quarter: The losses are worse than analysts’ expectations, but by early June, stock values start to rise again.

#IFTTT #Performance Junk Blogger 6

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jonathanbelloblog · 7 years ago

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Wheelspinning Our Way Through 2017

Tesla loses $397 million in the first quarter: The losses are worse than analysts’ expectations, but by early June, stock values start to rise again.

#IFTTT #Performance Junk Blogger Feed 4

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