The top 5 Car videos of 2011

Every day there are hundreds of car related videos that get uploaded to Youtube, from car crashes and racing videos to modifications people have made to their car and everything in between. These videos can have a few views, or become incredibly popular with thousands and even millions of views, creating massive publicity for the car brand involved. It is no surprise then that the big car manufacturers like Volkswagen and Chrylser and even non-car brands like DC Shoes are getting involved and making videos and adverts for Youtube.

Here are the top 5 car related videos on Youtube for 2011. These videos were chosen based on total number of views.

5. Hot Wheels – World record jump

Views: 8 287 030

Hot Wheels is a toy-car company that produces toy cars to be used in conjunction with their track sets. The tracks often feature loops and massive jumps, which is what they attempted to recreate, at full size, in this video. In the video, their driver breaks the world record for longest jump in a 4-wheel car, traveling more than 100m through the air! It’s a great video and was filmed during the Indianapolis 500 in May this year.

4. Kia Motors – Kia Soul Hampster commercial

Views: 10 362 510

The Kia Soul was launched with this advert that contains some of the most unrelated subject matter you could imagine. It’s not often that a car manufacturer decides to include a futuristic war with dancing hamsters and somehow relate it to their new vehicle release. Part of the mass appeal of the advert was the confusion it caused, people didn’t quite know what to make of it and that added to its viral success.

3. DC Shoes – Ken Block’s Gymkhana 4

Views: 13 154 304

DC Shoes are onto something big with this series of videos, which combine so many quality elements that up the entertainment value through the roof. The production value is that of a Hollywood movie, with incredible effects, high quality filming and incredible driving. Behind the wheel of the heavily modified Ford is professional rally driver Ken Block, who is notorious for this kind of stunt driving.

2. Chrysler – Imported from Detroit

Views: 13 391 237

Chrysler ran this commercial during the Super Bowl this year, sporting the tag-line “imported from Detroit”. The video features day-to-day scenes from Detroit, with a moving voice over. The video oozes with patriotism and tugs at your heart strings about an American-made product, which is topped off by a closing line from rapper Eminem, who often references the Motor City in his songs. We don’t see much of the car in the video, but the emotional music and inspiring words are enough to make you want to buy one … if you are American at least.

1. Volkswagen – The Force

Views: 45 189 250

The most watched car-related video on Youtube for 2011 belongs to Volkswagen and their video “The Force”. As we can see from other videos on the list, it’s not really what is said about the car or the sale of how impressive the car is, but more about just creating a fun and entertaining advert that people will talk about. It also doesn’t hurt to include a Star Wars theme, which automatically guarantees millions of views. Unless you are paying close attention, you might not catch which vehicle is even being advertised, it’s the Jetta, but the cuteness of the kid in the Darth Vader suit plus the iconic sound track is enough to make this video an instant classic.

Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid is most technically advanced Volvo ever

The hybrid market continues to improve and evolve with the latest technical advancements available. This is demonstrated by the new Volvo V60 plug-in hybrid, which Volvo are toting as the most technically advanced model they have ever made. The Volvo V60 plug-in hybrid aims to combine an electric car, a muscle car and a hybrid car into one, while being the first ever diesel plug-in hybrid car.

Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid – Features

This is attained via the 3 driving modes available in the Volvo V60 plug-in hybrid. The first mode is “Pure” which runs the car purely on electric power, with zero-emissions and a range of around 50km. The second mode is “Hybrid” which is also the default mode the car gets set to as it is started. This mode ensures the car uses both engines to power the vehicle giving it a range of around 1000km. Lastly there is “Power” mode, this mode ensures as much power is produced as possible, enabling the car to complete 0-100km/h in just 6.2 seconds.

The Volvo V60 plug-in hybrid comes with 17-inch wheels, integrated exhaust tailpipes, as well as the grille and front spoiler in glossy black. The interior comes with black leather upholstery along with contrasting stitching, with the steering wheel receiving the same leather treatment. Power steering comes as standard, as well as parking sensors for the front and rear and a number of other features.

In what will soon no doubt become common-place, the Volvo V60 plug-in hybrid comes with an app for your smart phone which enables you to control the car from your phone. The driver can set the air-conditioning for pre and after cooling as well as receiving reminders to connect the charge cable for the car if it has not been done in a while.

Powering the car is a 5-cylinder 2.4 litre turbodiesel which produces 215 hp and a max torque of 440 Nm. The electric motor produces 70 hp, with its power supplied by a 11.2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The transmission is a 6-speed automatic.

The Volvo V60 plug-in Hybrid will be availably only in Silver and sales will begin in early 2012, although no release date has been set for South Africa. The car can be plugged in and charged at home, with a full charge taking 4.5 hours.

BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe makes history

Following the current trend of 4-door coupe’s, BMW presents the amazing looking 6-Series Gran Coupe. The BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe is the 3rd model in the 6-series lineup and is the first 4-door coupe in the history of BMW.

BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe offers powerful performance

Under the hood, the 6-Series Gran Coupe comes with BMW’s TwinPower Turbo engines. There is a 6-cylidner in-line petrol engine in the 640i which produces 235 kW, while the straight-six diesel engine in the 640d produces 230 kW. At a later stage there will also be the option for an incredibly powerful V8 engine that produces 330 kW in the 650i. The transmission is an 8-speed sports automatic transmission. Fuel consumption is kept in-check thanks to the Auto Start-Stop function and ECO PRO mode, which is activated from the Driving Experience Control switch.

Flawless design defines BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe

The BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe was designed to integrate the impressive style and look of a coupe in a very low-slung sporty package. The sweeping bonnet and long wheelbase give the car a “stretched” look, along with a set-back passenger compartment. BMW note how the styling of this car creates a new benchmark of aesthetics for 4-door cars.

Inside the vehicle there is a driver-focused cockpit, with a front passenger area that is bordered by elegantly sweeping surfaces. The rear compartment has been made quite generous in size, with improved legroom. Folding the rear seats increases the boot capacity of the vehicle from 460 litres to 1 265 litres.

Standard features in the new BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe come in the form of Dynamic Damper Control, 2-zone automatic climate control, xenon headlights, 18-inch light alloy wheels and automatically dimming exterior and rear-view mirrors. Optional extras include: adaptive LED headlights, a Bang & Olufsen surround sound system and a bespoke M Sport package. There are also a number of driver assistance systems available as well.

The BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe will go on sale here in South Africa in the second quarter of 2012.

Renault Scenic gets facelift for 2012

The solid Renault Scenic MPV is going under the knife in 2012 with the release of its latest version. Set for release in Europe in February, the next generation Renault Scenic and Grand Scenic are looking to improve on what is already a very successful vehicle. So successful in fact, that it’s the top selling MPV in Europe.

Improved styling for Renault Scenic

The front end styling has been updated to be more modern and slick. There are now LED daytime running front lights as well as gloss black features with chrome detailing at the front as well as the tailgate strip. There is also a new range of wheel trims and alloy wheels. The choice of exterior colours has also been added to, with the introduction of Azzurro Blue and Damask Red.

Fuel efficient engines

In a continuing effort to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy Renault has developed new engine options for the Renault Scenic and Grand Scenic. First up there is a 1.5 dCi 110 Stop & Start, which is an improvement over Renault’s core diesel engine. The engine produces 260 Nm of torque, which is an improvement of 20 Nm compared to the previous engine, as well as a reduction in CO2 emissions and fuel consumption. Next up is a 1.2 TCe 115 petrol engine, which will be available in the 5 and 7 seater Scenic. It also comes with a reduction in CO2 emissions, improvements in the fuel efficiency and improvement to the power output. Lastly there is a 1.6 dCi 130 Stop & Start, which comes with a 20% improvement in its fuel consumption as well as increased performance.

Safety Features

The new range of Scenic’s also come with a variety of driver-aids. There is the Visio System which will assist the driver’s vigilance and night-time vision via a lane departure warning system and an automatic headlight function. A camera on the vehicle detects if the vehicle is veering out of the lane as well as detects how much light there is. The system can automatically switch the lights from dipped to main beam based on the amount of light available on the road. Other driver-aids come in the form of Hill Start Assist and motorway-mode indicators which let other drivers know that the vehicle is changing lanes by flashing 3 times following a flick of the indicator switch.

Look for more information, as well as a local release date for the new Renault Scenic as it becomes available.

Smart For-Us Concept Pickup Revealed

Smart are known for pushing the envelope and making unique cars. They continue this tradition with the introduction of the Smart For-Us concept, which redefines what a pickup should be and makes its world premier at the North American International Auto Show. The Smart For-Us focuses on low emissions, taking up minimum road space and practicality.

Smart For-Us – Features

The Smart For-Us is, as you would expect, very small. It measures 3547mm long, 1506mm wide and 1701mm height. This diminutive size allows the For-Us to reach areas that are usually out of bounds for normal sized cars, including traffic-calmed zones or isolated park trails.

The Smart For-Us comes with a 55 kW magneto-electric motor and enough space for two people as well as two smart ebikes behind them. The drive is based on the innovative drive concept used in the Smart ForTwo electric drive which will be launched in 2012. Smart note how the car will be agile and fun to drive, with 130 Nm of torque and lag-free acceleration. Meaning over-taking should be no problem at all. Testament to this performance, the car can reach speeds in excess of 120km/h.

Look for more information on the Smart For-Us as it becomes available.

Jeep Wrangler Nautic Concept revealed

The Jeep Wrangler Nautic  concept vehicle was designed by a collaboration between Jeep and ‘Style & Design’. The vehicle is available as two concepts, a white variant and a black variant.

Jeep Wrangler Nautic Concept – Features

The white version has been designed around the sailing theme, lending from the comfort and luxury of sailboats. It comes with 20 inch rims, Navy wings (sheathed in white leather) and a Running Boards deck finish. The Jeep Wrangler Nautic Concept also has a number of chrome installments, including: a chrome grille, chrome door handles and chrome trunk hinges. Inside the white Jeep Wrangler Nautic Concept, there is personalized leather upholstery in navy white as well as a deck floor mat finish and a number of other features.

The black Jeep Wrangler Nautic Concept gets it’s inspiration from luxury motor boat yachts and incorporates many of the same elements and materials found in the luxury marine world. Many of the exterior and interior elements of the black version are the same as the white version, only in black. Both versions come with a canvas awning (in the respective colour) and a white canvas folding seat.

No more information has been provided regarding any other specs of the vehicle, so we will just have to wait for further information.

New Range Rover Evoque voted 2011 Car of the Year by TopGear

The new Range Rover Evoque, which has caused quite a stir since it was revealed has now been named the Car of the Year for 2011 by TopGear Magazine. The judging panel was made up of the magazines editor-in-chief, the editorial staff, their road testers as well as Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond.

Stiff competition for new Range Rover Evoque

The new Range Rover Evoque was also named as the magazines’ SUV of the year in addition to being named Jeremy Clarkson’s personal choice for favourite car of the year. He noted how the car was not a one-trick-pony, like many of the other vehicles released this year. The new Range Rover Evoque had some pretty stiff competition in being named their car of the year, with the likes of the BMW 1 Series M, the Mclaren MP4 12c, the Ferrari FF, the VW UP! and the Kia Picanto all in the running.

In celebration of the award, the TopGear team took an Evoque on an African adventure through the deserts and mountain passes of Morocco to test just what the vehicle is capable of. The full story, as well as all the information on the awards is currently featured in this month’s edition of TopGear magazine.

Renault-Nissans zero emission cars at the COP17 conference

With the eyes of the world on the COP17 environmental conference currently underway in Durban, Renault-Nissan have decided to do their part in conservation and renewable energy with a display of their zero-emission vehicles. Renault-Nissan note how these vehicles play a critical role in achieving the goals set out by the COP17 conference and by reducing the impact cars have on climate change.

Renault-Nissan are currently leading the way in electric vehicle technology, with the Nissan Leaf already having sold more than 20 000 units worldwide, thus making it the most popular EV in the world. The Leaf is also the current World Car of the Year. Adding to the already impressive lineup is the Renault Twizy, an electric fun to drive hatchback that can be plugged into many conventional wall sockets.

Both the Nissan Leaf and Renault Twizy will be present at the conference, with shuttle services for COP17 delegates as well as test drives that will take place at the Moses Mabhida stadium. Anyone can sign up for these test drives which will run for the duration of the conference.

Nissan is planning on releasing the Nissan Leaf in South Africa in 2013, but it will require the successful discussion between the government and the motoring industry to institute charging infrastructure as well as customer incentives.

Koenigsegg Agera R breaks world record

Swedish hypercar manufacturer Koenigsegg recently put their insanely fast Agera R on the Angeholm airfield in Sweden, with Robert Serwanski behind the wheel. The car’s task was simple; drive straight and fast. A task which the Agera R is particularly well suited to, so well in fact, that it now has the Guinness World record for the fastest time from 0-300km/h for a 2 seat production car.

It completed 0-300km/h in a mere 21.19 seconds, but perhaps more impressively, the car came to a complete stop from 300km/h in just 6.6 seconds. Powering the Koenigsegg Agera R is a twin-turbo 5 litre V8 engine that produces 1099hp (820 kW) and 1200 Nm of toque. The transmission is a 7 speed dual-clutch system which enables the car to reach a top speed in excess of 390 km/h.



Volkswagen Cross Coupe Concept looks to the future

The Volkswagen Cross Coupe concept hints at the future of VW’s lineup. The compact hybrid crossover SUV debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show and VW note how the vehicle mixes style, performance and efficiency.

Volkswagen Cross Coupe Concept with hybrid technology

The Volkswagen Cross Coupe concept is based on VW’s new modular transverse matrix and marks the first time that a vehicle has been shown on this platform. It is powered by 2 electric motors and a direct-injection turbocharged gasoline engine and is able to travel up to 40km on just electric power.

The design of the Volkswagen Cross Coupe concept was aimed at being ‘forward thinking’, with a long hood, new front aesthetic, a set-back passenger compartment and low window line for a SUV. Most prominent in the design is a striking shoulder-line, which gives the vehicle a sports car silhouette and a powerful stance. The front and rear lights of the vehicle are radically different when compared to previous VW models, with the front twin bi-xenon headlamps merging with the radiator grille’s chrome-plated fins. At the rear the lights look very similar to another car German brand.

Powering the Volkswagen Cross Coupe concept is a TSI petrol engine that produces 148hp and 110 kW along with an electric motor that produces 54 hp (40 kW). Together, or individually these 2 motors power the front axle but while the vehicle is used in all-wheel-drive or pure electric mode, an additional electric motor powers the rear wheels. This 2nd electric motor generates up to 114hp (85 kW), bringing the overall output of all engines to a maximum of 262 hp (195 kW).