Category: Cars (Page 55 of 69)

Lexus Pre Super Bowl Teaser and Contest

January 17, 2012 / Bullz-Eye Staff

In a few weeks, Bullz-Eye will be heading to Vegas to experience the all-new GS Series from Lexus, and it just so happens to be Super Bowl weekend when Lexus will be running their first ever TV commercial during the big game. The 30 second commercial is scheduled to run during the first half of Super Bowl XLVI. A 15 second sneak peek of the commercial can be seen on Lexus social media channels, including Facebook and YouTube.

Leading up to the Super Bowl commercial, Lexus is embarking on a unique social media activation called TweetDrive Engineered by Lexus. It is a socially-fueled game that will air live on NBCSports.com and offers fans the opportunity to earn yardage, move their “team” down the field, and score a touchdown during the actual playoff games and throughout the week. The object of the game is to gain enough yards to score a touchdown. Yardage is accumulated by tweeting the correct answers to a mix of trivia and predictive gaming questions using the #LexusTweetDrive hash tag. For each playoff game a fan plays TweetDrive, they are entered to win the grand prize — a trip for two to an NBC Sports Premium Event. To participate, fans just need to register at NBCSports.com and watch for tweets from @Lexus using #LexusTweetDrive during playoff games (predictive gaming questions) and throughout the week (trivia questions) through January 22, 2012.

We’ve seen the new GS Series but have not had the opportunity to drive one, so when Lexus offered us a chance to get behind the wheel of the hot new GS Series we were all in! Stay tuned for our take on what could be a big sales coupe for Lexus and a great driving experience for GS customers. Go to http://www.lexusnewsroom.com/ and check out what others will have to wait until 2-5-2012 to see for themselves!

Cars, News

Lexus Lexus contest Lexus GS Series Super Bowl contest Super Bowl XLVI

2013 Buick Press Conference and Encore Reveal

January 10, 2012 / Staff

We were present at the second day of the North American Auto Show for the Buick Press Conference where the event started with Buick VP Mary Barra speaking about the Buick comeback that started with the Enclave launch five years ago. The Buick Achievers Scholarship program has the Buick brand more involved than ever at college campuses throughout the U.S. The crowd was then introduced to the stylish 2013 Buick Encore, which is a graceful five-passenger compact luxury crossover that features the first use of QuietTuning active noise cancellation technology in any Buick automobile.

Buick is really targeting folks with an active lifestyle that also want a contemporary package with a smooth and quiet ride. The Encore interior rivals much more expensive competitors and a flat load floor for various storage options. With OnStar, all-wheel drive and intellink, the 2013 Buick Encore is going to be safe and forward-looking in regards to driver safety. It’s clear that Buick is attracting younger and progressive buyers with the Regal and Verano, so when you add the Encore into the Buick family, we anticipate sales to continue upwards in the coming years.

Cars, News

2012 NAIAS 2013 Buick Encore detroit auto show naias

Turbocharged 2013 Chevy Sonic RS takes center stage

January 9, 2012 / Staff

GM unveiled the 2013 Sonic RS with a lower and stiffer suspension, 4-wheel disc brakes and chrome tips. Also included are 17 inch wheels and a new front facia for a tough-looking interior. Additionally, the Sonic RS features a 138-horsepower (103 kW) Ecotec 1.4L turbo engine — the only vehicle in its segment to offer a turbocharged powertrain.

The Sonic RS has a great look and should add more sales to the Chevy brand. We’re very impressed in the way Chevy is targeting a younger audience with cutting edge designs at competitive prices. It will be released to the public in summer-fall 2012.

Cars, News

2012 NAIAS 2013 Chevy Sonic RS detroit auto show General Motors

2013 Cadillac ATS Revealed in Detroit

January 9, 2012 / Staff

Bullz-Eye.com was invited to the 2013 Cadillac ATS presentation last night at the College for Creative Studies and we have to say that we walked away very impressed. The ATS is Cadillac’s answer to foreign automakers’ compact luxury sedans that have dominated this segment for many years. The ATS will launch this summer and Cadillac obviously has high hopes for the ATS as it will be competing in the largest segment of the luxury market, so the potential here is enormous. Along with a sleek and modern look, the ATS promises the desired performance from buyers in the compact luxury universe and that is partially because Cadillac looked at every material that went into the ATS and came away with a curb weight under 3400 lbs.

Depending on each individual buyer’s preference of the top fuel economy or all out power, you have a choice of three powertrains starting with a 200-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder that should produce over 30 mpg on the highway, a confident 270-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, or for those who want the power, there is a 318-hp 3.5-liter V6. Cadillac also went one step further by offering a manual transmission and optional all-wheel drive to the rear wheel drive platform. Pricing hasn’t been announced and believe me when I tell you we tried to find out, but we do know this segment’s current leaders start in the low 30k range and we expect something close for the 2013 Cadillac ATS.

I have to say that the 2013 Cadillac ATS made a strong first impression with us, and if the performance of this new luxury compact from Cadillac hits the mark, we look for thousands of new buyers coming into dealerships to give the ATS a drive. This segment is about much more than looks, and after hearing from GM North American President Mark Reuss and the other GM executives that presented the all-new ATS, they totally understand their potential customers and designed the ATS to “win” rather than just compete!

Cars, News

2012 NAIAS 2013 Cadillac ATS detroit auto show General Motors

20 Cars to Look for in 2012

January 4, 2012 / Joe Gustafson

For the first time in a long while, driver involvement is making a comeback in 2012. Of course, the New Year is bringing its fair share of power hitters – what with a 650hp Mustang debuting and a bevy of 1,000hp cars – but if you look on the more affordable side of the spectrum, driving fun is back in a big way. Car companies are looking past adding “more” of everything into a car to make their offerings lust-worthy. Instead, they’re putting in features that can’t be summed up on a spec sheet, but do show up in the driving experience. Even Toyota is producing a sports car again. With cars like this on the horizon for 2012, it’s shaping up to be the Year of the Driver.

Ford Focus ST

The story of Ford’s small, performance-oriented cars in the United States has been one of a constant disappointment. As Capris, Sierras and Escorts chewed up European roads with turbocharged fury, us Americans only got the lumbering Mustang. This year, however, we get the truly good stuff with the Focus ST. The specs are promising: 250hp from a turbocharged 2.0L engine, independent rear suspension, and all the natural racy bits on the inside and out. Price has yet to be released, but don’t be too surprised to see this car around the 24k mark. Most importantly, for the first time in seven years, Ford has a proper competitor in the hot hatchback class.

Toyota FR-S/Subaru BR-Z

The FR-S/BR-Z was a joint project between Toyota and Subaru to deliver a car that puts driving enjoyment ahead of sheer numbers. This means low price, low weight and a truly amazing driving experience. The result of this Toyota and Subaru marriage is a low-slung coupe with a 200hp flat four. For those that think that is too little power, bear in mind the car weighs a featherweight 2600 pounds. Not to mention, the development team pegged the Porsche Cayman as a dynamic benchmark. The FR-S will be sold as a Scion here in the states, but the Subaru version will also be available as well.

Porsche 911

The world’s best sports car gets even better this year. Redesigned from the ground up, the 911 gets a new exterior, interior and more power. The boxer six engine has been given a few tweaks to now produce 400hp. The chassis has been lengthened and widened slightly to provide more stable handing as well. Even though the changes are incremental, the 911 goes to show that evolution, not revolution, is the way to continually improve the world’s best all around sports car.