Whilst there are several instances in the 100+ Super Bowl ads, we’re interested in Automotive brands and fortunately there are several juicy ones to take a look at.

The NFL takes issue with Chrysler’s “It’s Halftime in America” commercial

Chrysler’s ad was by far the most ‘moving’ ad of the Super Bowl, featuring Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood narrating the story of Detroit’s Motor City, digging deep despite the tough conditions and coming out fighting for the second half.

How does this grab you? “This country can’t be knocked out with one punch. We get right back up again and when we do the world’s going to hear the roar of our engines. Yeah, it’s half time America and our second half is about to begin.” Powerful stuff.

So, amidst such inspiring poetry it came as something of a surprise when a kerfuffle kicked off as the NFL (Super Bowl rights holders) claimed the ad violated their copyrights. The ad was taken down from YouTube, but then an NFL spokesperson subsequently claimed the league didn’t take the ad down and is now asking Google to investigate.

Something is certainly going on – Chrysler have been frantically contacting publishers and asking us to display their ad, but when we uploaded a copy to YouTube this afternoon it was immediately removed, accompanied by the message “This video has been removed because its content violated YouTube’s Terms of Service. Sorry about that.”

What’s the matter, don’t they like poetry..?

So what was it? A marketing stunt? A misunderstanding, or a media storm contrived from our over-active imagination? Take a look and see for yourself.

Ford lawyers-up over Chevy’s Silverado commercial

Chevy’s Silverado ad takes a direct swipe at rival Ford, as it tells the story of group of men who survive a world-destroying apocalypse (as supposedly predicted by an ancient Mayan calendar), because they all owned Chevrolet Silverado trucks. However, one of their friends (Dave) doesn’t make it.

“Dave didn’t own the longest lasting, most dependable truck on the road,” one of the surviving group says. “Dave bought a Ford.”

Ford, were naturally outraged by such a negative portrayal of their brand and delivered a ‘cease and desist’ order to General Motors, due to the “unsubstantiated and disparaging claims regarding Ford’s pickup trucks.”

Chevrolet, who clearly had no intention of complying with Ford’s request, didn’t just run the ad as planned but have continued to fuel the spat by joining a live web discussion on the automotive blog Jalopnik.

Ford is objecting to the reference that the Chevrolet Silverado is “the longest lasting, most dependable truck on the road”, and said that “..If Chevrolet does not comply with our request (they didn’t) to permanently remove the commercial from its website, its YouTube and Facebook pages and any other internet sites, then Ford will take all appropriate steps to enforce and protect its reputation.”

General Motors (parent company of Chevrolet) remain unrepentant, saying “We stand by our claims in the commercial, that the Silverado is the most dependable, longest lasting full-size pickup on the road.”

Ewanick went on to say, “We can wait until the world ends, and if we need to, we will apologize. In the meantime, people who are really worried about the Mayan calendar coming true should buy a Silverado right away.”

Now that’s just rubbing salt in an already very raw wound…

Toyota serve up some Super Bowl spam on Twitter

As reported in the marketing blog eConsultancy this morning, via a report originally published on The Next Web, Toyota were caught red-handed trying to boost their Camry Effect campaign by sending unsolicited messages to random individuals, apparently based on nothing more than a tweet in their timeline mentioning the Super Bowl.

Here’s what TNW had to say in their article, “In what is probably the worst Twitter promotion I’ve seen on the platform since the company launched in 2006, Toyota has created a slew of accounts and is spamming people about what it is calling the “Camry Effect a Friend’ Giveaway!”. The worst part is that they’re all verified accounts, so while Twitter isn’t involved in the promotion, someone at the company definitely knows about it.”

Toyota subsequently apologised in the following statement, “We apologize to anyone in the Twitterverse who received an unwanted @reply over the past few days. We were excited to share the message of our Camry Effect campaign in a new way and it was never our intention to displease anyone.
We’ve certainly learned from this experience and have suspended the accounts effective immediately to avoid any additional issues.
Kimberley Gardiner, National Digital Marketing & Social Media Manager, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Inc.”

Embarrassing mistake? Or deliberate tactic to gain exposure? You decide, but as is proven by this article, all 3 brands have certainly drawn attention away from their competitors and become a talking point in sections of the media that wouldn’t normally be talking about their cars.

We took a sample of the data yesterday, to provide for a pre and post-game view of the main contenders, and learned that Honda’s Ferris Bueler themed videos were firmly in the lead for views, if not social shares. 

But less than 18 hours later, the leaderboard has changed to underline just how competitive the battle has become.

First things first, if you were following the Twitter feed last night of @unrulymedia or @VideoChart, then you’ll have noticed the following stats;

1. <40 million people were estimated to have shared their favourite ads online 'after' the game (35 million of these via Facebook)
2. It was estimated that 2.5 million people would send their favourite Super Bowl ads to their friends using YouTube 
3. The highest tweets per second came at the end of the game – 12,233, followed by the second highest during Madonna’s performance, reaching 10,245 tweets per second.
4. Whilst in the final 3 minutes of the Super Bowl game, an average of 10,000 tweets per second were sent. 

If you’re head’s not spinning from those numbers, then let’s take a look at the Automotive brands and what changed on our scoreboard overnight.

Yesterday’s Pre-game data (as of 05/2/2012 at 17:00 GMT)

The post-game reckoning

Since yesterday evening our Top 10 Super Bowl Ads gained 15.2 million views between them – climbing from a total of 54 million to 69 million views.  The biggest gains were made by Volkswagen, with “Bark Side” climbing from 11.9 million views to 23.9 million and social shares rising modestly from 692,825 to 705,760. 

The second of Volkswagen’s Super Bowl ads, and the main feature spot during the game, “The Dog Strikes Back”, rose from 3.8 million up to 4.65 million views and from 118,712 to 145,982 social shares, proving that audiences are more interested in a dog symphony than the re-creation of a Star Wars pub in Tatooine.  Nevertheless, when combined Volkswagen’s Super Bowl ads are now back ahead of the competition with 28.55 million views and 851,742 shares.

After a surge leading up to Super Bowl 46, Honda’s Ferris Bueler inspired ads, “Coming Soon” and “Matthew’s Day Off”, have suddenly stalled, rising only 850,000 views overnight from 16.6 million to 17.45 million views. 

Honda’s luxury brand Acura performed slightly better, rising 1.4 million views from 14.1 million to 15.5 million and from 50,568 to 55,599 shares.

The Automotive sector remained dominant, although we lost 1 brand from the Top 10 (Kia Optima: “A Dream Car. For Real Life.”) and a few new entrants joined the race to become king of the Super Bowl car ads.

You’d be brave man (or woman) to bet against Volkswagen, but then let’s wait and see once the bulk of social sharing occurs during the next few weeks.  The acid test for a viral video is when its meme is adopted and re-personalised by ordinary people, when it moves outside the reach of paid promotion and connects with a wider audience reached through social and earned media.

Judging by the comments coming through on our YouTube channel, many people are only ‘just’ discovering these ads, so there’s plenty more to learn as these campaigns start to become talking points (or not) in environments outside the influence of their promoting brand.

It’s worth reminding you why we’re paying attention to a ‘football game’ when our main focus is obviously cars, driving and the lifestyle surrounding them.

Put simply, the Super Bowl has become the biggest stage for brand marketing in the U.S. and one of the most significant factors behind the success of each brand’s marketing activities throughout the year, both in the U.S. and globally. And surprisingly it’s Automotive brands which dominate ‘and’ rate highest with audiences in terms of increased buzz.

But Super Bowl success goes far beyond TV advertising, with nearly as many viewers watching the ads offline, and unlike ‘broadcast’ media, online represents a personal ‘choice’ and is therefore of greater value.

This is perhaps one of the best illustrations of ‘New Media’, which rather than being defined by technology (i.e. digital vs print or broadcast) is actually better explained by the separation of content from the channel it’s being carried on. Yes, there are specific adjustments necessary to optimise each medium, but the winning brands are those that treat the world as their stage and build their content to reach audiences wherever they may choose to consume it.

Topping the automotive brands in this year’s Super Bowl are Honda and Volkswagen, who’ve stolen a march on the 14 other brands who’ve ploughed tens of millions of dollars into the event. Both have leaned heavily on popular characters from TV and Film (Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, Matthew Broderick, Darth Vader/Star Wars) and used humour as one of their principal ingredients.

There are also a few late entrants (BMW, Kia) that could create a few upsets for our league table, so we’ll revisit the scorecard later in the week to see how they’ve fared.

The Pre-game Scorecard

In the top 10 Super Bowl ads this year, 7 of them are for Automotive brands but even more impressive is this – 7 Automotive ads represent 92.3% of the social shares within this premiere group.

These top 10 videos have clocked up just over 54 million views between them so far, and to further underline the dominance of the automotive sector, they represent 94.4 % of this total – that’s despite the best efforts of David Beckham (H&M), Budweiser and the U.S. Navy Seal themed ‘Act of Valor’ trailer.

As before all data has been provided by Unruly Media’s Viral Video Chart and is valid as of 05/2/2012 at 17:00 GMT. Previous data was taken at 19:10 GMT on 31/1/2012.

So what’s happened?

Volkswagen’s early lead was overtaken by Honda during the latter part of the week (now 15.7 million views versus 16.6 million), although VW are miles ahead when we look at social shares (811,000 versus 329,000). Even if we included Acura (Honda’s luxury car division), we would still be looking at only 379,000 shares, but a whopping 30 million views.

GM, the biggest spender at this year’s Super Bowl, have dropped further behind the big two with Chevrolet’s ‘Happy Grad’ advert dropping from 9th to 24th in the chart, but thankfully (for Chevy) their Silverado truck advert has stepped in to carry the brand forwards (currently 12th).

Despite all the hoopla over Audi’s Twilight-themed Vampire Party ads, it must be embarrassed by its performance compared to sister brand Volkswagen. Quite frankly it hasn’t caught on – perhaps audiences are (finally!) tiring of the Robert Pattinson/Kristen Stewart storyline and Audi have been too late to the party in using it. Whatever the reason, despite a 70-100% increase on last week’s figures, the opposition seem to have a lot more power under their hoods.

Watch out for Kia going forwards next week, it’s an epic ad, with a start-studded cast and it’s clearly designed to appeal to both sexes.

But the race continues between Volkswagen and Honda/Acura. Who will win the bragging rights in our scorecard? But perhaps more importantly, who will translate their Super Bowl success into the kind of numbers their shareholders place a value on?

The Newcomers

Several new videos have joined the fray since last week, most of which we will talk about another time. If you missed the original batch of ads, then you can watch them in our previous post, meanwhile here are some of our favourite new ones.

Kia Optima: “A Dream Car. For Real Life.”

Chevy Silverado “Apocalypse” featuring Ford

BMW 3 SERIES – “THE CLOSE CALL”

Also take a look at “THE SCORE”, “THE PERFECT SEAT”, “THE BIG GRAB” and “THE ENTERTAINER”.

Chevy Sonic “Joy”

Chevy Volt “Aliens #1 – Come On”

The GT 86 will in fact cost from £24,995 when sales start in June, which is as welcome news as its 1190 kg kerb weight and shows Toyota is serious about making the GT 86 accessible to most enthusiasts. The final on-the-road price, once further options are included, will be announced nearer the time of launch.

Unveiled at last year’s Tokyo motor show, the GT 86 marks a return to the pure enjoyment of driving within Toyota’s range. Designed to be entirely driver-focused, it offers a classic front-engine, rear-wheel drive set-up in a light, compact and nimble chassis.

The power plant is a 2.0-litre flat-four “boxer” unit shared with Subaru, that delivers a maximum 197bhp, matched to a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Power is distributed to the rear wheels via a limited slip differential to give the best possible grip in all driving conditions.

Advance orders are being taken for the GT 86, with many UK customers already signed up to be among the first to take ownership of the car when it arrives here this summer.

Since Toyota’s GT 86 is a joint project with Subaru’s BRZ, we would expect pricing of both cars to be very similar, barring some brand differences in their specification and after-sales packages.

Last year around 111 million people watched the event live on TV, making it the most-watched single broadcast in the history of U.S. television. So perhaps it’s no surprise that a prime-time 30 second ad spot sells for up to $3.5 million..

But you might be surprised to realise that the advertising war is fought, not between sporting goods or even soft drinks companies, instead it’s the big automotive brands who will slug it out for the audience’s attention.

Of the 35 ad spots announced thus far, 13 of them are for automotive brands including Honda America, Acura, Audi of America, Bridgestone Americas, Cars.com, Chrysler, General Motors (Chevy & Cadillac), Hyundai, Kia Motor, Lexus, Suzuki, Toyota and Volkswagen.

And let’s not forget that Super Bowl 46 is sponsored in its entirety by Chevrolet.

Isn’t this only relevant to U.S. viewers..?

The downstream value of advertising spend has changed a lot during the past decade, with the growth of online video platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Vimeo. Whilst the passive viewing figures of network TV look impressive at first glance, the real ‘meat’ of the campaign response happens online after the big game, where conversations and social sharing turn the spark of popularity into a viral phenomenon. Online is now the medium that reaps the long-run value from the huge TV spend on these campaigns.

Three of our Top 10 Most Shared Automotive Ads of 2011 were Super Bowl ads, with the most viral (Volkswagen’s ‘The Force’ commercial) owing its success purely due to its clever deployment in the week running up to Super Bowl 45.

So, Super Bowl month is a big deal for automotive advertisers not just in the U.S., but all around the world. During this period there is a huge increase in audience engagement as people talk about their favourite ads, and the attention is multiplied by the earned media coverage from publishers and social platforms.

However, in a straw poll taking during several conversations with agencies this morning, not one of those I spoke to were planning to take advantage by seeding their own campaigns into this perfect storm, either via hastag promotions or insight-driven search marketing. No wonder traditional display ad performance is at an all-time low..

Show me the money..

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the Super Bowl ads and teasers that have already broken cover online. There’s plenty more to come, so we’ll update this post as we receive them.

Acura “Jerry Seinfeld vs Jay Leno” NSX Big Game Commercial

If you don’t already know about one of America’s wealthiest funnyman, he’s also a HUGE car guy – mostly Porsche, but the 2015 Honda/Acura NSX would clearly suit him down to the ground.

The 60-second spot features comedian Jerry Seinfeld going to extreme lengths to bribe the man who holds the rights to buy the first 2015 Acura NSX supercar.

Honda confirmed at last month’s NAIAS Detroit auto show that the NSX will be built, so it remains to be seen who’ll manage to elbow their way to the front of the queue. I wouldn’t bet against Jerry Seinfeld.. unless of course J Leno wants it too.

Audi “Daylight”

With the Twilight series of vampire films continuing to excite audiences around the world, Audi have cleverly chosen to create a series of online commercials to promote the new LED headlights on the A7. Called “Daylight” (a subtle play on the film’s title), the series of five commercials portray Audi’s A7 when fitted with LED headlights as an accidental vampire slayer – “Something will take the lives of 25 vampires tonight. Hint: it won’t be a wooden stake”.

There’s also a social element to this campaign, which viewers can engage with at http://audiracethelight.com and win the prize of a trip to the Audi sportscar experience.

Bridgestone “Performance Balls and Puck”

Bridgestone Tyres (or Tires as written in the U.S.) have chosen an early April Fools theme for their Super Bowl ads this year. The sheer volume of videos within the campaign is more than all the rest of these brands put together – 17 at last count – but for the sake of brevity we’ll focus on the main Super Bowl 2012 teaser.

The ads present scenarios where the mild-mannered Bridgestone mega-minds (The Titans of Tread, The Rulers of Rubber..) put their tyre technologies to the test in an entirely new arena.. The sports world may never be the same again.

If you’d like to watch the other 16 videos, then head on over to SkiddPlayer’s Ads and Commercials channel or visit the Bridgestone Super Bowl Ads channel on YouTube.

Cadillac “Green Hell”

Cadillac’s 30-second Super Bowl spot is perhaps the most conventional of this year’s collection – over the past year Caddy have been developing their all-new ATS Saloon at Germany’s world-famous Nürburgring Nordschleife track and their Super Bowl spot simply brags about it being comparable with the world’s best – but if anyone disagrees, then just tell them to “..go to green hell.”

Cars.com

This is the ad that will be run by U.S. retailer cars.com during next weekend’s Super Bowl, which embraces the charitable goal of donating $1 to one of seven children’s charities for viewer’s who vote using the Shazam smartphone app. It’s a creepy ad featuring a two-headed customer in a car showroom, the smaller head sprouting from his shoulder representing his ‘confidence’ which has been coming out of him ever since he visited the cars.com website.

Chevrolet “Happy Grad”

In addition to their sponsorship of Super Bowl XLVI, Chevy are running three in-game TV commercials, two pre-game and two post-game. Together, of course, with online variations of this 60 second “Happy Grad” spot. In addition to the ad below, Chevy will also be running other campaigns in parallel, expected to generate 1.5-billion views during the 4-week campaign period. Not bad eh? But then again, it’s not going to be cheap.

“There’s 11 automakers advertising in the Super Bowl, so we had to figure out how we can make people laugh and make sure it’s entertaining enough to get out information from us – not just during the Super Bowl, but what do we do before, during and after,” said Chris Perry, Chevy’s VP Global Marketing and Strategy. Laugh? We nearly peed ourselves..

Honda: “Coming Soon” (Matthew Broderick returns in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)

This is all set to be an epic TV commercial as Honda pulls out the Hollywood big guns to promote the redesigned CR-V. The 10 second intro is explained by the following statement, “We hate to be such a tease, but on a day like today, we just have to. Stick it out until the Super Bowl, or take a “day off” on Monday and catch the big reveal.”

Anyone over the age of 30 will instantly recognise the catchy (chucka chucka) riff from the 1986 film, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and know that there’s trouble afoot. We can’t wait to see what happens next..

UPDATE: And here’s the full 2:25 commercial featuring Broderick and the CR-V. Honda have cast Matthew Broderick as himself, skipping out on a day of acting work and living it up in his all-new CR-V.

In Honda’s homage to the 1986 classic they have hidden over two dozen references to the movie throughout the commercial. Some are obvious, some are VERY subtle. They’re inviting you to submit the ones you find via Twitter using the hashtag #dayoff

Hyundai “Think Fast” , “All For One” and “Cheetah”

Hyundai are running three Super Bowl ads this year, although only two will run during the Big Game. The first promotes the Genesis Coupe, describing its 343 bhp engine as giving new meaning to the phrase “Heart Pounding Power”…

To illustrate just how effectively it works, the 30-second ad shows that it even has the power to revive a passenger suffering from sleep apnoea (or was that a heart attack?), who, in the middle of sharing his latest pearls of wisdom with the young padawan driver, loses consciousness.

Our Genesis Coupe R-Spec driver proceeds to use the coop’s strong brakes and acceleration to shake his boss back to consciousness, although on such a quiet open road, you do just wonder why he didn’t just stop the car and give the poor bloke some proper resuscitation.

The spirit captured in Hyundai’s second Super Bowl ad is a showcase of the company’s culture, portrayed in their very own rendition of the Rocky Theme Song. Employees from Hyundai’s Montgomery, Alabama plant provide a little vocal encouragement to one of their designers.

Hyundai’s third and final ad is called “Cheetah”, and shows the danger of working as a animal-handler in a dramatic race between the new 198 bhp Hyundai Veloster Turbo and a Cheetah.

The Veloster Turbo (which looks rather tasty by the way) leaves the Cheetah for dust, but in the Cheetah’s frustration the only thing left to chase is the animal handler – who is also rather tasty, at least from the Cheetah’s point of view..

Kia Super Bowl XLVI teaser with supermodel Adriana Lima

Adriana Lima does anything but put us to sleep, so it will be interesting to find out exactly how the tune, ‘Mr Sandman’, and a gorgeous supermodel feed into promoting the Kia Optima. Apparently the storyline depicts an “extreme dream sequence” after the Sandman accidentally spills a whole bag of magic dust on a sleeping couple.

The 60-second ad spot entitled “Drive the Dream,” features the new 2012 Optima Limited as it races through a Gen X couple’s wildest dreams, including: Victoria’s Secret Angel Adriana Lima waving the checkered flag at a speedway; an in-your-face Mötley Crüe concert; mixed martial arts legend Chuck Liddell battling in the ring; a heroine and hunk on horseback in a romance novel setting; champion bull rider Judd Leffew taming a bucking rhinoceros; and a fairy tale ending.

The full extended-version of the ad will be available here on SkiddMark from February 2.

Lexus Superbowl Ad “The Beast” introducing the All-New 2013 GS

Lexus is making its first Super Bowl appearance to promote the 2013 GS, which hits US showrooms next month. The 15-second teaser depicts a powerful entity caged in a transportation container with the message, “The Next Generation of Lexus, cannot be contained”.

Update (31/1): Earlier this evening Lexus revealed their full 30-second spot, but unlike other brands it simply promotes the new GS saloon, unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show last September, with a closing promise that “..this is just a glimpse of what Lexus has in store for 2012.”

In the context of such strong competition this year, it’s a weak first-attempt without any story or a reason to share socially. Given the premium being charged for TV advertising during the Super Bowl, it’s difficult to see why Lexus chose to enter the race with this effort.

Suzuki “Sled” 2012 Super Bowl Ad

American Suzuki Motor Corporation will once again advertise during the Super Bowl with an all-new television commercial called “Sled”, highlighting the car maker’s all-wheel-drive 2012 Suzuki Kizashi sport saloon. The music used in the ad is “Party Still Jumpin” created by Ben Kahle and stars two actual Intuit Eskimos from Alaska. Filmed on Canada’s frozen Spray Lake on the outskirts of Canmore, Alberta the ad was shot in one day.

Toyota “It’s Reinvented! — Toyota Camry”

Toyota takes a light-hearted look at day-to-day experiences and items that could have been reinvented (like its all-new Camry saloon), such as a baby that never requires a nappy change, the Department of Motor Vehicles being an enjoyable place of fun and games, and house plants that defend against intruders by fighting crime.

The premise of the spot is that good things are always better when reinvented; and in this case, they are also funnier. The ad represents Toyota’s return to Super Bowl advertising after a 3-year hiatus. Just like Honda’s ad, Toyota have included a social element within their Super Bowl campaign, which will kick-off directly after the commercial is broadcast during the third quarter of the game.

Viewers will be encouraged to tweet with the #Reinvented hashtag about what they’d like to see reinvented and selected tweets will be responded to in real-time with a creative depiction of their idea. Sounds fun (if you’re in the US…)

Volkswagen “Bark Side”

Volkswagen were the undisputed ‘kings’ of Super Bowl XLV last year with their contagiously popular “Dark Side” commercial. Their tally of 4.8 million social shares represented a new record for branded video campaigns, and they’ve come out fighting in 2012 by featuring dogs in the pre-game teaser. Called “Bark Side”, the canine chorus barks a familiar tune and will be used to promote the new VW Beetle.

And there’s a strong social element to this year’s campaign with their “Intergalactic Invite” – http://web.vw.com/star-wars-invite/ and following star wars themed introduction;

“Pretty soon, in a neighbourhood not very far, far away…

Episode XLVI

BACK. AND BETTER THAN EVER.

Tensions rise in the galaxy as the Big Game approaches. An entire planet’s population waits for the invitation to feast on nachos, cheer on their team, and watch the legendary battle unfold. Little do the earthlings know that you, young Jedi, have already begun the quest to host the Big Game Party. You are about to create an INTERGALACTIC INVITE and save the galaxy from ultimate Game Day doom.

A year ago, you witnessed the power of a pint-size Lord of the Dark Side. This year, witness the power of a new Force. Volkswagen is back and better than ever…”

Credits: Several sources were used in compiling this article which I would like to acknowledge – Unruly Media’s Viral Video Chart, Adage, AutoAdOpolis and of course SkiddPlayer.

Gallery

The new FIA World Endurance Championship team, based at Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) in Cologne, Germany, will make its race debut on 5 May in the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, which is the second round of the championship.

A driver line-up of Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima has already been confirmed for one car while discussions are still ongoing to finalise the driver line-up for the other. Additionally, Andrea Caldarelli, from Pescara, Italy, has joined Toyota Racing as a junior driver.

The TS030 HYBRID is Toyota’s successor to the iconic TS010 and TS020 cars which participated at Le Mans with podium success during the 1990s, with TS an acronym for ToyotaSport.

Toyota is the first manufacturer to confirm its participation in the FIA World Endurance Championship using a hybrid system, emphasising the pioneering approach to this technology which has seen more than 3.5 million Toyota hybrid vehicles sold worldwide.

The THS-R (Toyota Hybrid System – Racing) powertrain is designed to deliver maximum performance and features an all-new V8 3.4litre normally-aspirated petrol engine and hybrid system with capacitor storage developed by official team partner Nisshinbo.

The team will use the TS030 HYBRID’s first test to evaluate the merits, within the current regulations, of a front motor system produced by Aisin AW and a rear motor system developed by official team partner DENSO. Those regulations limit hybrid systems to recovering a maximum of 500kJ between braking zones whilst restricting deployment to only two wheels.

A brand new carbon fibre LMP1 chassis has been developed and produced at TMG, where the complete car was assembled for the first time in preparation for a roll-out on 11-13 January at Paul Ricard.

During an exclusive test session at the French track, which included running in darkness, the TS030 HYBRID completed several hundred kilometres, showing an impressive level of reliability and performance for this very early stage in the car’s testing programme.

Alex Wurz and Nicolas Lapierre both put the TS030 HYBRID through its paces at Paul Ricard, joined by 30-year-old Japanese driver Hiroaki Ishiura, who is a candidate to join the driver line-up at races where Toyota Racing participates with two cars.

Official partners to the Toyota Racing programme include ZENT, Aisin, Nippon Steel, Takata, Toyoda Gosei and Michelin.

Gallery

Looking almost identical to its Toyota sibling, the BRZ lacks the visual drama of the BRZ STi concept, and is powered by the a 1,998cc “boxer” four-cylinder engine, presumably with same 197 bhp as the GT 86.

Further details will be released once the show gets underway, but we expect most of the differences between the two cars to be mainly aesthetic.

The typical Japanese performance car is turbocharged, usually four-wheel drive, has more dials and switches than the Space Shuttle and looks like a refugee from the local race track.

But Toyota is different and has pedigree is this area – most recently with the Lexus LFA supercar, but spiritually with the 1980s AE86 Corolla GT (also known as the Hachi-Roku).

The GT 86 is all about driving – not boasting

The Toyota GT 86 is designed to be a pure drivers car, a term which has become somewhat vague in recent years, but by Toyota’s definition means; rear-wheel drive, a front-engined naturally aspirated powerplant, narrow 17″ tyres and the lowest possible centre of gravity.

The GT 86 is the most eagerly awaited Toyota since the LFA, but unlike its supercar sibling the GT 86 must satisfy the wants and needs of a much broader range of customers.

Originally revealed towards the end of 2009 as the FT-86 concept, followed in 2011 by the mean-looking FT-86 II concept, some say the GT 86′s gestation period has been long, or at least it’s seemed that way. The truth is it took less than two years from FT-86 Concept reveal to the final GT 86 version.

(From L to R): 2009 FT-86 Concept, 2011 FT-86 Concept, 2012 GT 86 production model.

Developed in conjunction with Subaru, the GT 86′s 1,998cc four-cylinder ‘boxer’ engine generates 197bhp at 7,000rpm and maximum torque of 205Nm at 6,600rpm.

Even though they share the same engine block with its 86mm x 86mm cylinders (nice touch), Toyota has added its D-4S injection technology which features separate twin injectors for both direct and port injection, and a high 12.5:1 compression ratio, increasing power and torque across a wide range of engine speeds without sacrificing fuel efficiency and environmental performance.

From Toyota FT-86 Concept to GT 86.

The GT 86 measures 4,240mm long, 1,285mm high and 2,570mm wide, dimensions which make it the most compact four-seater sports car available on the market today.

Both the powertrain and the driving position have been set as low and as far back as possible to achieve the best balance: the car has a near-perfect 53:47 front-to-rear weight distribution. The flat-four engine format and the driver’s hip point – the lowest of any current Toyota production model – together, give the GT 86 an ultra-low centre of gravity of just 475mm.

Purity of driving experience

The powertrain is matched to what Toyota describes as “..the world’s most compact four-seat design” to create a car that benefits from light weight, low inertia and a low centre of gravity to achieve the best possible power-to-weight ratio. For the driver that means lively, accessible performance and a dynamic character with minimal intrusion from electronic systems. The suspension features MacPherson struts at the front and double wishbones at the rear.

In fact the term, “purity of driving experience” comes up frequently in Toyota’s press release, as does the engineers detailed scrutiny of every component, material and feature that influences the enjoyment of driving.

Take the steering wheel for example. With a 365mm diameter it is the smallest wheel ever fitted to a Toyota, and is trimmed in buckskin, developed from exhaustive feedback from test drivers on how to achieve the best steering performance and grip.

Or the dimensions of the GT 86 which are as compact as possible, offering just enough of a wheelbase to accommodate the car’s 2+2 seating arrangement. Then there’s the GT 86′s wheel and tyre combination, at just 17-inches in diameter the GT 86 bucks the trend for wide low-profile tyres with a relatively skinny tyre footprint (215/45 x 17), designed to make the GT 86 fun to steer (and slide) at road speeds.

On the matter of its drift-ability, the GT 86 comes fitted with a limited slip differential as standard, whilst the ABS and switchable vehicle stability control systems have been tuned specifically to deliver dynamic stability at the limit with minimal electronic intervention. Whether this makes the GT 86 a worthy successor to the original Hachi-Roku, we’ll have to wait and see, but the omens are looking good.

Interior and design touches

Inside, the ergonomics and function of every element the driver interacts with have been scrutinised to make driving the car as natural, instinctive and rewarding as possible.

The triple-unit instrument cluster is arranged around a large tachometer, its design benefiting from close attention to the positioning of the displays, markings and typeface intended to provide the best possible visibility and readability. The driver-focus of the cockpit is further reinforced by the carbon-effect trim, all-black roof lining, red stitching on the upholstery, aviation-style rocker switches and lightweight, aluminium pedals.

Outside the GT 86 is noticeable by a rear spoiler, twin exhausts and the “86″ piston logo that denotes the car’s special powertrain configuration.

There remain a couple of key questions concerning the GT 86, most notably whether 197 bhp and 1180 kg will feel exciting enough in an age when fast hatchbacks deliver more than 300 bhp.

Times have changed since the AE-86 Corolla GT, as have customer expectations, so have Toyota managed to produce a sports car with greater appeal than a Renault Megane Trophy or will Toyota be swiftly following up the launch version with a full-fat turbocharged Porsche Cayman competitor? We can’t wait to find out.

The Toyota GT 86 debuts at this week’s Tokyo Motor Show and will go on sale in the UK in June 2012.

Toyota’s sports car heritage

The GT 86 may be launched as the world’s only sports car to feature a front-mounted, horizontally opposed engine and rear-wheel drive, but it cannot claim to be the first. That honour is held by Toyota’s two-cylinder boxer-engined Sports 800, which the company began developing in 1962.

Since then, Toyota has established a long history of producing exciting, driver-focused sports cars with a front-engine, rear-wheel drive format that have proved as popular with the public as they have been successful in competition.

The 2000 GT, a coupe powered by a 2.0-litre straight-six engine, was first displayed at the 1965 Tokyo motor show and helped establish Toyota’s reputation as a sports car manufacturer.

Launched in 1971, the first Celica models featured rear-wheel drive powertrains and were praised by enthusiasts for their agility. All four Supra generations came with straight-six engines and rear-wheel drive, while from 1984 the MR2 won recognition as one of the best handling sports cars of its time.

A short history of Toyota Coupes – Source: lolron.

The inspiration for the GT 86, however, is the Corolla GT (or Levin) AE86, a car with an enduring reputation for delivering excitement and capturing the fundamental joy of driving.

Its front-engine, rear-wheel drive package, compact dimensions, light weight, impeccable balance and superior power-to-weight ratio made it a must-have choice for rallying and circuit driving throughout its production life (1983 – 1987), whilst since then it went on to become the car of choice for Japanese drift enthusiasts. Here in the UK the GT claimed two British Touring Car Championship titles and a series of top-level rally victories.

Toyota claim the GT 86 to be a genuinely lightweight machine, that offers the intimacy and involvement of a car that can be driven as though an extension of the driver’s body. In this way, it perfectly recaptures the exhilarating spirit of the AE86, and with numerous customisable parts, it shares its predecessor’s aim to be an affordable car that will evolve with its owner.

Images: Toyota and lolron

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As each new Hilux is launched, the task gets harder and harder to convey just how tough and indestructible it has become – but they’ve pulled out all the stops for this latest Hilux. The 2012 model has been given a comprehensive re-style from the A-pillar forwards, with a new bonnet, radiator grille, headlamps and bumper, plus new wheel designs and new side bars and steps for the top-of-the-range Hilux Invincible.

Interior materials have been improved, CO2 emissions have been reduced (194 g/km for 2.5-litre Double Cab) and of course Toyota reckon it’s even more unbreakable than ever. It will be on sale here in the UK from October, priced at £16,090 for the entry-level Single Cab HL2 4WD 2.5-litre.

So, how unbreakable is it now? Well, Toyota’s Australian, New Zealand and South African teams have kicked off their campaigns with the following ads. They’re good, but are they as good as our all-time favourite Toyota Hilux ad (“Bugger”)? – which up until now has reigned supreme.

Take a look below and let us know what you think. We’ve also included the original Top Gear episodes to remind you why the Hilux has such an enviable reputation.

Toyota Australia – ‘Unbreakable’

Toyota New Zealand – ‘Tougher Than You Can Imagine’

Toyota South Africa – ‘Toughness Rubs Off’

Toyota New Zealand – ‘Bugger’

Made as a follow up to the beloved Barry Crump/Lloyd Scott Toyota ads, “Bugger” follows a series of farming mishaps each provoke the laconic comment — “bugger”. The role of ‘Hercules’ the dog plus the performance of the hapless farmer made for one of New Zealand’s most iconic advertisements and a symbol of Kiwi pop culture.

The Advertising Standards Authority received 120 complaints about the ad, but subsequently ruled that it was not in breach of the advertising codes and was unlikely to cause serious offence. It was originally released in August 1999.

Killing a Toyota Top Gear – BBC

Jeremy Clarkson drives a Toyota Hilux around in the hope of disproving the manufacturer’s claims about its indestructibility. He crashes the Hilux into bits of Bristol and trees, parks it in the sea and then drives it through a shed and drops a caravan on it. His final act involved parking it on a tower block before it is raised to the ground by a demolition team. Did he manage to kill the Hilux? Nope. Eventually he concedes that it might, just might, actually be indestructible.

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As a reminder, the FT-86 II Concept is Toyota’s new compact sports car created as a fitting legacy to the legendary Toyota Corolla AE86 – Hachi-Roku (Japanese for “eight-six”) – which in the past 28 years has become an icon of the Japanese drift scene.

The front engine, rear-wheel drive FT-86 II combines a free-revving boxer petrol engine (developed in conjunction with Subaru) and 6-speed manual transmission with light weight and a low centre of gravity for the optimum power-to-weight ratio.

Both powertrain and driving position have been set as low and as far back as possible providing for exploitable dynamics and maximising driving pleasure.

The production version of the FT-86 II should appear sometime in 2012 along with Scion FR-S, which will be produced for North American markets.

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