BMW X3 Buyers will be able to see their Vehicles Being Built through an Online Video Portal

BMW wants to turn an ordinary sale into an emotional experience that drives brand loyalty and retention by offerings U.S. buyers of the 2011MY X3 a unique access to the creation of their crossover through an online video portal that will show them footage of their customized X3 being produced at the company’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

“Customization is essential to the new BMW X3. With more than 10 million distinct configurations available, we wanted to get customers excited about the birth of their unique vehicle,” said Trudy Hardy, Manager, BMW Marketing Communications and Consumer Events, BMW of North America. “This production footage of the BMW X3 vehicles from our Spartanburg plant enhances the overall customer experience that is part of the BMW brand.”

BMW makes use of a total of seven cameras which track the X3 through the various stages of final assembly. The company added that the videos do not have an expiration date and can also be downloaded and shared.

To watch or download the footage, customers will have to create a My BMW account on bmwusa.com website and entering their X3 order number or VIN. The BMW X3 Customer Video Portal program kicks off today, January 20th.

Audi Presents High-Tech Auto Union Type C e-tron Toy Car Study with All-Electric Drive

At this year’s International Toy Fair in Nuremberg (February 3-8), Audi will showcase a selection of model cars and other products, including the Auto Union Type C e-tron, a concept study with a fully-electric drive based on the firm's limited edition pedal car, which is sold through is quattro GmbH subsidiary.

The one-of-a-kind Auto Union Type C e-tron boasts a hand-finished body made of aluminum and carbon-look material. Measuring 2.32 meters (91.34 inches) in length and 97 centimeters (38.2 inches) in width, the 1:2 scale model is suitable for children as well as adults up to 1.8 meters (5’11”) tall.

The high-tech toy car is powered by an electric motor delivering 1.5HP (1.12kW) and up to 60 Nm (44.25 lb-ft) of torque, fed by a lithium-ion battery. Power is sent to the rear wheels and the study is also equipped with a reverse gear.

The top speed is a very respectable 30 km/h (18.64 mph) and, depending on the driving style, the electrified Type C can travel as far as 25 kilometers (15.53 miles). Charging takes about two hours at most, using any standard 230-volt household socket.

Audi did not say if it has any plans to introduce a production model of the study in the future.

VIDEO: New Aston Martin Rapide Promo Films [Part 2]

As promised, Aston Martin released the second part of a new promotional series of films featuring the Rapide sports saloon. Called “True Power Should Be Shared”, it’s a more of an action-packed sequel, showing longer driving scenes and a spectacular fight sequence, as the story gets more substance. Still, this is no James Bond movie, although seeing and hearing the British four-door coupe kind of makes up for the lack of originality. Video available after the jump.

Mercedes-Benz USA Ranked 15th on Fortune's Best Places to Work

In its second year as an entrant, Mercedes-Benz USA landed in 15th place on Fortune magazine's latest list of the top 100 companies to work for. Last year, the German automaker's U.S. division was ranked No. 49. According to the magazine, among other perks, the sales and marketing arm of MB USA enjoy flexible work schedules, compressed workweeks, and a generous telecommuting policy, along with a gym with two personal trainers and an on-site car wash.

"While each milestone is impactful, this particular one is especially rewarding because it is based on employee feedback; the company forged ahead as a unified team to emerge from the current economic crisis into a leadership role," stated Ernst Lieb, President and CEO, MBUSA. "It's a reflection of what it is like to work at MBUSA - a community where associates feel a sense of belonging and kinship, literally embodying the slogan 'the best or nothing.' "

Mercedes-Benz USA was the only automaker to make it into the Top 100 this year, however find one more car-related company on the list, used-car retailer CarMax which ranked 81st.

For the record, the best five companies to work for are: 1. SAS (software firm), 2. Boston Consulting Group, 3. Wegmans Food Markets, 4. Google, and 5. NetApp (data-storage company). You can check the full list in detail by following the link below.

Link: Fortune

FALL: Truck Clearing Snow Devoured by Parking Deck

With all the snow we've been getting lately here on the East Coast (and not only), mishaps are bound to happen. This time, a maintenance truck was caught on tape as it fell through a parking deck while clearing snow from the top level in northwest Georgia. Luckily no one was injured during the incident. Watch the video clip after the break.

Mercedes-Benz Blackbird Design Study all Tron-ed Out

Designers look for inspiration and ideas in a multitude of places. In animals, nature, history, the things around them, even in the sky or the sea. Sometimes we can see it, sometimes we don't. In this case, it's quite obvious what inspired Peter Vardai to design the Mercedes-Benz Blackbird concept study; and yes, we're talking about Disney's science fiction film, Tron: Legacy. Unfortunately, there's not much else we know about the study, but feel free to browse the rest of the photos in our gallery after the jump.

Source: Peter Vardai via Yanko

Sweet: GM Replaces Man's Malibu After Surviving Horrific Crash with Sugar-Filled Trailer

Marc Keinath is a very lucky man. Not only did he survive a horrific crash in his 2004 Malibu, but he also received a brand new replacement, courtesy of General Motors. Earlier this week, Mr. Keinath was driving along Interstate 75 in Genesee County, Michigan, when he was caught off-guard by a patch of black ice and spun out of control. While he eventually regained control of the car, unfortunately, a tractor-trailer hauling 20 tons of sugar smashed into the rear of the Malibu and then fell on top of it.

"As parts of the roof of the Malibu began to yield under the tremendous weight of the trailer, Keinath fully reclined his seat to give him more room inside, reached for his cell phone and dialed 911," said GM in a statement. Miraculously, the Malibu withstood the immense pressure and Mr. Keinath was able to walk away with no serious injuries.

“This is an incredible story of survival that shows you just never know what’s going to happen on the road”, said Rick Scheidt, executive director at Chevrolet. “When you look at Marc’s Malibu, you would never expect anyone would ever walk away from it”.

“It’s been a heck of a week for me”, said Keinath. “I want to thank God for giving me a second chance at life, the firefighters and first responders who helped me, and Chevy for making a car that can hold a semi”.

FAIL: Roundabout Mayhem in Germany [Video]

A couple of months ago, our Australian contributor Tristan posted an article on America's resistance to roundabouts and how a significant percentage of drivers fail to understand them. And while drivers in other countries generally seem more receptive to roundabouts, that doesn't mean that they also understand them, as this video from Germany (according to the Youtube user) proves. Enjoy some laughs in the video after the jump.

VIDEO: Icy Road Causes Multiple Car Crashes in Pittsburgh

Icy conditions caused havoc on a road in Squirrel Hill, a residential neighborhood in the east end of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This video caught half a dozen or so cars sliding and crashing into parked vehicles as well as into each other, the most impressive being what looks like a previous generation Hyundai Sonata (we could be wrong though) that went flying down the hill. Watch the clip after the break.

VIDEO: Ducati Moto GP Riders Race Against Ferrari F1 Stars on Ice

While promoting Jeep products must have been a boring chore for Ferrari’s F1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, we’re pretty sure they had a good time competing against Ducati Moto GP’s Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden in a series of races held on ice. Vehicles of choice were the ever entertaining karts and some sweet looking Fiat 500s. Highlights in the video after the break.

Citroen's Real Life Playstation GT Concept Car Hits London Streets

The GT by Citroen, a concept supercar that bridges the gap between reality and fantasy as it was initially created for the virtual world of Sony's Gran Turismo 5 racing game, took to the streets of central London on Tuesday, June 23. In its first appearance in Britain, the 5-meter long GT prototype recreated part of the 'street circuit' featured in the Gran Turismo driving game sweeping through the Piccadilly circus, Regent Street, the Trafalgar Square and down the Mall past Buckingham Palace.

The curvaceous GT that could eventually enter a limited run production after the positive feedback from the public at last year's Paris motorshow, will be making its UK show debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (3-5 July) and will climb the famous 1.16-mile Goodwood Hill as part of the Sunday Times Supercar Run.

Transformers Parade in China: Bumblebee Fans Gather in Beijing

It looks like it's going to be the year of the Bumblebee in China. The soon-to-be released Transformers 2 movie 'Revenge of the Fallen' inspired Chinese fans that took to the streets of Beijing over the weekend with a parade of Bumblebee flavored cars of various sorts and types including a VW Santana, a Citroen C4, a Ford Focus and many Chevy Aveo and Cruze models. The somewhat comical parade of random yellow cars with black-stripes was led of course by a 2010 Camaro SS. Follow the jump to check out the pictures.

Source: Autohome , Via: Jalopnik