The mad men at Adweek recently voted for the Commercial of the Decade (Super Bowl commercials not included) and Honda took top honors over memorable ads from the last ten years by companies like Nike, Budweiser and Sony. That's not a big surprise considering Honda often puts a huge amount of effort into its on-air spots. However, the Japanese automaker didn't win for the commercial you might have expected: "Cog." Though Honda's famous commercial that breaks down a European Accord Tourer into a Rube Goldberg-esque machine was also a finalist, it was beaten by another Honda commercial called "Grrr" that's narrated by Garrison Keillor of all people. You've probably never seen it, but you can after the jump.

Volkswagen also made the list of finalists, but the particular ad chosen out of all the comical VW ads we've seen was unexpected as well. Most surprising carmaker with a commercial in the finals: Saturn. Who knew...

Just for fun we've put all 27 commercials after the break with the auto-related ones at the top, so you can enjoy the swear jar, the creepy-funky Philips clowns, a "rabbit panther thingy with turbines on ice," and the most sad-but-hilarious IKEA commercial we've ever seen. As a bonus we included the Gears of War commercial since we think it deserves a mention, and because it's almost the weekend and it doesn't always have to be about cars, does it? Follow the jump for the ad-fest.

[Source: Adweek]

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Toyota's pulled out of F1, but that doesn't mean the company has lost its will to win with cutting edge tech. Rumors suggest it's dusting off the underpinnings of the Hybrid Supra HV-R it used to win the Tokkachi 24-Hour race two years ago, and staring at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a glint in its eye.

The Supra HV-R used a 473-horsepower V8 that gets help from regenerative braking, a quick-charging capacitor, and three additional electric motors: two in the front wheels, one in the back of the car. Toyota would need to upgrade the tech, prep the car for the GT1 class, and test it, so a 2012 race entry is hypothesized were such a thing to happen.

As far as we're concerned, anything that could lead to bringing back a Supra -- even if only in race trim to begin with -- is all right with us. Especially one with 473 horses, gobs of torque and a date with the Mulsanne straight. Toyota, please do this...



[Source: Autocar]

The photo above, from Chrysler's press conference at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, is nothing but things that are no more. The gorgeous 200C EV has evaporated. The gentlemen on the podium, Jim Press and Tom LaSorda, have gone their various ways. And the background is arrayed with ENVI electric cars that are all (most likely) gone, as well as the division that created them. Everything swallowed by waves in Chrysler's Year of the Storm.

This year Chrysler is practically avoiding the hubbub entirely, in that it will have no press conference at next month's Detroit Auto Show. It won't be for lack of cars: they'll have items from all four brands, including some limited-edition models. Chrysler's head of marketing, Olivier Francois, said that after the big event last month to reveal the long-term plan, "We presented our plans and the next step is to present the cars."

Understandably, industry observers seem to think that it's a bad idea for Chrysler to go mum in Detroit. Chrysler's a private company and no outsider knows what the real situation is inside the castle walls. If Chrysler does go for the splash of a press conference, with no new models to show or even talk about they'll be ripe for charges of "All that's great talk now show us the cars!" That makes it sound like a case of being damned either way. But at least they'll be there, unlike Saab...

[Source: The Detroit News]

Prior to declaring bankruptcy, General Motors began delaying new products in an effort to conserve cash. The news was disappointing to enthusiasts and brand loyalists, but with its cash piles dwindling, the General didn't have many alternatives. Post-bankruptcy, GM finds itself with $40 billion in cash and a lot less overhead, so where is the money being spent? Automotive News reports that Vice Chairman Bob Lutz confirms that many of the products that were delayed are now being accelerated, adding "Once we got out of the bankruptcy and started having money available, we were able to pull a lot of our programs forward."

One example of the pull-forward is the next-generation Chevrolet Malibu. Early this Fall, GM told us that the next Malibu would arrive in 2012, but Lutz says that time frame has been pulled up to 2011. The next Malibu will reportedly be all-new with a platform based off of the Buick LaCrosse and 2011 Buick Regal. The new 'Bu will apparently have a shorter wheelbase than the current model while still managing more interior room.

Lutz told AN that the uplevel Malibu will have chrome appliques lining the side windows, a trait he says is associated with German and Japanese luxury vehicles. Lutz apparently added that $50 worth of chrome translates into an additional $500 to $600 in perceived value to customers. Beyond the Malibu, Lutz noted that there are "a bunch" of other vehicles being pulled forward to pre-bankruptcy production cadences, though he didn't offer any specific examples.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

GM COULD REPAY EVERY SINGLE PENNY

Even though General Motors surprised everyone when it announced it will repay its government loans by next June, a lot of people are still unhappy. What about the other $50 billion we poured into the company, they demand to know?

A lot of politicians and not a few Wall Street analysts say we may as well kiss that money goodbye. We'll never see it again, they promise.

But it's entirely possible, and even likely, that they are very much mistaken. Taxpayers are likely to get a lot of that money back. Indeed, the federal government could come out looking pretty good in this deal, just like it did when it bailed out Chrysler in the early 80s.

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John McElroy is host of the TV program "Autoline Detroit" and daily web video "Autoline Daily". Every week he brings his unique insights as an auto industry insider to Autoblog readers.
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Good news, the check is in the mail! General Motors issued a (very) brief press release this afternoon stating that the automaker had delivered on its promise to issue its first reimbursement checks to the U.S. and Canadian governments by the end of the year. GM sent $1 billion to the feds and $192 million to the Canadian government, and GM reiterated in the statement that it would complete payments totaling $6.7 billion (to the U.S. government) by June 2010.

Beyond the $6.7 billion GM owes the federal government is a 60 percent ownership stake Uncle Sam has on the 101-year-old automaker. When the General releases an initial public offering the resulting stock sale will (supposedly) buy the government out. Experts feel the IPO could happen as early as the second half of 2010. Hit the jump to read over the General's succinct press release.

[Source: GM | Image: Bill Pugliano/Getty]

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Rally fans often stand at a corner or in the middle of a straight away, sometimes for hours, just to get a glimpse of their favorite car. If you're lucky, you get a prime spot at a sharp turn or abrupt elevation that leads to airborne cars. Lucky for us, the Internets exist so that the best moments of these races are captured for our enjoyment.

Over eight minutes of high-revving Porsche GT3 rally cars await you after the jump. Just about every shot is a keeper and the intense (and vivid) screams of the hopped up boxer engines is more than enough reason to spend a few minutes of your time watching the footage after the jump. Besides, you'll want to remember what it is to actually drive a car before heading out of the office and into rush-hour gridlock, right?

[Source: YouTube via 0-60]

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What does the future have in store for BMW's high-performance M division? For starters, lots and lots of power, along with a smattering of light weight and plenty of cutting-edge technology. This all sounds familiar, but the rumored details coming out of Bimmerfile suggest that the 2011 BMW M5 would be nothing short of revolutionary.

Not surprisingly, we're told to expect a version of the twin-turbo V8 that currently powers the M division's hi-po X5 and X6 tallboys with somewhere around 570 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque. On top of those prodigious figures may very well be a Kenetic Energy Recovery hybrid setup to recapture wasted energy from braking. The stored power would be used to send an extra shot of power via an electric motor contained in the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The KERS power boost reportedly would be controlled by the driver with a Formula 1-style button on the steering wheel.

Further performance would be found by putting the next-gen 5 Series on a diet consisting of a chassis wrought completely in aluminum with carbon fiber used in various body panels and optionally on the roof. We look forward to finding out just how much of this rumormill material turns out to be accurate, and we'll know for sure in early 2011 when the next M5 is slated for introduction.

[Source: Bimmerfile]

A Citroën commercial without robots or an NRJ radio station soundtrack? We might have thought it impossible, but here it is. Promoting the new C3 hatchbach and its zenith windscreen meant to give you all kinds of panoramic views, the kids take this car on a joyride unlike any you're likely to see outside of a Top Gear episode.

Follow the jump for more information on the C3 and to see the swingin' commercial along with a special "making of" video.

[Source: Citroën via YouTube]

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