It’s been seen by millions of viewers on television and the internet, it’s been run through the political wringer on the two sides of the aisle and it’s been parodied by the comedians at Saturday Night Live. And, according to YouTube, Chrysler’s “It’s Halftime in America” ad staring Clint Eastwood has been named the top Super Bowl car commercial of 2012.
For those keeping track of such things, Chrysler’s commercial has over 10.5 million views on YouTube, though we do feel the need to remind everyone that the video was unavailable for a few hours the morning after the Big Game, which we’d imagine is one of the highest traffic times for such advertisements.
The only other commercial from an automotive company that made YouTube’s top five Super Bowl commercials was “2012″ from General Motors – itself controversial due to Ford’s attempted cease-and-desist request before it aired on the worldwide stage.
The number one ad, you ask? That would be M&M’s “Just My Shell” commercial. Guess there really is no accounting for taste… we prefer our M&Ms to be green, just like everyone else. Feel free to watch Chrysler’s winning ad one more time after the break.
There are few things simultaneously more romantic and idiotic than taking a road trip in a beaten-down heap of a car. Trust us. We know. David Freiburger and Mike Finnegan of Hot Rod Magazine fame recently undertook an epic trip from El Paso, Texas to Los Angeles with the express goal of doing so for under $ 1,500, including the purchase price of a vehicle, food, lodging, repairs and, most importantly, fuel. With this in mind, the duo settled on a 1972 Pontiac Catalina for a lofty $ 650. Hilarity ensues.
Realizing that no one actually wants a Catalina sulking around the shop, Freiburger and Finnegan put the car up for auction on eBay Motors the instant they had the title in hand. By the time they rolled into Hot Rod HQ, the vehicle sold for a little over $ 500.
The video is part of a new series called Roadkill that should document similar adventures. Keep your eyes peeled for more calamity-soaked clips in the near future. In the meantime, hit the jump to check it out yourself.
The car in the image above may bear a striking resemblance to the 2013 Lexus GS, but take a second look – that’s actually the next-generation ES, despite its shockingly similar appearance. It’s no secret that Lexus’ new hourglass grille is quickly spreading across its entire model range (check out the recently unveiled 2013 LX 570 for reference), and while the ES looks fashionably familiar, there are a few new touches to note:
Underneath, the headlamps we can clearly see a row of LED running lights, similar to what’s found on the GS… and IS… and CT. Around back, there’s a similar resemblance to the larger GS, though the lines are a bit more sedate – a good thing, as the ES shopper tends to be a little more conservative than folks opting for the rear-wheel-drive GS. Chinese site Autohome got its hands on some interior photos, too, and – surprise, surprise – there’s a whole lot of GS in the reworked cabin as well, with a two-tiered dash featuring large navigation/infotainment screen up top.
The car Autohome caught is the ES 250 model, which suggests that Lexus’ 2.5-liter V6 is underhood – the same engine useable in the GS 250 in other markets. Here in the United States, the ES will still likely be useable with the automaker’s 3.5-liter V6, though earlier reports have suggested that a new hybrid model could also be in the cards.
