As someone who happened to have grown up in snowy climes of the Great Lakes States for the first 25 years of life, this author knows exactly how nasty it can be in the morning to walk out of your nice, toasty house on a cold and blustery winter day. It's even worse when you need to drive somewhere and your car is covered in a hard-as-rock coating of ice and snow.

Having since moved to the sunny state of Arizona, however, dealing with the scenario particular situation isn't on this blogger's agenda any time soon.

That said, it is in the forecast for many Autoblog readers, and so we've decided to dig up this oldie-but-a-goody Statoil commercial to get you in the mood. Click past the break to watch the video and check out veryfunnyads.com for more gut-busting ads from around the world.

[Source: veryfunnyads.com]

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Anyone who follows motorcycling would likely tell you that BMW's R 1200 GS sets the standard when it comes to building a proper adventure touring motorcycle – and with good reason. As we found out when we threw a leg over the 2009 edition, BMW's big air-cooled mule can pretty much go anywhere the rider points it, and it'll tackle gnarly off-road conditions with just as much aplomb as it attacks paved back roads and long stretches of superslab.

Still, nothing is perfect (we actually sorta prefer the little brother F 800 GS off the road), and BMW saw fit to update its best-seller for the 2010 model year with a revised boxer engine that now sports dual-overhead cams. That's a major modification and it allowed BMW to locate five-percent more horsepower than the previous mill. Those 110 galloping ponies join 88 lb-ft of torque that BMW says is spread more evenly throughout the rev range than before. We'll take it – more power is always a good thing, right?

As you'd expect, there's also an upgraded R 1200 GS Adventure model for those who truly need the most capable bike they can get their grubby mitts on. Updates over the standard model include spoked (not cast) wheels, greater suspension travel and a monster 8.7-gallon fuel tank. See both new models in all their glory in our image galleries below.




[Source: BMW]

Can a Hummer be green? The brand that most obviously represents American excess in the minds of environmentalists – though Hummer's vehicles aren't actually worse than any other large SUV – has seemingly been fighting off its negative stigma since shortly after the introduction of the larger-than-life H2. Part of the brand's hopeful transformation includes giving each model a flex-fuel variant, and the latest application of that principle is seen on the 2010 H3 and H3T.

Interestingly, the engine that gets the E85 capability is the largest and most powerful option: the 5.3-liter V8 as fitted to the top-level Alpha series – not the slightly more fuel efficient inline-five. In any case, anyone who ticks the V8 box on the options list will be blessed with 300 horsepower, 320 lb-ft of torque and the ability to pump ethanol into the tank if he or she should so desire.

Not green enough for you? Baby steps, people... Hummer CEO James Taylor (no, not that James Taylor) promises bigger eco steps in the near future, saying, "This is just the first step in Hummer's evolution to offer responsible, yet highly capable all-terrain vehicles. Future models will be lighter, more efficient and will continue to offer the best blend of off-road capability and on-road performance."

In related news, the 2010 Hummer H3 and H3T will be offered with three new premium exterior colors for 2010: Red Rock Metallic, Silver Stone Metallic, and Canyon Metallic. Huh, no green? Each of the three new hues can be seen in our photo gallery below, and you can view the official press release after the jump. Enjoy!



[Source: Hummer]

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Sometimes it's hard to remember what you did just yesterday, but think back to 2003 when Kia first introduced the Sorento mid-size SUV. At the time, the market was dominated by body-on-frame vehicles with real honest-to-goodness four-wheel-drive systems and rugged part-time transfer cases. The times, they are a changin'. Releasing a brand-new body-on-frame SUV into the marketplace these days, regardless of how good it may be – see Kia Borrego – is like bringing a sledgehammer to a knife fight.

Kia was able to hit the mark back in 2003 with its full-frame Sorento on account of clever marketing and a very attractive base price. That's just not good enough any longer. The Sport Utility Vehicle has officially handed the reins over to the Crossover, and Kia was left without a player in this newly-defined and ridiculously popular segment. Until now, that is. There will be no 2010 Sorento. As if to mark the death of the old vehicle and its rebirth into something completely different, Kia decided to completely skip the 2010 model year, and we're expecting good things from the 2011 Sorento after having been suitably impressed by Kia's two most recent vehicle launches, the Soul and Forte.

By now you've likely seen pictures of the new Sorento, and it looks good. But it takes much more than a pretty face to win over legions of CUV buyers with so many credible options to choose from. So, the big question is whether or not Kia has hit the mid-size crossover target square in the center with the latest version of its shapely 'ute, or if this particular arrow falls short of its intended trajectory. Keep reading to find out where the Sorento lands.



Photos copyright ©2009 Jeremy Korzeniewski / Weblogs, Inc.

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Nissan has electricity on the brain. The Japanese automaker is readying its opening salvo in the alternative propulsion wars in the form of its electric Leaf compact hatchback. Carlos Ghosn, though, announced at the Tokyo Motor Show that there would be plenty more to come, including an unnamed Infiniti model, something like the unique leaning Land Glider concept and an electric version of the NV200 light commercial van that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show.

Naturally, there needs to be some sort of differentiation between the standard-fare NV200 and its battery-powered sibling, and Nissan has just released the first official sketch of that new electric commercial vehicle. As you can see from the above image, the vehicle will take plenty of inspiration from the Leaf, including its steeply-raked windshield, flowing headlamps, front-located plug receptacle and general bottom-feeder shape.

No real details besides the sketch have so far been provided, but you're more than welcome to click past the break to read the sparsely-worded press release.

[Source: Nissan]

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Right on schedule, Mavizen has released its TTX02 electric motorcycle at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Well, if you listen to Azhar Hussain, TTXGP founder and the entrepreneur behind this racebike, the TTX02 is a "laptop on wheels." How so? For starters, each machine is fitted with an dash-mounted computer that runs on Linux, comes with its own dedicated IP address, on-board web server and connectivity to wireless networks.

While all of that consumer electronics gadgetry is cool, it's the platform of the TTX02 that interests us the most. As previously rumored, the TTX02 is definitely based on the chassis of KTM's highly acclaimed RC8 superbike, which means it's a proven platform that's capable of solid handling and high speeds... good thing, as the TTX02 is said to be capable of hitting 130 miles per hour.

Twin Agni 95 electric motors push out a total of nearly 100 peak horsepower along with what's surely an admirable torque figure that peaks right off the bat at just about zero RPM. Three lithium ion battery packs will be made available with up to 11 kWh of power, which is reportedly capable of tackling all 38 miles of the TTXGP Isle of Man course. Pricing is not yet announced, but Hussain suggests a competitive machine can be had for around $40,000. Hit the jump to watch a couple videos of the bike's launch at SEMA.

[Source: Asphalt & Rubber]

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This year's iteration of the annual Design Challenge at the LA Auto Show asks the question: How will a new generation of drivers age 16-23, raised with cell phones, web cams and online communities, emotionally connect to the automobile in 2030? We don't know the answer either, but at least six designers from some of the world's top automakers decided to give it a go with their own ideas.

First up are the eSpira and eOra from Audi, which are controlled by thought and by the minutest adjustments to the pilot's body. Next we have the General Motors Car Hero... yes, the name is borrowed from the popular Guitar Hero line of games and the car, as you might imagine, "turns driving into gaming." What happens when the inevitable "Game Over" comes at the end? Moving along, we come to the Honda Helix, a shape-shifting vehicle that borrows actual DNA from its owner. Yuck, we don't want to be a car, we want to drive a car.

Which brings us to the Mazda Souga, easily our favorite out of this crop of concepts. Mazda's vision for the future would have each owner design his own car for the low price of $2,000 while paying an additional monthly usage fee that also covers the price of electricity to power the Souga.

Nissan's vision for the future includes cars that get their power from an electrically-charged roadway called the GRID, and the vowel-challenged V2G UNLMTD is quickly hacked into an OFF-GRID transportation device by the next breed of young hackers. Lastly, we have the Toyota Link. According to Toyota, future college students will have nearly no income and will rely on mass transit vehicles like the Link that allow them to interact via their various social networks on their daily commutes. Sounds boring to us, but what do we know?

Be sure to check out all six designs in the gallery below and let us know your favorites in the comments.



[Source: LA Design Challenge]

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Much has been made of Chrysler's apparent lack of new products for the 2010 model year. Suffice it to say, while there are big things in store for Chrysler, they will take at least another year to get into production. For instance, while removing the unsightly strakes from the hood of the unloved Sebring sedan and convertible is a nice gesture, it's not nearly far enough to make the car suddenly competitive with its chief rivals in the ultra competitive mid-size sedan arena.

Not entirely surprisingly then, Chrysler is trying its best to add a few reasons to purchase its current models before the major changes happen in the next few years. Each of Chrysler's current nameplates – 300, Town and Country, Sebring and PT Cruiser – get Special Editions that will hit the market in the first quarter of 2010.

First, the 300 is slated to get a complete redesign later on in 2010, probably as a 2011 model vehicle. Regardless, the current 300 will get a Sport Edition that's targeted at the youth market before the reboot button is officially pressed. The Town and Country gets a Fashion Edition and the Sebring gets an Ocean Edition (we have no idea what that means).

Lastly, the long-in-the-tooth PT Cruiser gets a Final Edition (finally final? Promise?) and the nameplate is not scheduled to live on past the 2010 model year. So, if you want one... better hit your local dealer post haste. As a parting note, Chrysler never actually mentioned it, but take a good look at the new Chrysler 300 brochure at the top right of the image above – that doesn't look like the current 300 grille, does it? Hint, hint.

Listening to Chrysler's long and rambling 2010-2014 Business Plan, it was clear that the company and its dealerships are very much looking forward to finally getting the Fiat 500 in North America. Much like what happened when BMW launched the Mini brand eight-odd years ago, it's hoped that the cute little 500 will attract a whole new customer to the Chrysler fold.

In order to properly court those new wallets buyers, Chrysler plans to open "specific interior showroom branded salons" in select dealerships, mostly in metropolitan areas. A dedicated set of salespeople will be assigned to sell the Fiat 500 in the States... ya know, since they otherwise wouldn't know how to sell the important car to American consumers.

There will also be a full line of accessories made available to customize the new car, which we would expect will include unique color and stripe packages both inside and out along with a slew of optional wheel designs. Whatever, make ours an Abarth and we're good. Expect all of this to take place before the end of 2010 as the Fiat 500 finally starts to show up in those selected dealerships.

It comes as little surprise that Jeep is looking beyond its current Patriot and Compass models, which have, to put it mildly, underperformed in the burgeoning compact CUV market. While the two concepts had lots of potential, the actual production ComPatriot twins were deemed uncompetitive with class leaders right when they were launched.

As such, the two models are both destined to meet their makers after the 2012 model, to be replaced by a single model sourced from Fiat. Can you say Panda (the image above is just a possible rendering, not a production car)? It's also worth noting that the iconic Wranger will get mild makeovers for both the 2010 and 2011 model years along with what seems likely to be a special 70th Anniversary Wranger for 2011.

Across the line, all Jeeps will reportedly come with an optional Trail Rated package, which means no more on-road only models like the Compass are likely to dilute the Jeep brand. That edict includes the new Grand Cherokee, and Jeep says the Trail Rated Grand Cherokee has already successfully tackled the legendary Rubicon Trail and Moab.