The E28 is one of our favorite BMW sedans, from a period when Bimmer could do no wrong. We're not sure what happened, but a new 5-series doesn't quite stir us in the same way, despite more power than the M30 inline-six found in the 535i above.

Here's the description from the LA-based seller:

I'm selling a 4 door, 1987 BMW 535 i series that was just in the recent Audi commercial shown during the super bowl. The car was racing through the streets, then jumped through a billboard ad, if you remember the commercial. The car landed on a pile of open boxes to cushion the land absolutely no damage done. The paint job is new, tires. Great great shape. Drives good except I think it may need a tranny someday??? and It didn't pass smog, i think it might be a loose hose or something.. great to drive. looks new! 155,000 miles.

Let's run through the checklist here. Doesn't pass smog check? CHECK. Used as a stunt car? CHECK. Driven through a billboard? CHECK! IF you were in the market for one it could be a special one to get but, for $2,000, you could probably get a more reliable version. Anyone still "WANT" the Bimmer? Thanks to WC for the tip!

[LA Craigslist]

The new advertisement for the new Pepsi can featured Bob Dylan as the old generation and Will.I.Am as the new generation of artists shilling for Pepsi. During the commercial old became new and, following this theme, a Dodge A100 forward-control van became the 2009 Nissan Cube. Curious how this happened, we contacted Nissan PR to get the full details.

According to Nissan, they were contacted by Pepsi a few weeks ago because they felt the vehicle was a nice modern "refresh" of the boxier A100 van and would work well in a commercial they were shooting. Nissan happily obliged, providing the vehicle for the shoot. Other than the nominal costs associated with delivering a vehicle, Nissan didn't provide a payment for the ad placement (we can't confirm some Crystal Pepsi wasn't exchanged).

Despite having four of the Top 11 Super Bowl car commercials of all time, Nissan didn't buy any ads this year. Overall, the ad was offensive to anyone who likes Bob Dylan. This plus the Victoria's Secret ad makes the senior Dylan a bigger sellout than Jakob Dylan.

Overall, the essentially free placement of their new vehicle in an ad about what's new and cool during the freaking Super Bowl is a big win for Nissan.

Audi: Chase

Castrol Edge: "Grease Monkeys"

GoDaddy.com: "Enhanced"

Fast And Furious: "Trailer"

Toyota Tundra: "Killer Heat"

Toyota Venza: "Faces"

Bridgestone: "Taters"

Bridgestone: "Hot Item"

NBC: Jay Leno "10"

Hyundai: "Assurance"

Cars.com: "David Abernathy"

GoDaddy.com: "Shower"

Hyundai: "Angry Bosses"

G.I. Joe Rise Of Cobra: "Trailer"

Transformers 2: "Trailer"

1970s: Mercedes Benz 280SE 4.5 v. Lincoln Mark V	1980s: BMW 5-Series v. Pontiac Trans Am
1990s: Lexus ES v. GMC Suburban	2000s: Audi S6 v. Buell Ulysses

This was certainly the direct-from-an-automaker ad with the highest production costs of Super Bowl XLIII, bringing out a popular action star and spending most of the time focusing on other luxury brands. Of course, they crashed a Lincoln into a Mercedes, threw a Bimmer through a billboard, scoffed at a Lexus ES (our favorite part) and then outrun some bikes in a "supercharged A6" before going... somewhere. The story is never fully explained but, honestly, isn't really the point. Enjoy.

[Source: Hulu, Audi]

Look out for the Audi R8 amid the explosions, sinking aircraft carriers and Megan Fox's purty face. Check out our Super Bowl Ad Watch tag for all the rest of tonight's big car commercials. UPDATE: Screen shots from the HD version of the trailer below!

Why? Because it’s backed up with motorcycle-mounted chain guns, the international sign of surrender — the Eiffel Tower — being destroyed and plenty of explosions. GI Joe: Rise of Cobra might just do the franchise good service.

Want to see the rest of the big game’s big commercials? Hit our Super Bowl Ad Watch tag.

Don’t worry, the Buick Grand National is still present, along with Vin Diesel and plenty of explosions. We’re guessing they added the babe-on-babe to tie up the prepubescent audience even better.

Hit our Super Bowl Ad Watch tag page for the rest of tonight’s big commercials from the big game!

From what we can see from the video, and previews we've seen, the spot shows Jason Statham running away from someone through the 70s, 80s and 90s until arriving in the Audi in the present. It's basically saying "Yeah, these other German guys were cool once, but we're what's happening now." The longer spot will probably flesh out the story so we'll withhold the full "Super Bowl Ad Watch" judgment until it runs or we get a full spot. In the meantime, the video is below:

Being the experts on Super Bowl car commercials, we can do things like bring you the ads before they even air as part of our Super Bowl Ad Watch. Below we have the five advertisements Hyundai will show during and before the big game. Three of the ads will run during pre-show, also sponsored by Hyundai, and "Bosses" and "Contract" will run during the second and third quarters. Our perspective on these new advertisements below.

5.) Contract

Title: Contract
Grade: C
Message: Hyundai has your back if you lose your job or income.
Our Take: For people who are freaked out about the economy the message may hit home, but it's just so boring.

4.) Commitment

Title: Commitment
Grade: C+
Message: If you're willing to commit to Hyundai, they're willing to commit to you.
Our Take: The 'commitment isn't scary' approach of this commercial for the Hyundai Assurance program works better than the "Contract" commercial because it implies we're all in the economic mess together. Still, it's rather boring.

3.) Columns

Title: Columns
Grade: B
Message: The Hyundai Genesis won the 2009 North American Car Of The Year, something the automaker is obviously proud of as evidenced by the bragging.
Our Take: The commercial is good and, given Hyundai can afford multiple Super Bowl spots, there's nothing wrong with a little boastfullness. What really sells it, though, is the clip of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe.

2.) Angry Bosses

Grade: B+
Message: By winning the 2009 North American Car Of The Year award we've put BMW and Lexus on notice.
Our Take: Because everyone may not be cool with the idea of buying Korean while the American economy is hurting, Hyundai is smart enough to take aim at the Germans and the Japanese. The portrayals of the two "axis powers" is a bit over the top, but it makes the ad work.

1.) Epic Lap

Title: Epic Lap
Grade: A-
Message: You want the Genesis Coupe so badly you'll go to EditYourOwn.com and re-edit your own commercial, which isn't up yet.
Our Take: Yeooooowww! Much like the 2010 Hyundai Genesis reveal, this car is all about power slides and burnouts. What does Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins have to do with driving an epic lap? We have no idea. But we give the 1990s alternarock icon credit for mixing together a sweet commercial.

11.) "HI"

Vehicle: Plymouth Neon
Year: Super Bowl XXVIII (1994)
Why It Rocks: There's rarely been so large, dramatic and expensive a build up to an ultimately tiny, uninspiring and cheap car. Chrysler flooded the air with these commercials in the build up to the car's reveal, building excitement which quickly failed when people actually drove one.

10.) That's My Spot

Vehicle: Cadillac Escalade EXT
Year: Super Bowl XL (2006)
Why It Rocks: It wasn't exactly clear why someone would need a luxury SUV capable of turning into a luxury truck until they saw this commercial. While parking another car in your trunk isn't something you're likely to experience every day it's clearly pretty awesome.

9.) Top Gun Pigeon Spoof

Vehicle: Nissan Maxima
Year: Super Bowl XXXI (1997)
Why It Rocks: Nissan is truly the master of the Super Bowl TV spot and the "Pigeons" spoof is a great example of the company putting out simple, hilarious and compelling narrative spots. The concept is completely relatable, the animation is hilarious and it makes the Maxima look great.

8.) Suicidal Robot Dream

Vehicle: Cadillac/GM
Year: Super Bowl (2007)
Why It Rocks: The concept of an assembly robot being thrown out by GM, forced into a meaningless existence and eventually committing suicide, even in a dream, is fairly bleak. This is especially troublesome given how many people GM would soon layoff. Still, the ad generated a lot of controversy and free advertising for the company.

7.) Nissan's Hottest Hardbodies

Vehicle: Nissan Hardbody Truck
Year: Super Bowl XX (1986)
Why It Rocks: When you've got a truck called the "hardbody" there's not a lot you need to do to be suggestive. This didn't stop Nissan from making an eyebrow-raising Village People ad. Look at the shot they use when they say "biggest cargo box" and try not to giggle.

6.) Turned On By Your Caddy

Vehicle: Cadillac CTS
Year: Super Bowl XLII (2008)
Why It Rocks: In an advertisement now part of our cultural history, Kate Walsh asks viewers if their car gets them all hot and bothered. Her voice is so deep it almost becomes androgynous but, we suspect, some may like it all the better.

5.) Raised By Wolves

Vehicle: Honda Pilot
Year: Super Bowl XXXVIII (2004)
Why It Rocks: Most car ads are about the car and not the driver, which makes this commercial for the Honda Pilot stand out. Rather than merely showing their car in the woods, they showed a driver who belonged in a woods. Actor Scott Adsit pulls off the benign wolf man perfectly. Hornberger!

4.) Turbocharged Dream

Vehicle: Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo
Year: Super Bowl XXIV (1991)
Why It Rocks: Directed by Ridley Scott, this commercial is almost as good as Blade Runner and arguably better than Gladiator. The camera work, the voice over and the concept all stand the test of time, though the video was only aired once.

3.) Big Day

Vehicle: Volkswagen Jetta VR6
Year: Super Bowl XXXV (2001)
Why It Rocks: Perhaps the most beautiful Super Bowl car advertisement ever, the commercial builds the excitement without saying a word. If there's one thing that works better than the dramatic song, it's the dramatic twist at the end.

2.) Truth In Engineering

Vehicle: Audi R8
Year: Super Bowl XLII (2008)
Why It Rocks: Audi decides to take out the competition in an ad spoofing the decapitated horse scene in The Godfather. The commercial caused quite a stir. But that's to be expected with an advertisement so exceedingly clever.

1.) Toys

Vehicle: Nissan 300ZX Turbo
Year: Super Bowl XXIX (1995)
Why It Rocks: This ad, depicting a G.I. Joe-esque character picking up a Barbie-esque character, was so good Mattel sued to take it off the air. The score's a cover of The Kinks' "You Really Got Me" by Van Halen and the stop-motion animation is perfect. It's not only the best car commercial to ever air during the Super Bowl, it's one of the best car commercials ever. Period.

We'll obviously be covering all the ads this upcoming weekend, so remember to bookmark the Super Bowl Ad Watch tag to watch our big game car commercials as they happen.

[For video of nearly every Super Bowl ad ever check out Commercial-Archive.com]

Despite our high hopes, we won't get to see Cars.com's Kicking Tires blog editor Dave Thomas fighting Glondor in a stone circle death match. No, instead, we're treated to an ad officially named "Lifetime of Confidence." The commercial follows the curious tale of David Abernathy, an exceptionally bright young lad who it turns out, is scared of buying a new car. Luckily he's got Cars.com to help him out.

The ad's not what you'd call funny. In fact, it's probably going to bore those of us in the beer-swillin' set to tears, but our significant others are going to probably think it's "cute." Which, if you think about it, makes sense. With the Carpocalypse-tainted economy, an ad focused on women probably will work better on a dollars-and-cents basis, especially considering distaff Americans make most car-purchasing decisions. Bravo to you Cars.com, for making a crappy ad that probably makes a whole lot of business sense.

[via Kicking Tires]

Cars.com Set to Kick Off 2009 Marketing Campaign With New Super Bowl Spot

CHICAGO — Nov. 10, 2008 — Cars.com, a leading online automotive shopping destination, today announced plans to kick off its 2009 marketing campaign by once again advertising during the Super Bowl. This is the second year that Cars.com will advertise in the Big Game. Super Bowl XLIII will air on NBC on February 1, 2009.

“We made significant strides in moving our brand forward through our Super Bowl ads and our overall marketing campaign in 2008,” said Mitch Golub, president of Cars.com. “We want to keep that momentum moving forward in 2009, and advertising on the Super Bowl - which was seen by a record 97.5 million viewers - gives Cars.com a way to kick off that campaign in a big way."

Cars.com will have one 60-second commercial that will air during the second quarter. The spot will feature a new twist on its successful 2008 “Confidence Comes Standard” campaign. The campaign features car shoppers who are confident in their new car purchase because of the preparation they did on Cars.com. Their preparation keeps them from resorting to an outrageous “Plan B” scenario they initially thought they would need to get the deal they wanted from the dealer.

The Cars.com 2009 plan will be a national, integrated media campaign that will run throughout the year and will be backed by the local promotional power of Cars.com's affiliate network, which includes hundreds of leading newspapers, TV stations and their websites.

Since Cars.com launched its first national media campaign in May 2004, the company has continued to set records in the number of monthly unique visitors to the site. Today, more than 10 million people visit Cars.com each month.

"Cars.com’s media campaigns have always been about reaching high-quality, ready-to-buy customers and delivering them, ultimately, to our dealer partners," Golub said. “As we roll out our national media campaign for 2009, we will continue to drive recognition of the Cars.com brand and further establish the site as a leading car shopping destination so, as consumers begin looking for a new car, Cars.com is top of mind.”
About Cars.com
Cars.com is the leading destination for online car shoppers, offering credible, easy-to-understand information from consumers and experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where to buy and how much to pay for a car. With comprehensive pricing information, side-by-side comparison tools, photo galleries, videos, unbiased editorial content and a large selection of new- and used-car inventory, Cars.com puts millions of car buyers in control of their shopping process with the information they need to make confident buying decisions.

Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is a division of Classified Ventures, LLC, which is owned by leading media companies, including Belo (NYSE: BLC), Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI), Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).

Our two favorite ads are not actually real car ads, they're classics from the SNL archives. The first is the Adobe Car:

Adobe. The sassy new Mexican import that's made out of clay. German engineering and Mexican know-how helped create the first car to break the $200 barrier. At this price, you might not expect more than reliable transportation - but, brother, you get it! Extra features: like the custom contour seats, or the beverage-gripping dash. And the money you save isn't exactly small change!

Introducing the Chameleon XLE for 1993. Finally, a luxury car that doesn't look like a luxury car. Inside, the Chameloen XLE has everything you would expect in a luxury sedan of its class. Soft leather seating, a contoured instrument panel, and fine wood. But there's more - much more. Authentically distressed fenders give way to a partially padded roof of blistered vinyl. While under the hood, a simulated transmission-fluid drip whispers, "Hey, not worth the trouble." This is craftsmanship no one will steal. This is engineering for the inner-city driving experience.

Chrysler LLC Kicks Off New Day Celebration Campaign And Sets A New Tone For The Company Beginning On Feb. 3

• Chrysler LLC sets a new tone for the company in New Day Celebration campaign with animated cross brand spot and eight product specific spots
• Listening to dealer and customer feedback, Chrysler LLC debuts 12 Chrysler, Jeep® and Dodge vehicle value packages
• New advertising airs Feb. 3 in 55 Markets around the Super Bowl

Setting a new tone for the company, Chrysler LLC launches the New Day Celebration campaign that includes a new animated cross brand spot, titled "Listen to You," eight product-specific dealer spots that highlight 12 vehicles. The advertising breaks regionally in 55 markets as part of Dealer Advertising Association (DAA) local buys around the Super Bowl on Sun., Feb. 3.

Overall, the campaign theme is based on the new Chrysler LLC direction as a company that listens to its customers and is committed to moving fast and responding to customer and dealer feedback. The eight retail-oriented product specific spots will highlight 12 specific vehicle value packages that are available starting in February for the New Day Celebration promotion.

The animated "Listen to You" cross brand spot features a young boy creating his own automotive company by listening to what people want. The spot closes with "It's A New Day" and www.ChryslerListens.com. The overall theme of listening and giving customers more value is seen in the eight vehicle spots including the three spots (Chrysler 300 spot titled "Post It," Dodge Charger spot title "Engine" and the Jeep® Grand Cherokee and Commander spot called "Blindfold") which air Feb. 3.

"We're moving fast to earn the trust of dealers and customers and prove that we are listening," said Deborah Meyer, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. "In the first 60 days after Chrysler became private, we approved 260 line item improvements to our products."

The overall media strategy for New Day Celebration focuses on four "breakthrough" February events including the Super Bowl, Daytona 500, Super Tuesday and the Academy Awards with national or locally purchased media either prior to the event, event programming or post event, as well as online advertising on AOL, Yahoo!, MSN & Google.

"Our intent is to be very strategic with media and online initiatives by being where high volumes of people will go prior to, during or after major events to create a dialogue," said Meyer. "We have a great story to tell, about a company that is dedicated to putting the customer first and to improving the quality of everything we touch."

Examples of Super Tuesday media include NBC's Meet the Press hosted by Tim Russert, Nightly News special half-hour program, exclusive sponsorship of new Nightly News Online for the entire month of February and MSNBC's "Morning Joe on the Road" featuring Joe Scarborough, former Florida congressman, and local news programming emphasizing the 22 states that contain February primaries.

The New Day Celebration is the first initiative to show Chrysler LLC is listening and placing customers first with new product features and the industry's first online Customer Advisory Board, which will launch within the next couple of months. Details about the New Day Celebration product features can be found on ChryslerListens.com, Chrysler.com, Jeep.com and Dodge.com home and vehicle pages.

"With all of the changes, we have the opportunity to really get back in step with the American public," said Meyer. "Our task is to challenge old perceptions and build a new image that is strong and relevant to today's consumers - and prove that it really is a New Day for Chrysler."

The following New Day Celebration vehicle packages give customers more content at a tremendous value on 12 Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles starting February 1.
• Chrysler Aspen Limited package features no charge sun roof, no charge MyGig™ with ParkView rear camera, 18-inch chrome clad wheels, heated leather seats (first row), two-tone leather seats with embossed logo, two-tone leather wrapped steering wheel, premium floor mats and Signature Series badge. The Chrysler Aspen Limited G 4x4 includes $3,355 in value for a price of $1,855.
• Chrysler PT Cruiser LX Street Cruiser package includes deep tint sunscreen glass, 16" aluminum chrome clad wheels and tires, chrome bodyside moldings and lock knobs, bright front door sills and accent ring cup holders, front and rear floor mats, "Street Cruiser Series" liftgate badge. The PT Cruiser LX Street Cruiser package includes $1,770 in value for $775.
• Chrysler 300 Signature Series will now include no-charge MyGig multi-media entertainment system with navigation and no charge two-tone trim seat. It also includes 18-inch chrome aluminum wheels, 18-inch all-season tires, all chrome grille, heated front seats, side curtain/side mounted air bags, power adjustable pedals, express up/down windows and rear view auto dim mirror. The 300 Signature Series feature package has a value of $4,330 for $2,580.
• Sebring sedan features no charge MyGig entertainment system on the Sebring sedan Touring and Limited models which is a $650 or $300 value respectively.
• Sebring Convertible buyers also receive the no charge MyGig entertainment system on the Touring and Limited models, which is a $300 value.
• Chrysler Town & Country Touring Signature Series model features no charge dual DVD rear entertainment system, premium center stack bezel, remote start, electronic vehicle information center (EVIC) and Signature Series badge. The Signature Series package offers $2,200 of value for $695.
• Dodge Charger SE Plus features a 3.5-liter V-6 engine, electronic stability program (ESP), traction control, anti-lock braking system (ABS), 17-inch cast aluminum wheels, SIRIUS satellite radio, eight-way power driver seat, SXT interior upgrades (satin silver bezels, spears, etc.) premium floor mats and body side stripe. The Charger SE Plus package is $3,195 in content value for $1,400.
• Dodge Grand Caravan SE will feature Stow n' Go® standard at no charge on the base SE for the first time. This is a $945 MSRP value.
• Dodge Caliber SE Plus package features air conditioning, Chill Zone™, air filtration and 17-inch aluminum wheels, which is a package value of $1,695 for $795.
• Dodge Avenger features the no charge MyGig entertainment system as standard equipment on the SXT and R/T models for a value of $650 or $300 respectively.
• Jeep Grand Cherokee and Jeep Commander features the no charge MyGig entertainment system with navigation on the Limited or Overland models which is a $900 value