We obsessively cover the auto industry…

Cats generally don't like car rides. Cats universally detest veterinarians. Yet to showcase the die-for-it allure of the Toyota Corolla in New Zealand (which isn't our Corolla but the European Auris), ad house Saatchi and Saatchi asked, "What lengths would a cat go to for a ride if they loved it?"

The answer is the 90-second tale of a cat who intentionally puts himself through seven feline hells to feed his need for another ride in the new hatchback. To the vet. Implausible, yes. Humorous, also yes. You can watch the ad below.

You hear the term "one of one" a lot in the classic car realm. It is meant to indicate the utmost rarity in a vehicle with an extremely limited production run. In contemporary cars, other notable examples include a one-off Bugatti Veyron, or the Ferrari P4/5 commissioned by James Glickenhaus.

Here is another supercar that can count itself among the club: the 2012 Mosler RaptorGTR. The RaptorGTR was actually not intended to have a single-unit production run, but according to the press release, "Unfortunately Mosler was pulled into the vortex of the financial downturn and only produced one of its latest products."

Unfortunate indeed, because the world needs more 838-horsepower 7.0-liter V8 supercars. With a curb weight of 2580 pounds, the RaptorGTR has a 649 horsepower-per-ton ratio. Mosler is quick to point out that, while Bugatti boasts 1200hp in the Veyron SuperSport, the car also carries a 4545-lb curb weight, resulting in a 528 horsepower-per-ton ratio.

The press release also points out that the RaptorGTR builds on the legacy started by previous Mosler products, such as the MT900R, which has "the highest percentage of podiums/start of any manufacturer in FIA sports car racing."

So what will this one-off performance exotic cost? Supercar Engineering, which developed the RaptorGTR, and owns the distribution rights, says $700,000. The interior can be customized to suit the buyer's whim, but it remains unclear if said customization is included for that price. We doubt it. The vehicle is also being marketed in Russia, UAE and Saudi Arabia, as well as the United States. Given its near-pefect rarity, there is a good chance that the Mosler RaptorGTR will sell for more than the listed $700k.

Whether you follow the sport of drifting or not, you have to admit that it has taken off. Seeing this popularity, Ford has just announced its sponsorship of Formula Drift as an official partner through the 2013 season.

Ford has already had involvement with the steadily growing sport, through its support of Team Falken Tire and drivers like two-time D1 Grand Prix champion Vaughn Gittin Jr. Ford says the move is part of an effort to reach an alternative buyer, aged 18 to 34, and interested in cars like the Fiesta, Focus, Mustang or F-150 SVT Raptor.

According to Formula Drift co-founder and vice president Ryan Sage, "Ever since Ford came into the series competitively in 2005, we have seen the power of what a factory-backed effort can do... Now we are even more excited to have them on as an official partner for the final event of the year and into 2013."

The final event to which Sage is referring is the "Title Fight," the finale of the 2013 season, recently held in Irwindale, CA. It is the home of the first sanctioned drifting event in 2003. Ford joined the sport in 2005, and had its first win at Irwindale with Gittin at the wheel in 2008. With factory works teams like Hyundai backing out, the increased commitment from Ford comes at at an important time for the sport. Click below for the press release, which also provides a link to watch the season finale live.

Throughout these tough economic times, automakers have looked all over for new marketing ideas to get their products noticed. Ford is no stranger to experiments in marketing, and its chief marketing man, Jim Farley, confirms that the video game industry, of all places, is one place where he looks for innovation.

In particular, AdAge reports that Ford embraced the type of prelaunch marketing that video game publishers have been using to great effect, including "inviting journalists into the fold and creating demand for a product that didn't exist yet." Indeed, one need only look at the Fiesta Movement, Ford's pre-market launch of the Fiesta three years ago, that saw Ford give away Fiestas to 100 social media ninjas to build big buzz ahead of the car's on-sale date. Likewise, the 2011 Ford Explorer was mercilessly teased on Facebook well ahead of its unveiling, which also occurred on the world's biggest social network.

Farley also cited an experiment in pre-launch marketing that didn't work so well. In the case of the redesigned 2012 Ford Escape, the automaker sponsored a prime-time reality show called Escape Routes that only achieved its goal of raising awareness at the expense of the older model, which ultimately required incentives to combat slow sales resulting from anticipation for the new model.

It seems the connection to the video game industry lies in what Farley calls a "slow-burn approach," which occurs well ahead of a vehicle's on-sale date. In fact, Farley notes that 20 percent of Ford's marketing budget is spent on pre-launch projects.

As we cover racing games (see our review of the Forza Horizon) as well as cars, we can confirm the video game industry uses the slow-burn approach to great effect, strategically releasing teaser videos and screen shots in the months and even years ahead of a big game's release. This strategy, however, can also backfire if the product you're pitching doesn't live up to the hype that's been building over time.

Car reports Mercedes-Benz may be considering expanding its G-Class line to include a new, smaller model. The so-called GLG would serve as a competitor for the upcoming, next-generation Land Rover Defender. Internally, the smaller G wears the code name X156 and will be based on the A-Class architecture. Expect to see styling lifted straight from the larger G, complete with a horizontal roof line and near-vertical back hatch. Car also insists Mercedes-Benz will retain the A-Class front-wheel drive layout for two-wheel drive models, while 4MATIC models will also be available.

Under the hood, the company plans to serve up a range of engines, including a 1.6-liter gasoline mill good for 122 horsepower as well as a 2.0-liter unit with anywhere from 156 to 211 hp on hand. Four diesel variants will also show up in the EU, the most powerful of which will displace 2.1 liters and pump out 204 hp. Car also suggests AMG will get its hands on the pint-sized bruiser. The product of that union should serve up 345 hp, a seven-speed automatic gearbox and beefier brakes.

That seems like an awful lot of detail for a model Mercedes-Benz executives haven't even signed off on yet, though the report says the vehicle could get the green light at any moment.

Next in the lengthening line of comedian car enthusiasts is Jeff Dunham. A ventriloquist and Mopar fan normally spotted on video in the company of Achmed and Walter, for this video Dunham has put down the dummies and picked up a job: helping Chrysler and "a big shot with a t-shirt" put together a show car for SEMA.

Called Project Ultraviolet, it starts with a Dodge Challenger SRT8 purchased in downtown LA. The muscle car is being built to show off new technology and a brand new engine – declared "an amazing thing" in the video – that Chrysler will be unveiling in Las Vegas.

The first webisode detailing the genesis of the build is below. And since the crew is putting a new engine into Project Ultraviolet, we guess there's no need to cringe at Dunham's smoky, drift-happy mockery of the break-in period on that SRT8...

McLaren's Icon-Beater Loses Its Top, Gains More Thrills



So far, so good for McLaren Automotive. Since the MP4-12C coupe started deliveries roughly 16 months ago, there are now 1,500-plus more great supercars traveling the roads of our planet. There have been potholes, particularly the hotly awaited initial UK comparison tests in 2011 that (frankly) both we and McLaren felt the MP4-12C would ace versus the Ferrari 458 Italia & Co.

In almost every test, the 570-horsepower Ferrari eclipsed the 592-horsepower MP4-12C and, beyond lap time tenths and hundredths, the victory was based almost purely on emotional issues: disappointing exhaust sounds from the 3.8-liter twin turbocharged V8, clinically efficient chassis responses tempered by little excitement through the steering wheel or seat of the pants, or an exterior that didn't look quite special enough.

While the exterior of the 12C coupe will take a few years to make "more special" (some at Autoblog share in this criticism), creating a spider version with a folding hardtop automatically dices up the styling conversation on any car. So, we arrived in Malaga, Spain, for two whole days of driving madness in what could easily be termed perfect conditions on road and track, and all for the MP4-12C Spider. That's spelled with an "i".

A few short weeks ago we learned that Toyota is shrinking its overall plan for the Scion iQ EV down to an "extremely limited release." During its Future Mobility Seminar in Denver, CO this week, Toyota announced the small details for its diminutive electric vehicle (EV) program.

The teeny 2013 Scion iQ EV will deploy in slight fashion in car-sharing programs on campuses and in urban environments later this year, but only "approximately" 90 of them. Yes, the entire fleet of Toyota's petite iQ EV could fit in one big warehouse. And you can't buy or lease them, you can just rent them for the short term.

The iQ EV itself has decent numbers for a city EV, including a 13.5-foot turning radius thanks to its diminutive 78-inch wheel base. It seats four (well, if two people are itty-bitty) and has a top speed of 78 miles per hour. It uses a 47-kW (63 horsepower) electric motor and a 12-kWh battery to achieve a range of up to 50 miles per charge. That charge takes around three hours using a Level 2, 240V charger and there's an interesting additional feature: a timer that matches "charge completion time with the time the vehicle will actually be driven, to help reduce battery degradation." The iQ EV also has three driving modes – D, B and S – that each emphasize a different aspect of the car. D minimizes power usage in city driving. S gives better acceleration (from zero to 60 in 13.4 seconds). B improves the efficiency of the regenerative brakes.

As for looks, two exterior colors are available, Silver and Super Red, with the top half, rear hatch, battery cooling inlets and front headlamps all accented in black. The charging port is up front, with a charge door where lesser cars have an upper grille. There's even a leather-wrapped seat, so when you hop into one of these rare, shared EVs for a few minutes, you can feel like you're borrowing someone's upscale EV.

The pros and cons of the auto bailout and concerns about the rising price of gasoline have been a political football throughout this election season. So, it should come as no surprise that the auto industry was brought up more than a few times in last night's heated presidential debate.

Roughly a minute into the debate, the subject was raised by President Obama when asked a question about unemployment. The President's answer: "I want to build manufacturing jobs in this country again. Now when Gov. Romney said we should let Detroit go bankrupt, I said we're going to bet on American workers and the American auto industry and it's coming back."

Romney countered by pointing out that Obama followed the Governor's advice offered in his New York Times editorial "Let Detroit Go Bankrupt" from 2008. Romney stated that the President did, in fact, let Chrysler go bankrupt, and pointed out, "My plan was to have the company go through bankruptcy... and come out stronger." Obama retorted that Romney's view of taking the automakers into bankruptcy did not provide them with any way to stay open, and would have lost a million jobs in the process.

The candidates also spoke on energy and oil production, primarily in response to questions of recently spiking gas prices. The President pointed out that oil production on federal land is at its highest in 16 years and natural gas production is at its highest levels in decades. Romney responded by saying that overall oil production is down 14 percent as a result of cutting licenses for drilling. Additionally, Romney criticized Obama for blockage of the Keystone oil pipeline.

Surprisingly, yesterday's bankruptcy filing of A123 Systems was not brought up, though Republicans, including Romney, have criticized the Obama administration's investment in electric cars as well as grants and loans for battery makers. If Tuesday's Chapter 11 filing was not mentioned last night, it will most certainly come up in the days and weeks to come.

Contrary to earlier reports, Ferrari maintains that it will not be showing the F70 supercar successor to the Enzo at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next January. In fact, our sources say the launch rollout plans for the hybrid 920-horsepower exotic have not been finalized.

One scenario would have a launch separate from major auto shows in order to maximize publicity. Another factor in the decision not to show the F70 in Detroit is a desire not to step on the launch at the show of the all-new Maserati Quattroporte. Both Maserati and Ferrari are owned by the Fiat group.

Usain Bolt, the Jamaican Olympic gold medalist and world's fastest man, is teaming up with Nissan to auction off a Nissan GT-R on eBay later this month with the proceeds going to the Usain Bolt Foundation. The one-of-a-kind GT-R is painted in a special gold hue and the hood has been signed by Bolt.

In addition to helping create this car for his charity, Bolt, who has been named Nissan's "Director of Excitement," will also be working with the automaker to create numerous "What If_" advertisements and even assisting in the development of a limited-edition GT-R. This last little tidbit really perked up our ears, but Nissan says that it will release details about this car "at a later date."

Until then, Nissan has included some videos below showing its involvement with Bolt including the ceremony where he signed the gold GT-R for his auction and some entertaining footage of the Olympian being driven around Nissan's Japanese proving ground in a GT-R.

The motorsports community lost one of its best this past week. Paul Brown, 43, succumbed to his battle with skin cancer on Saturday, less than eight months after he was initially diagnosed with the disease. Not only a talented driver, Brown was known for his kindness, work ethic, sense of humor and love of the sport.

Son of famed racer Kenny Brown, Paul began his motorsports career at the age of 16 competing in autocross events before later moving to the SCCA World Challenge in which he competed for nearly twenty years. He finished in the top ten in over half of the races he entered.

The highlight of Brown's racing career came in 2011 when he dominated the GTS class of the SCCA World Challenge, winning five races, capturing nine top-five finishes and leading more laps than all other drivers combined.

Brown was diagnosed with cancer in March of 2011, just a few weeks before the start of the racing season. While Derek Bell took over driving duties for the majority of the races, Brown got behind the wheel one more time in June and managed to capture a podium finish.

Brown leaves behind a multitude of family members including his wife and fellow racer Carol Hollfelder. Scroll down below to read more about Paul Brown's life and racing career.

Here at Autoblog, obsessively covering the automotive industry sometimes takes us places we'd never have expected. Today is one of those days.

In the video pasted below, you'll see a very nice Dodge Challenger SRT8 – modified in some way if the quoted 490 horsepower figure is accurate – lining itself up on a long, straight stretch of tarmac. Pulling up alongside... or rather, setting itself down, is a McDonnel Douglass MD500 helicopter. Yep, we said helicopter.

So, is this a fair race? We have no idea. For starters, there's no indication as to how long this runway may be, and we don't know the various skills of the pilot or driver. Do we care? No, not really. The race results in a fun video, which you can watch below, and we suggest you keep your eyes peeled all the way through for a little surprise.

Ford has revealed a few images of five tuned Focus ST concepts that will be shown off at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas this month. None of this group of five is overly subtle, which would run counter to the spirit of SEMA itself, and all hope to highlight the performance nature of Ford's newest hot hatch. In no particular order then, here are the quick-and-dirty facts on each car, in advance of the full details out of Vegas:

• 2013 Ford Focus ST by Tanner Foust Racing (top): X Games warrior Tanner Foust wanted his ST to be able to go from work to the track, while not being too harsh for commuting in Southern California. A body kit, MagnaFlow exhaust and fully adjustable front and rear suspension have been added.
• 2013 Ford Focus ST by Bojix Design (upper left): The Bojix Design car stands out mostly for its eye-catching orange paint, black hood and low-rider stance. Upgraded brakes and coil-over springs are noted performance adds.
• 2013 Ford Focus ST by M&J Enterprises (upper right): M&J partnered with Ford, Cosworth LLC for ultimate performance. Ford Racing engine and suspension upgrades result in an aggressively fast car putting out some 330 horsepower.
• 2013 Ford Focus ST by Galpin Auto Sports (lower left): The sinister Galpin car, rocking some shockingly green wheels, was meant as a rally car-inspired build. The menacing looks of the body kit are backed by methanol injection and larger brakes, creating a car that the tuner claims is rally-ready.
• 2013 Ford Focus ST by Steeda Autosports (lower right): Steeda has added its own "G-Trac" suspension to its SEMA Focus, as well as Brembo brakes and a custom 19-inch wheel and tire package.