Welcome to Must Read, where we single out the best stories from around the automotive universe and beyond. Today we have reports from Autoblog, Car And Driver and Road & Track.
Former Mercedes PR chief Geoff Day provides his take on automaker celeb worship.
During this season of starlet-adorned award ceremonies, from the Golden Globes through to the Oscars, you will find a lot of car companies all vying to loan out their vehicles to any celebrity with a recognizable face who happens to be heading to a red-carpet award ceremony. There is, however, none so coordinated, consistent and aggressively playing the Fame Game as our friends at Audi.
Great inside look.
Volkswagen recently invited us to Puebla, Mexico for the 50th anniversary of its factory there and to kick off the production of the Mk7 Golf in Mexico. Here's everything we learned.
Learn up about BMW's newest road warrior.
BMW's M3 began as a four-cylinder homologation special and evolved profoundly over nearly three decades, punctuated by a series of powertrain changes. Throughout, the M3's street spirit, track skills, and everyday versatility were never in question; the debate mostly centered around which generation was best. Also never in question was the car's name, until now. The sedans remain M3s, and the coupes and convertibles become M4s—in line with current 3-/4-series convention. Here's your first look at the car that may finally end the debate: the fifth-generation model due this spring.
Automakers Need To Get Away From Celebrities