Automobile Retailers

With the Lamborghini making waves and attracting attention in The Dark Knight this summer, it’s safe to say that Mercedes-Benz has a plan to be the same…but different. With the Sex and the City movie due out May 30^th, Benz is linking their brand with the film and hoping to reap the whirlwind of this potentially huge blockbuster hit.

Mercedes-Benz unveiled a partnership today with New Line Cinemas on multi-platform brand incorporation that involves featured placement in the Sex and the City flick and in promotional ads ahead of the film’s release all over the country. The movie will feature the brand’s S-Class sedan prominently.

In addition to featuring the S-Class, Sex and the City will also utilize New York Fashion Week as a backdrop. While this may seem innocuous at first, the fashion event is actually heavily sponsored by Mercedes-Benz. If that wasn’t enough, also appearing in the film will be the new GLK-350 compact SUV (pictured above) driven by one of the four main characters. Talk about stacking the deck!

The SUV will be the focal point of a new Sex and the City-themed TV spot for the vehicle, which will begin airing on May 11. In the spot, a publicist notes: “When you’re that beautiful and powerful, people love to say that you have attitude.” While the viewer thinks the publicist is talking about Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw character, the advertisement is in point of fact referring to the GLK-350.

Mercedes-Benz will host 34 select screenings across 30 United States markets to benefit charitable organization Dress for Success. In-store displays at Benz dealerships will also support the tie-in.

“The Mercedes-Benz brand has always attracted trendsetters and style-makers and the partnership with Sex and the City, which personifies these attributes, is a very natural fit,” Steve Cannon, Vice President of Marketing for Mercedes-Benz USA said in a statement about the partnership.

The Sex and the City movie will be released on May 30^th and will star Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristen Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Chris Noth, and others.

The Great American Road Trip we’ve been hearing about here for the last few days came to an end a few hours ago having finished ahead of schedule. The trio from Utah covered 48 states in 106 hours. After setting out on their mission Sunday, Joshua Keeler, Joey Stocking and Adam Gatherum finished last night at the Four Corners where Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado meet at about 6:15 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time.

It was quite a trip.

The trio appeared to capture the imagination of the world, having heard from individuals from every continent on earth except Antarctica and having their website crash from the hits. After rolling up over 7,000 miles in their Scion xB, there’s no question these guys will experience fame for a while and will likely hit the interview circuit and late night talk shows.

“We had no idea,” Keeler said, referring to the attention the voyage attracted. “We set out to hit all 48 states and have fun and we end up sharing it with far more people than we ever imagined.”

The trip included brief stops for restrooms and for gas. Food was purchased at the gas stations and other stops were not tolerated. No “stretching the legs,” no checking out the scenery. Full-speed ahead. And the Scion held up well, proving to be the ideal ride for record-setting adventure junkies and everyday users alike.

Perhaps best of all, there were no stops for traffic tickets or breakdowns. Many voiced concerns about the speed that the three would be traveling at and that this type of thing encourages speeding. Fortunately the rants of a few sourpusses didn’t ruin the voyage and the trip went off well, despite sighting over 80 police officers along the way. It is possible to break records and be safe, amazingly enough.

So what’s next for the three Utah travelers? Your guess is as good as mine.

Are you tired of going to the mechanic’s garage and feeling like you’re being taken? I’m not saying that all mechanics are out to rip people off, but there are a few that have given the entire industry a bad reputation. As I see it, you have two options – either know enough about cars to know when you’re being scammed or buy a new or certified car at your local Pontiac dealer. If you choose the first option, here are some more tips to consider when you go to the mechanic.

5. Ask for choices. Your mechanic can both fix your vehicle with the best parts and replace everything. Or they can often give you less expensive options. Before making a decision, make sure you know all your options.

6. Don’t get your car fixed on a Friday or just before a holiday. Some mechanics might do a rush job just so they can go home for the evening or weekend.

7. Don’t fall for the “metal shavings in the transmission pan” trick. This is typical wear and tear on your transmission and does not indicate that a major job needs to be done. Trust me. I fell for this once before.

8. Don’t believe ads that feature cheap work. This is usually too good to be true and some mechanics use it as a way to get you in there to suggest more expensive work on your car.

9. Be wary of getting a transmission flush. Most manufacturers don’t always recommend them and they’re not a necessary maintenance procedure in most instances.

10. Ask your mechanic to use quality name-brand parts. Cheap parts can cause even more problems in the future.

These tips come from actual respected mechanics with a long history of customer satisfaction.