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If this ad is to be taken seriously, the only difference between a late 1980s E30 BMW 325i and a Hyundai Excel is price and the engine / transmission layout. After all both have, “[A] plush interior, European styling [and] room for five.”

After all, niggling little details like equipment levels, brand image and build quality have never bothered car buyers before, right? Apparently not, as the Excel went on to become one of U.S.’s best selling imports, with 168,000 of the little blighters sold in its first year stateside. That’s a lot of, “Hun-days,” [sic].

So what if it had the looks of a three-year-old Toyota Corolla and was built in a place that wasn’t even a country sixty years ago; it cost just US$5,499 and in salesman speak that’s a damn good deal. There are probably innumerable benefits to owning a 1988 Hyundai Excel. Such as...uh...or maybe...um...and then there’s...oh.

It was cheap, yeah? And cheap is good despite what a certain fictional character may have said to the contrary. That’s true for at least the vast majority of cash-strapped Americans and almost certainly for Hyundai. Yes, it was front wheel drive and sure it had no outstanding qualities other than the price tag. The same could be said for many of the cars sold today, and you don’t see any of them comparing themselves to a German heavyweight.

So watch the ad and reminisce about a simpler time when men wore pinstriped shirts, martini lunches were often followed by cocaine afternoons and a balmy little upstart from the Sea of Japan had the verve to stick its fingers in its ears and stick its tongue out.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: Youtube via NYT

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While not the action-packed video we were hoping for, nevertheless, here are the first official clips of BMW's Concept 6-Series Coupé that will take center stage at the firm's Paris Motor Show stand next week.

The two new promotional videos walk us around the exterior as well as the interior of the Bavarian GT. Despite being billed as a concept, the production version of the 6-Series Coupe, which is expected to arrive in showrooms next year, will only get some minor styling changes such as more subtle tail pipe and exterior mirror designs. Scroll down to watch both videos.

Look! There's a new video of BMW's mystery coupe! And this time it's under a tarp! Last time it was being loaded onto a truck, and now it's being taken off of a truck! Isn't that exciting?

Seriously, though, we do get a brief glimpse of new swirly camouflage (ooh!) and a date: September 30th. This is the first press day for the 2010 Paris Motor Show, hinting at a big reveal on that day. Or maybe the date when the viral marketers will be fired.

Personally, I'm hoping its Option 'B'. Stay tuned for more (*snicker*) exciting updates.

By Tristan Hankins

One more teaser like this and we will probably follow BMW's advice and never blog about this electric-thingamajig again... Now, let's see the Bavarians adding this quote on their "dontblogaboutthis" website... Those that don't mind wasting 34 seconds of their time to watch a black prototype with skinny wheels being loaded on a truck in slow motion may follow the jump for the video.

A couple of new photos and a fresh video of BMW's Vision EfficientDynamics concept-faced and current 6-Series Coupe-bodied mystery test mule of some sorts have been uploaded on the Bavarian automaker's "Dontblogaboutthis" website.

Aside from providing some different views of the car, the new material doesn't answer any of the questions we all have about the odd-looking matte-black test vehicle, and from what we gather, BMW will continue teasing us up until the Paris Motor Show.

Link / Source: Dontblogaboutthis

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