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Hyundai Suicide ‘Advert’ causes a rumpus

It’s not easy advertising your wares and finding the right balance between mainstream and innovative to capture attention, as Hyundai has found out to their cost with an ‘advert’ for the hydrogen powered ix35 FCEV which, rather distastefully, depicts a man trying to commit suicide by running a hose from the tailpipe to the cabin before realising he can’t achieve his aim as the FCEV’s only emissions are water. It’s a proper cock-up from Hyundai – usually so sure-footed with their PR – but, despite Hyundai US putting the blame at the door of Hyundai UK, there’s more to this suicide ‘advert’ than meets the eye. It seems the suicide video was put together by Innocean – a European Ad Agency owned by Hyundai’s Chairman Chung Mong-koo and his daughter, and responsible for much of Hyundai’s marketing output – and was a clumsy attempt to gauge reaction to the somewhat macabre take on the benefits of an FCEV.

2014 Corvette Stingray coupe, Z51 details revealed in order guide

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray won't arrive at select dealer lots until summer, but you can get a jump-start on the ordering process now that the ordering guide has been released at Corvette Blogger. There's a lot of press release-worthy copy in the guide (“sleek, sculpted profile,” “richly appointed interior design”), but there are also plenty of details to whet the appetites of the C7-hungry masses. The guide contains an exhaustive breakdown of what is, and isn't, available on the 1LT, 2LT and 3LT trim levels of both the base Stingray and the Z51 coupe -- including wheel, seating and exterior color options.

Who's Where: Lars Falk appointed Vice President Product Design for Volvo Cars China

Swedish designer Lars Falk has been appointed Vice President Product Design for Volvo Cars China. In his new role, Falk will lead and develop an emerging design organization which will cover both production design and advanced/strategic activities for the Volvo brand. "I am privileged to set up a small yet efficient design organization which will cover both production design and advanced/strategic activities for the Volvo Cars brand," Falk told Car Design News.