Mercedes Gullwing 300sl 190sl Roadster Temperature Gauge W198 W121 (working) on 2040-parts.com

Renault Fluence launched

The new Renault Fluence is being built for the Turkish, Russian and Romanian markets Renault are aiming to make the Fluence the most attractive car in its class (their words), and say that beneath its ‘Strong, sporty interior’ it features a ‘comfortable cabin with loads of technology’. So there. The Fluence comes in at the top of the C segment in terms of size – it’s just over 15′ long – and comes pretty well equipped.

Kia's Forte Super Bowl ad features violent android lady

There's no Jimmy Cliff or Flaming Lips in Kia's Super Bowl ad for the new Forte, but we can't help thinking they're the second company this week to miss out on co-opting seminal New Jersey punk outfit the Misfits' “We Are 138.” While attaching the song to the unveiling of Ferrari's new F138 was a no-brainer from a numerically synergistic standpoint, the track's poppy brutality and ominous query, “Is it time to be an android, not a man?” dovetails perfectly with the rise-of-the-sexy-machines theme of the Kia clip. Clearly, the android in this spot -- portrayed by former Miss USA Alyssa Campanella -- has the upper hand over the poor schnook oiling up the new Forte with his greasy mitts. We can't help thinking the whole ad would've been better if the Misfits' original pint-size vocal dynamo Glenn Danzig had been involved somehow.

After a miss with the Sebring, Chrysler resets its upscale mission

With the 2011 200 sedan, due in December, the Chrysler brand is taking another shot at the vast mid-sized sedan market, a target it missed badly with the Sebring. The 200, derived from the Sebring, resets the brand mission: refined design, luxury touches inside, a quiet ride and responsive handling--at affordable prices. The approach will be shared by the reworked Chrysler Town & Country minivan, also due in December, and the reworked 2012 Chrysler 300 sedan, which arrives in March.