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Porsche uses phone-formatted bar codes to connect with customers

Porsche is harnessing the power of smartphones, using Microsoft Tag bar codes to provide dealership customers with unique information about the cars they're looking at. Buyers can scan the square stickers with a properly equipped phone, and the application will take them to dedicated microsites where they can see stats, videos and pictures of the car, along with audio clips of a flat-six engine revving up. Through the microsite, buyers can provide contact info for a follow-up call from Porsche salespeople.

BMW i3 & i8 EV range won’t be extended any time soon

The BMW i3 and i8 EVs won’t get a sibling any time soon BMW have ploughed a chunk of money in to the development of the BMW i3 electric city car and the BMW i8 supercar, but it seems that is going to be the extent of the BMW i range, for now at least. BMW’s head of production, Harald Krueger, has told Automotive News that there will be no further i models until BMW has a better idea of demand for their i cars. So far, the demand looks very positive for BMW, with over 11,000 i3 EVs sold already which has led to a six month waiting list for BMW buyers looking for an electric city runaround.

Fiat's U.S. sales increasing with new ads, 500 Abarth interest

After a slow start, Fiat 500s are starting to move off of dealer lots, according to an article in the Detroit Free Press. Fiat executives claim that the public debut of the 2012 Fiat 500 Abarth at the Los Angeles auto show and some provocative advertising have led to increased interest in the Fiat brand. February was the best sales month yet for the model that Fiat chose to reintroduce Americans to sub-$100,000 Italian cars.