Andrew Kier asked:


The new Magnum is a great looking car that will get your neighbors talking as you rumble around the block. The unique styling of the Magnum will also attract gawkers in the form of 18-22 year old guys pointing for their friends to “check that out”. And a few people will approach you as you are filling up the gas tank to ask, “Does it really have a Hemi?”, with only a vague notion that it somehow makes the car better.

The Magnum is offered with many different engine sizes (either a 6-cylinder or 8-cylinder) with your choice of horsepower output of 190, 250, 340 and 425. The price of the vehicle also corresponds with the engine size starting at $30,345 to the expensive STR-8 model for $37,320. A big part of the mystique around this car is the Hemi engine. The Hemi is short for hemispherical combustion chamber, which creates more efficient fuel burning and allows larger valves for better airflow. Basically, it produces more power than an engine with its displacement would normally produce. (There are also drawbacks to the Hemi, which is why it isn’t the only engine that Chrysler produces).

The interior of the car looks much more expensive than you’d expect for the price of the Magnum. Since Mercedes bought Chrysler, the Dodge vehicles I’ve sampled have had a sharp improvement in interior quality. While on the road, the car is very solid and the seats are comfortable even on long highway runs.

As much as I like the looks, after driving it a while I really have to question the design concept that the Magnum offers. It is a station wagon built to transport a lot of people and a lot of stuff. But mating this with a powerful engine with the taught racing-like suspension is uncomfortable for both. It is like having a Corvette tow a small trailer, and you are in the trailer and the Corvette driver is 15 years-old, pushing the car to its limits. (Only an actual Corvette has a much more comfortable suspension than the Magnum). Even driving on smooth roads, the steering is very darty and difficult to control. And with a large car, all that weaving and road feedback is exaggerated for the passengers and everything you’ve stored in the back.

I like having a navigation system, but figuring out how to use it with the steering wheel controls made me frequently refer to the user’s manual. In spite of the high horsepower and low-end torque I played with when starting from a full stop, the RT model I drove averaged 20 MPG on the higway.

What I presume to be the target market for this car, those 18-22 year-old guys that I mentioned, will probably love this car. And as much as I love driving sports cars, the darty steering and sharp suspension make it too uncomfortable without any spectacular payoff. The 0-60 sprint is fun for a little while, but I’d pass on buying a Magnum as a daily driving vehicle.



Steven

Steve Dubin asked:


For every vehicle washed, Brightway is donating $5 which will be put towards the purchase of a defibrillator for the non-profit Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield.

During the fundraiser, the South Shore Corvette Club will have 25 Corvettes on display and there will be plenty of hot dogs, popcorn and balloons for the kids.

Everyone having their car washed will be entered into a raffle to win Red Sox tickets, auto detailing and a book of car washes.

“We like working with non-profits. We’re pleased to be able to help out the Boys and Girls Club with our professional car wash service that is better for the environment than the old-fashioned hose-style car washes,” noted Paul Vercallone of Verc Rentals and Brightway Car Wash.

Brightway Car Wash is environmentally friendly and renowned for its “Green Theme”. According to Vercallone, Brightway is “very stingy with water” as they do not want to waste water and Brightway disposes of waste water properly.

“We’re very grateful to Paul Vercallone, Brightway and the South Shore Corvette Club for their involvement and effort in raising the necessary funds so we can have a defibrillator on-site in case of an emergency,” noted Greg Jackson, Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield.

The 1,000 member strong Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield provides the area’s youth between the ages of 6-18 with enrichment and recreation programs in a safe environment.

To learn more about Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield, visit their website at www.MarshfieldBoysAndGirlsClub.com.

About the Boys and Girls Club

The Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield’s purpose is to establish a safe haven for recreation, which includes a variety of supervised activities for greater than 4,000 youths (between the ages of 6 to 18 years old) within the town. The Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield has five Core Areas: Character and Leadership; Education and Career; Health, Sport Fitness Recreation and Life Skills; The Arts; and Technology. These Core Areas serve as the foundation for all programming.

As a privately-funded, non-profit organization, the Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield relies tremendously on the generous philanthropic support of individuals. Financial gifts assist in providing the financial strength necessary to continue the club’s mission “to enable and inspire all young people to realize their full potential as productive and responsible citizens, as well as become tomorrow’s capable leaders.”

For more information about the Boys and Girls Club of Marshfield, please contact (781) 834-CLUB (2582) or visit the website at www.MarshfieldBoysAndGirlsClub.com or write to the club at P.O. Box 311, Marshfield, MA 02050.



Javier

Dan Goldgeier asked:


Last week, GM pulled a Corvette ad off the air. The ad depicted a young boy staring at a parked Corvette and dreaming of cruising through New York City so fast he gets the car airborne.

Now, I’m sure most people who drive in Manhattan think that even reaching 30 MPH is an unattainable dream. So this spot was obviously not grounded in reality, just another car ad with some cool-looking footage.

There was even a prominent disclaimer on the bottom of the screen that said, “This is a dream. Do not drive without a license.” Still, several auto safety and child advocacy groups complained to GM. And GM acquiesced.

Is it bad business to do creative work that garners complaints? Is it so irresponsible that it’s construed as a form of malpractice? And if it costs the client extra time and money to deal with the trouble, should agencies be held liable?

I think it’s too flip to just say “Oh, those spineless GM corporate weasels bent over because of a few paranoid soccer moms.” Or “GM planned to get all this controversy and they love all the free publicity.” The issue is a little more complicated than that.

I can speak from experience here. I’ve written 2 radio spots that actually generated complaints. We certainly didn’t set out to get that kind of response, nevertheless I received copies of the letters and tacked them up in my cubicle as a sort-of badge of honor. Our client dismissed it as “well, at least the spots are getting remembered.” However, our client was in the gambling business, and there’s not a lot of moral high ground there.

No matter what business our clients are in, we have to live with the notion that advertising simply can’t win a popularity contest. Like music, movies, books and other forms of pop culture, we always run the risk of pissing off somebody. And since most advertising is unsolicited, people are most disdainful of ads they don’t like.

But here’s the paradox: In advertising, there is always a constant stream of new ideas and concepts. That’s where the reward—and the risk—lies.

New ideas are always controversial simply because they’re new. We have no prior history to judge them against. And new ideas seek to alter the status quo, which means someone’s current position of power, wealth and status gets challenged. Or, if an idea challenges conventional wisdom, someone will perceive it as a threat, and try to muzzle it. Just ask Salman Rushdie or Mel Gibson.

Every piece of advertising has some consequence and influence—be it positive or negative. The only alternative would be to produce ideas that are completely milquetoast. In other words, guaranteed non-offensive. Tried-and-true. Safe. Dull. Which will lead to messages that are roundly ignored. And creating advertising that’s roundly ignored is a waste of our client’s money.

You’ll have to draw your own conclusions about whether showing an 8 year-old dreaming of speeding in a Corvette is a dangerous idea that may encourage reckless or copycat behavior. To paraphrase William Hurt in ‘Broadcast News,’ “It’s hard not to cross the line. They keep moving the little sucker, don’t they?”

Maybe GM knew the risks when they approved the spot. Perhaps they thought that the disclaimer was legally correct and nothing else needed to be done. (The spot, by the way, was directed by Guy Ritchie, who’s married to Madonna–who Pepsi dropped after seeing her “Like a Prayer” video. Guess it runs in the family.)

There will always be controversy over ads. There will always be resistance to new, unfamili ar or risky ideas. We simply have to keep doing them, and ad agencies have to provide a framework to encourage them. Because the moment we stop, that’s when the ad industry will truly be dead.



Lillie

Bullet asked:


My 1985 corvette is going through batteries like crazy, I have had the car for about 4 months has anyone elese experienced this and please tell me what to look for to repair it. Thanking you in advance for your much needed HELP

Christina