Anyone who has seen Japanese car commercials knows they can be a bit odd, to say the least. The 1990′s were chock full of weird celebrity endorsments (Jodie Foster and the Honda Civic, anyone?) but the next trend to hit was having directors treat their ads like art house films – and it’s here to stay.

If this were an American ad, we’d probably have lurid shots of the Subaru BRZ in full opposite-lock mode, with a garbled voiceover detailing the terms and conditions of a special lease offer. But this is Japan, and instead we get slow, tight glimpses of the BRZ while the best in adult alternative EZ-rock plays on screen. Whatever. Hit the mute button and enjoy.

Hit the jump to see the Subaru BRZ commercial.

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The world’s least expensive car, the Tata Nano’s original purpose in design was to be a modern Ford Model-T, mobilizing millions of families in India.

Despite the Nano’s noble intentions, only 1,200 examples were sold in the month of September when initial projections expected a rather optimistic 20,000 vehicles per month. A new approach may be the remedy and that’s exactly what Tata hopes to achieve with its new Nano commercial.

Targeting India’s young, active, and likable college students, the ad features American idioms sprinkled throughout that frankly sound a little contrived.

The Nano boasts a passenger space increase of 21 percent. Tata also shows off the Nano’s acceleration (good for passing trucks on Indian highways) as well as ride quality and ground clearance capable of fording a spring creek. The Nano’s A/C is so strong that one buddy decides to hibernate, allowing everyone else to enjoy a popular college pastime that involves black markers and camera phones. Finally, the twisty and mountainous roads to the weekend getaway help to demonstrate Nano’s best-in-India 25 km/liter petrol mileage as well as its short turning radius.

See the commercial for yourself after the jump

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The Fiat/Chrysler marketing masterminds are at it again. A follow-up to the wildly popular Chrysler 200 commercial featuring Eminem in Detroit and the signature beat from his “8 Mile” soundtrack, the automaker has now recruited the beautiful Jennifer Lopez to endorse its adorable 2012 Fiat 500C.

The combination is so irresistible, in fact, that the ad shows an entire town lose their self control, scrambling after the stars like a mob of zombies. Thanks to the light and little Cinquecento, J.Lo manages to nimbly swerve around the fanatics, while showing off the 500′s capable chassis and her superior driving skills. Inevitably, our star gets swarmed and lifted from the Fiat and Bollywood dancing spontaneously commences.

Fiat and J.Lo will be introducing a series of ads scheduled to air in the coming months. Enjoy the video!

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Chrysler’s Ram truck brand will expand its advertising into Wal-Mart stores throughout the U.S. this fall. Dodge Ram advertisements will be in thousands of Wal-Mart stores and will integrate Mossy Oak camouflage, another of Ram’s partners into the promotion. ”We recognize the alignment between truck buyers, the hunting/fishing lifestyle and Wal-Mart,” said Marissa Hunter, head of Ram advertising. “We are working on promotion that brings all three together.”

Ram will also be launching two new commercials today, for its “Code of the West” advertising campaign. Marissa Hunter commented on the commercials saying, “The role of these spots is twofold. First, continue to create overall awareness about the capability of the full Ram lineup. Second, do so in a manner that inspires consumers to think differently about the Ram Truck brand.”

Fred Diaz, CEO of the Ram brand said that through the first seven months of 2011, Ram brand U.S sales were up twenty-five percent. He expects sales to continue to grow for the rest of the year. ”The fourth quarter always represents a key selling season opportunity for commercial business which historically increases commercial sales by up to 50 percent.”

Check out the commercial after the jump!

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Well this is a change. The typical NBA all star usually drives around in a Cadillac Escalade or Mercedes-Benz S-Class, but not Steve Nash. No no, this Pheonix Suns point guard, seven-time NBA All-Star, two-time MVP award winner represents the Toyota Prius. In this new commercial, based on the competitive nature of both Nash and Toytota, the all new Prius comes out on top, or maybe dancing does. Nash’s competitve edge show him push the Prius to beat an old lady into a parking sport. The victory dance is hilarious.

Check out Nash celebrate his victory dance after the jump!

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Infiniti has launched two new 15 second commercials entitled “Lullaby” and “Spa” on the brand’s Facebook page, official YouTube Channel and Twitter.

Both commercials boldly reinforce the luxury automaker’s status as the antithesis to sedate “boring” luxury, while poking fun at Lexus. Infiniti is blatantly illustrating the company’s ongoing commitment to design luxury that thrills. The Japanese automaker is trying to encourage enthusiast participation via the brand’s Facebook page by asking which ad is better to air on TV. Both ads will go to network, cable and sport market TV on July 18.“We believe in telling compelling stories with an attitude that feels more energetic and optimistic than traditional luxury brands,” said Infiniti Americas Vice President Ben Poore. “Our commercials are bold, and serve as our proclamation of confidence in our ability to move our customers emotionally as well as physically.”

Check out the videos after the jump!

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In celebration of Honda’s 39th anniversary of the popular compact, the Japanese automaker has put together a video titled “Heritage”, where we take a look at the histroy of the car.

With some help from the British house music trio Dirty Vegas, the video shows us the evolution of Civic dating back to 1973. Since the first Civic was first produced, 19,000,000 units have been sold.

The all-new 2012 Honda Civic will feature a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine producing 140-hp.  The Civic is rated at 28 mpg city and 39 mpg highway which is gain of 12 percent in the city and 8 percent on the highway, over last years model. The Civic coupe will start from $15,605 and the sedan starts from $15,805.

Check out the AutoGuide review of the 2012 Honda Civic and view the “Heritage” video after the jump!

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In this 45 second commercial, the all-new BMW 1M drifts on a helipad hundreds of feet in the air over a city. Is it real? Of course not but it is very entertaining to watch, and actually looks pretty realistic. BMW has been launching these fun commercials (1M vs the Concrete Walls), to stress the fact that the 1M is a high performance machine that will be used much more than for going to the store for a jug of milk.

BMW admits that its latest high performance two door rocket will have a very limited run of one model year. With limited production in place, the $46,135 price tag may be a bargain should this car appreciate in value in the future. BMW stated that “less than 1,000 units” will be produced in 2011.

Check out the videos after the jump!

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Speed Channel is gearing up to release The Car Show, a talk show led by Adam Carolla, Dan Neil, John “Spider” Salley and AutoGuide contributor Matt Farah.

The show hits the air on July 13. In the short clips released, the hosts tell us about their very first vehicles and driving experiences, ranging from a Honda 400 Four in the case of Adam Carolla to Matt Farah’s 1993 Mercury Villager LS. Oh Matt, look how far you’ve come.

Check out all the hosts stories of their first cars after the jump!

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