Hey General Motors:

Closing 4 plants? Time for a gut check.

so for the design, the boss said 'start with the mouth of a whale shark..'

Hey, check it out!

The New Peugeot 308 RC Z Concept


and



Same thing!

Is it me...

Or does the new Ford Flex look an awful lot like a stretched boxy Mini Cooper?

Something about that roof...

Camaro Identity Crisis

Autoblog is reporting that the new Chevrolet Camaro due in 2009 will not be positioned as a "Muscle Car". Why bother then? VP of sales and marketing of GM's Mark LeNeve said that is will be a car "positioned for fuel economy, design". He even went so far as to say the flagship of the model line will be featuring its V6 engine option, not the V8 we've come to hear from months ago.
I'm guessing that 10 or so years from now marketing classes will be using the 2009 camaro as a case study for how you SHOULDN'T market a vintage reissue. The image of the Camaro is based on being a muscle car, it's based on having a big chevy V8 in it that sounds like it's fueled by M80's. Its supposed to give you the image that you can and will grow a ferocious mustache in a day. None of these things exist in the poisition of the new Camaro. It will just be a fat, ugly, slow and gas guzzling (still because it will weigh as much as the moon) hunk of sheet metal with a Camaro badge on it. Where's the old soul? All these things that LeNeve is saying about the Camaro just simply does not exist. Suck it up, admit that the new Camaro is for people who DON'T want a Honda Accord. Because if you tell people that the Camaro is for people that want a well designed, fuel efficent car they will just go buy a Prius.

Porsche says "Welp Cya" in response to new CO2 standards

Reporter- How will Porsche be modifying their cars and SUV's in the coming CO2 demands that Europe will place?
Porsche- We will be quitting life, sir
Reporter- ...did you say 'quit life'?
Porsche- Yeah, we're quitting life. Next question please
Reporter- *Head explodes*

And now for an opinionated explanation:

Europe is planning to pass a landmark standardization for CO2 emissions. What happens if you get caught in violation? 95 Euros, on EACH GRAM, on EACH CAR SOLD. This would effect models like the Cayenne, Cayenne S, the upcoming Panamera, and...well ok, every single Porsche would be heavily fined. Considering that, if the legislation passed in Europe, Porsche would be paying a 15 grand premium on every single Cayenne S made in fees.
So, instead of being optimistic and running head first to fix the problem as best they can (I.E. making every Porsche model a hybrid), Porsche is simply saying "Fuck it". If the CO2 emissions policy were an apocalyptic asteroid heading for earth, Porsche would be the guys sitting on lawn chairs drinking beer waiting for the meteorite to hit them in the face.
Porsche claim that if they were to really abide by the standards, they wouldn't be Porsche anymore. A fleet of hyper green hybrid porsches just isn't the same.
This article then means one thing:
If those CO2 standards are passed, you can better believe Porsche will be packing it's desk. Cause nobody wants a diet-911 Turbo.

Update on Gear

Finalgear.com is reporting that LA times writer Dan Neil is going to be involved with the Americanized Top Gear. Take note however that we don't know if he will be actually hosting, or doing the research. SO...

We got Adam Carolla and Dan Neil, any thoughts on who's gonna be next?

Here's what really grinds my Gear(s)

A few months back during the writers strikes we heard that an american version of Top Gear, (Tentatively titled Gear) will be produced. Heres what we know, and some stuff that we don't know.

1. It will be produced on the Discovery Channel, not on NBC. According to Autoblog.com the discovery channel was shooting the pilot in lieu of showing the usual UK version.

2. The show will remain in roughly the same format as the UK version. That means shooting in a warehouse or big hanger of some sorts, having a large test track for the cars, and three hosts. Expect the Stig and the "Star in a reasonably priced car" segment to follow as well.

3. No hosts have been confirmed by NBC but Adam Carolla has stated that he has been working on the American version. Jay Leno (who has his own enormous world famous car collection) and Jerry Seinfeld (a self admitted Porsche nut) have also been rumored to host the show. Once again none of these people have been confirmed to host.

And that's all we know so far.
Expect updates on Carolla's situation to follow very soon.