Some car companies produce TV commercials that are targeted at your left brain. They hit you with stats and prices and lots of dry information. Some TV ads cater to entirely to your right brain. They seduce you with music, action and Jill Wagner (what car does she sell again?). And some TV ads try to mix a little bit of both at the same time. And then there are Volkswagen’s ads, which are no-brainers. And I don’t mean that in a good way.

I know we're not exactly safe on the moral high ground here. Eagle-eyed readers will be sure to scan TTAC's archives for any and all admissions that the reviewer drove at extra-legal speeds. (My entirely fictional take on the Porsche Carrera GT.) But it's clear from Edmunds' blog of their current road trip that they have no compunctions telling the world that they're driving the new Nissan GT-R at monumental speeds on public roads. The "Making Time" video of the GT-R's speedo shows Senior Writer Ed Hellwig pushing the car to somewhere between 165 and 170mph on a Western highway. In fact, the blog contains numerous off-hand (if not downright boastful) references to law-breaking velocities, including a flippant description of getting pulled-over for [a reported] 91mph. There's a video of Bonneville Salt Flats' hoonage sans helmet with the comment "that was only 130." I know many of you will view any objections to this type of journalism as sanctimonious codswallop, but doesn't the fact that impressionable teens idolize the GT-R oblige Edmunds to show a bit more journalistic responsibility? And aren't they criminally liable for that video?

The Los Angeles Times is calling it "a significant blow for environmentalists and transportation activists." On Thursday, California's Air Resources Board (CARB) voted to "slash" the number of emission-free vehicles automakers must sell in the state by 70 percent. The panel adopted new rules that would require the largest companies selling cars in the state to produce 7.5k electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles from 2012 to 2014. (Down from the 25k under rules set in ‘03.) In addition, carmakers will be called upon to make about 58k plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in the same period. CARB also decided overhaul its entire Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program, to align it with tougher greenhouse-gas emission standards. CARB board member Daniel Sperling says "it's my view that both plug-in hybrids and [emission-free vehicles] are tremendous stretches for the industry." But Chelsea Sexton, the executive director of Plug In America says "It's a huge blow, they sent the message to the carmakers that they can always get what they want from the board." And here's the kicker: GM asked for "special consideration" for the Chevy Volt. GM's executive director for environment, energy and safety argued that the Volt will have a longer range than rival plug-in hybrids so, you know, cut us some slack. The board granted that request, valuing extended-range plug-in hybrids more highly than shorter-range models. GM has yet to sell a single Volt, but hey, why let the facts get in the way? 

That, my aspiring plug-in friends (2010), is a Hell of a lot of Priora. Nikkei English News [via Bloomberg] reports that Toyota's ramping (amping?) up Prius production at its two Japanese factories to increase overall output by a full 60 percent. ToMoCo's aiming to shift 450k gas – electric hybrids worldwide in '09. No word if and when (not to mention why) Toyota will expand the Prius into its own sub-brand, as rumored on the internets. And the U.S. market for Priora has suddenly gone soft. Although Toyota's sold 181,221 Priora in '07, and the model's up 8.5 percent year-to-date, February sales declined by 10.9 percent. Could we about to see another price cut to move the metal? It sure worked last time.

Nissan wants you to buy the Armada LE 4×4 to "Live Big." Someone needs to tell these guys that conspicuous consumption is dead– at least for those car buyers who can no longer afford it. While the high and low ends of the SUV market are still relatively robust, big-ass trucks in the former "sweet spot" are giving potential buyers a toothache. It may have something to do with the price of gas. Or ruinous depreciation. Which is a shame. The Nissan Armada is a damn Skippy good truck; you know, if you used to like that kind of thing.

We don't usually crib from The Car Connection (TCC), thanks to an ancient feud involving TTAC's call for automotive websites to publicly declare their junketeering and press fleetage in their posts (a call that Edmunds kinda sorta answered). But credit where credit's due: the guys have stumbled upon a true jewel of a YouTube clip. This ad is more than just "I can't turn away from the weight challenged guy" fascinating. It represents a tacit admission from a car dealer that la règle du jeu have changed. Of course, we don't know if the Clay family dealerships put their fine words into practice, but they are the right words. And the ad doesn't scream or try to sell on price. We applaud Clay for their, uh, courage and [once again] ask TCC to tell their readers when they're sucking on the manufacturers' tit– although this is probably not the best time to use that metaphor.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) strike against American Axle (AA) will claim its second automobile plant next week. In addition to the Cobalt/G5 plant, Automotive News [sub] says the strike threatens GM's Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant (Buick Lucerns, Cadillac DTS). Buick probably won't mind the shutdown; they're in the same boat as Chevy and GMC with a 100-day supply. Cadillac isn't in quite as good shape, with a 59-day supply of DTS'. Automotive analyst Erich Merkle doesn't think losing a second car plant will be enough to get GM involved in the strike settlement. "It's a little bit of an 'ouch,' but it's certainly something that's survivable. GM could still probably afford to stand on the sidelines a little while longer." While the strike is a relatively inexpensive (and entirely blameless) way for GM to reduce bloated inventories, keep in mind that the American automaker counts a "sale" when a vehicle leaves the factory. When the new quarter starts (April 1), the strike will whack The General's bottom line. That means interceding in the strike, encouraging AA to ramp up offshore production or facing Armageddon. If (and most probably) when production restarts and GM begins channel stuffing replacing inventory, you can bet they'll crow about record production and sales for that quarter. 

Math is not my forte, in the sense that I grew up thinking times tables supported New York newspapers. But there are many of you who know your way around a calculator. For your number crunching pleasure, I submit this article from Seeking Alpha, a stock tip site. The unnamed author crunches the numbers: the total amount of potential ethanol production vs. total U.S. gas consumption. The conclusion: "Corn ethanol will never replace any meaningful quantities of gasoline nor diesel." More specifically, "ethanol (spark ignition) will not substitute for diesel (compression ignition) anyway without substantial vehicle and fuel changes. Ethanol will not easily substitute for heating oil nor jet fuel neither. And if you add in ALL the energy-related inputs, some have said we may be able to replace, at best, 3-4% of U.S. gasoline using all U.S. corn." And so ethanol supporters will move on to cellulosic sources or trash or lithium ion crystals, with your tax money. 

Although this story about the fracture of the Antarctic's Wilkins ice shelf isn't strictly car-related, TTAC's Best and Brightest are well aware that global warming is the intellectual justification for draconian CO2 tailpipe regulations. As far as The New York Times is concerned, the "broken ice" is proof positive that humans are warming the planet. Needless to say, something must be done (but not about the fracture, silly reader)! "Nothing dramatizes the urgency of global warming quite like a fracture of this scale. There is nothing to be done about a collapsing polar ice sheet except to witness it. It may be too late to stop the warming decay at the boundaries of Antarctic ice, yet there is everything to be done. Humans can radically change the way they live and do business, knowing that it is the one chance to find a possible limit to radical change in the natural world around us."  Make no mistake dear Pistonheads, your non-hybrid anything is directly in The Old Gray Lady's– and like-minded regulators– crosshairs. 

Those of you familiar with our coverage of Tesla Motors' struggle to produce a lithium-ion powered sports car know that we believe that they believe every word they're saying, regardless of which side of their mouth their words emanate. But you've got to wonder when the erstwhile automaker's VP of Vehicle Integration [via Just-auto, sub] answers the straightforward question "So when does series production start then?" with the above. (And there I was thinking production meant building cars for customers.) And what about this quote? "There is a danger when you ramp that you keep an eye on the big balls," Malcom Powell proclaims. "But it needs all the balls to build the car; it's no good having just 99% of the parts because you can't build it. So we will control our ramp rate carefully. We will start producing the cars this quarter and we will monitor and ramp as quickly as we can, but under control." So, uh, how many cars, then? "It will be some hundreds of cars this calendar year – we should be running at around 600 for the Model Year." You heard it here, folks: Tesla is [not] fully committed to producing 600 '08 Roadsters– whatever that means.  

Us car-journo types spill a lot of ink writing about interiors. Interiors? Yeah. You could have an otherwise perfectly fine vehicle let down by crap plastics and more crap plastics. Ford's Mustang comes to mind. In fact, I have zero interest in the new Challenger because of the sub-bargain-basement innards. Looking at the photos reminds me of Chrysler's Sebring, the most miserable modern vehicle I've ever experienced. My point? Interiors matter. In fact, some are so good that I want to spend eternity in them. But which one? Audis always get tossed around when kick-ass insides are discussed. No thank you. Too dark, too much metal and too engineered. That basically rules out anything from Germany. No one wants to be wrapped in a computer forever. What about jolly old England. Nice, indeed, but British cars pose two problems. One, they're too stuffy. Even though you're dead, you still want to breathe. Two, they're too German. If you've ever found yourself in a Bentley GT you were no doubt aghast at the Passat gear lever. This leaves only one country — Italy. And currently, only one car. Bury me in the Maserati Quattroporte Executive GT. You?

The leader Chrysler's "Project D" effort to develop a Camccord fighter has resigned after "clashes with senior management. The Wall Street Journal calls Mike Donoughe "a star engineer," and there's no doubt that the project he was heading was a top priority. The Sebring/Avenger combo is dead in the water for Chrysler, and Donoughe had some of the best product development credentials in the company, having headed truck and SUV development. So how does a 24-year Chrysler veteran in charge of a premier development project find himself on the outside of Auburn Hills looking in? The WSJ won't quote anyone, but over at Autoextremist there's a rumor On The Table that "Acting Chief Innovation Officer" Peter Arnell was behind the drama. As long as everyone has plenty of room to swing their egos around, maybe Chrysler could get back to building competitive vehicles?

In another sign that some of the more profitable aspects of the domestic auto biz have little to do with actually making cars, the Oakland Business Review (via Mlive.com) reports that the industry demand is attracting computer graphics companies to Michigan. Computer Graphic Imaging (CGI) is used across the auto industry, from prototype development to sales and marketing, and companies which once focused only on California's film industry are starting to open offices specifically to serve automakers. And these companies offering digital imaging software are attacking traditional marketing firms, offering OEMs the capability to manipulate high-quality images of products and vehicles in-house for less than Madison Avenue charges. "The cost is really driving this industry. Plus, the benefit is you can do a lot more. You can dissolve the skin away of the car," says John Willette, partner at the CGI firm Armstrong White. Dissolve the skin you say? Bring the man a Sebring!

Sales of portable GPS units for use in cars "have skyrocketed," and according to a CNN video, so have the number of thefts. Portable navigation units bring "about $100 on the black market," and in 2007, about 800 of them were stolen from cars in Nassau County near New York City- and while it's still early in 2008, about 450 have already been stolen. Removing the device from your windshield and locking it up in the car may seem an easy way to prevent theft, but Detective Sergeant Anthony Repalone says leaving the mount in place indicates a GPS unit is likely stashed in the center console, glove compartment, or under the seat. He advises that you remove the mount and wipe off the telltale ring its suction cup can leave on your windshield. If your car does get broken into by a thief looking for your GPS unit, Detective Repalone ticks off the potential costs: "The damage to the windshield, couple hundred dollars, stolen device, several hundred dollars, so the person who owns it is now out maybe seven- eight hundred dollars." While you might question his math skills, it's difficult to argue with his logic.

Detroit Free Press columnist Mark Phelan proves that even those in the mainstream media can handle a little bit of automotive truth-telling. His recent column hammers Chryslers decision to shut down factories for two weeks this summer. Actually, Phelan's beef is not with the plan itself, but its implementation. His main point? People spend all year planning their vacations; forcing employees to change all of their plans is not good for a company as fragile as Chrysler. "Forgetting that other folks have family obligations and less vacation time than you is what Type A executives do," argues Phalen. "The problem is that it has to be somebody's job to tell the boss when he's about to step in something that will stick to his shoe and smell bad." Apparently, skimping on consideration bears bitter fruit down the road. "The company should do everything it can to minimize confusion and communicate its message clearly. Sending a mass e-mail telling everybody to go home for a couple of weeks only fuels doubt and speculation," says Phalen. He definitely has a point there, re: TTAC's rumor report that Chrysler will file when everyone's on hols.