Remember Ford's promise to improve SUV fuel economy by 25 percent by 2005? Or the one about building a quarter-million hybrids by 2010? Well, the Detroit Free Press reports that The Blue Oval Boyz are at it again. FoMoCo's pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from its U.S. and European vehicles (no mention of Chinese or Australian models) by 30 percent by 2020. So what makes them think they can keep this promise? Better modeling, says Ford's VP for sustainability, environment and safety engineering. "We started this 'modeling' three years ago" Sue Cishcke reveals. "And that's given us confidence to be able to say what our thinking and blueprint and plan is, and how it's aligning with the regulations." Of course, meeting the new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards will increase fuel efficiency by 40 percent– and reduce greenhouse emissions drastically. And when do these new regs go into effect? Why it's 2020! What a coincidence.

We weren't the only ones giving Toyota grief about their $20m contribution to the Audubon Society. The Green Company That Also Sells Gas-Guzzlin' Trucks has gone on the defensive after readers of their Open Road blog castigated the Japanese automaker for the largesse. It seems the National Audubon Society is one of the plaintiffs in a suit against the National Park Service for alleged failure to regulate beach driving at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina. Readers felt Toyota's donation "is being used against people who use their 4-wheel drive vehicles" and "to help fund the closure of the beaches of the Outer Banks of NC." ToMoCo says not so. After all, "we build and sell four-wheel-drive vehicles that have developed an enviable reputation in the four-wheeling community and many of us here are enthusiastic four-wheelers." To that end, their donation "will be used only to fund conservation projects, train environmental leaders and offer volunteer opportunities, not for lobbying or legal efforts." Yes but… a contribution of that size will free Audubon to redirect organizational funds that would have been used for those purposes, increasing their legal and lobbying firepower.  

What I wouldn't give to have £55,000 and be British. Holden's Mad Max boffins are giving British hoons the necessary weapon to head over to Germany and slay 'em some M5 and RS6. The big news is of course the big engine. Based on the 428-cubic-inch monster found stateside in the Z06, the W427 LS7 (built by Tom Walkinshaw Racing, hence the W) will put out at least 570 horsepower and 472 lb-ft of twist. We find the latter figure odd, as the Z06 comes standard with 475 lb-ft of the good stuff, but they did say, "at least." A 0-60 time of 4.5 seconds puts it in league with the AMG E63 and shaves a tenth of a second or so off an M5's sprint. Here comes the even better part — the VXR8 only comes with a 6-speed manual, in this case a Tremec TR6060. Screw flappy-paddles — we don't need 'em! Other mods include 20" wheels, an upgraded clutch, beefier limited slip-diff, monster six-piston brakes and a carbon fiber rear wing. And now to address the elephant in the living room. We have no idea if this might show up in America as the Pontiac G8 GXP. But mother of all that is holy do we hope so.

The great hybrid showdown is coming. GM Car Czar Bob Lutz has thrown down the gauntlet: “We are headed for the OK Corral.” In fact, GM has staked its reputation on the Volt, intending to “leapfrog the Prius” and evoking America’s Apollo moon-shot program. Meanwhile, Toyota continues its domination of the alt power mindspace, finalizing their third generation Prius. While we prepare for the clash of the hybrids, let’s take a closer look at the contenders…

A bit of a philosophical one for you today. With the (not quite) shocking revelation that whoops London's congestion charge will in fact increase CO2 emissions, and that Mayor Ken Livingstone's administration buried the report, I've been thinking. Who the hell put the politicians in charge? As Woody Allen said, they're just one wrung above child molesters. And he would know. Another example of political grandstanding trumping logic is Bremen enacting a speed limit on a formerly derestriced prt of the Autobahn to (maybe) reduce CO2 emissions by fiver percent. In both examples, motorists' rights were thrown under the [slowly moving] bus for the sake of political expediency. And just to be my own Devil's advocate, during a recent conversation with my London cousin about "Red Ken's" congestion charge, he said he loved it. True, he decided to sell his dirty old Saab, but he says the streets are much calmer and that the city is better off because of the charge. So the question is: can any politician be trusted to get anything car-related right?

will know that I'm a firm believer in branding guru Al Reis' dictum that the tighter a brand's focus, the more powerful it is. A Porsche that only makes sports cars is a stronger brand than a Porsche that makes sports cars and SUVs. TTAC's Best and Brightest will also recognize the blatant hypocrisy of this stance. This website does three things: news, reviews and editorials. The clumsy nature of our site design represents my ongoing– and largely unsuccessful– attempts to reconcile this triumvirate. An opportunity has recently arisen to right this wrong, and I want to get your feedback. How would you feel if we had three inter-linked car sites? The first would be a kick-ass news blog. TTAC would be the second: home of editorials, forums, social networking and all news-related comments. The third would be a car review site. TTAC writers would populate all three sites, which would maintain our high standards of editorial integrity. Your feedback would be most appreciated. Meanwhile, Justin and I discuss the day's news.

Auto Motor und Sport  has a sneak-peek at a CLK Shooting Brake concept set to debut at the Paris Auto Show this October. The coupe-wagon previews the new look of the CLK, which will premier early next year as a 2010 model. The next-generation of Mercedes design aims at positioning the E-class and CLK closer together in terms of both construction and styling. The Shooting Brake shows many of the design features of the next generation of MB styling. Look for those sharper creases and the four sharp-edged headlights to dominate the new look, taking cues from the latest S-class to their logical conclusion in the rest of the Benz family. Although Benz is remaining stum on the production chances of the Shooting Brake, the Germans reveal that the forthcoming E-class will get a hybrid V6 powertrain making 224hp. Sehr Gut!

Dow Jones Market Watch reports that tight credit, expensive gas and the economy in recession, four cylinder engines are becoming increasingly popular. Four-pot models now make up 37 percent of the U.S. market, up from 30 percent three years ago (when gas was last under $2/gal) Eight cylinder models fell from 28 percent to 18 percent over the same period. Tracing the development to purely economic factors, the report shows that hybrids do not yet offer enough savings to overcome their price premiums; hybrids only make up three percent of the market. "For now, the easiest, cheapest way for new-car shoppers to get better mileage is to choose a model with a conventional four-cylinder engine," says J.D. Power analyst Jason Rothkop. "And they are." The poster child for the four-banger revolution? The Toyotas Yaris. Sales of the four-pot economy car were up 83 percent in March. [For more info on last month's sales, check out Frank Williams' March By The Numbers.]

Chrysler's forced summer vacation will not include all North American plants as previously reported. The Aurora Advocate reports that the Twinsburg Stamping Plant and the Windsor Assembly plant might stay open during the planned two-week idle, along with a possible third, unnamed factory. Chrysler Manager for Manufacturing Communications says the Windsor plant could continue making vans– if demand stays [?} high into the summer. "We will make adjustments to consumer demands," Ed Saenz announced. Meanwhile, some Chrysler employees have already used their paid vacation day; they'll be forced to take unpaid vacation days during the shutdown. Saenz proves that he is, at least a friend of a friend of the working classes. He reassured Chrysler employees that next year will be easier– they'll be aware of the fact that they have no choice as to when they'll take their vacation. Provided the company isn't already in C11.

In a twist on the "unintended acceleration" debate raging here and elsewhere, a jury has found Chrysler liable for $5m in damages in a case of park-to-reverse transmission malfunction. The Saint Bernards Parish (LA) jury decided that a defect in a Grand Cherokee's automatic transmission caused the Guillot family's SUV to reverse suddenly, trapping the pregnant Mrs Guillot against a carport column, rupturing her uterus and fatally injuring their unborn (en route to a hospital for delivery). The police had considered charging Mr Guillot, who was driving at the time, with criminal negligence. Although Chrysler had sent an investigator to look into the incident, the Guillots found out about the Chrokee's long-standing park-to-reverse transmission defect when contacted by the L.A. Times– more than two years after the accident. "We suffered the worst loss any parent can experience," Mr. and Mrs. Guillot told reporters. "When we learned that Chrysler knew for years that its vehicles had a defective transmission, we were outraged and determined to hold the corporation accountable. We thank the jury for its careful review of the evidence and verdict against DaimlerChrysler."

We reported earlier that Toyota had upped its stake in Fuji Heavy Industries, maker of Subaru cars. We mentioned one possible fruit of that merger: a jointly-developed rear wheel-drive (RWD) sportscar. Autocar has "top secret" sketches of what the Toyobaru lovechild might look like. The coupe will use Subaru's 175hp boxer four as a base engine motivating the rear wheels only (to keep weight down and handling sharp). Apparently, there is also talk of an all wheel-drive 2.5-liter turbo-engined top-of-the-line model; a throwback to Celica GT4s of yore. With the Miata squarely in its sights, the Japanese-built coupe's could sticker as low as $20k. The United States is pegged as the main market for this tasty little slice of hoon, which should hit dealers sometime in 2010.  Could this possibly be the RWD Scion tC that's hit the rumor mills?

Porsche's battle against London's car-hating Mayor, Ken Livingstone, continues. PistonHeads reports that Porsche now claims a study by London's own government transit authority, Transport for London, shows congestion charging would increase greater London's CO2 levels by 182k tons by 2012. The argument is simple: if people can't go in straight lines through London, they'll be driving longer routes around the congestion zone. More driving, more CO2. The reduction of CO2 in central, congestion-charged London would be only 2200 tons– a tiny fraction compared to what happens in the surrounding areas. Meanwhile and in any case, Porsche is getting maximum PR benefit from the fight. Everytime someone reads about Porsche pouring millions of pounds into this legal struggle, they create David and Goliath associations. Sure, the greens share Livingston's anger. But they're not buying Porsches anyway.

According to Nihon Car, the Scion tC "is one of those boring 2 door coupé made for the U.S. market and powered… with only 161hp, pretty lame both in and out." Now that we have that less than flattering (if accurate) assessment out of the way, Nihon Car reveals that Scion has "succeeded at stunning us this morning" by unveiling "its gorgeous Formula Drift version" of the tC. Exhaust and suspension manufacturer RS-R created this monster, which shares its platform with Toyota's Japanese-market Avensis and Caldina cars (i.e. it's been converted to rear-wheel drive). Blessed with a turbo and intercooler, the engine now offers more than 400hp. Twenty-one-year-old Ken Gushi will helm the modded Scion in U.S. Grand Prix Professional Drift events. Could an RWD tC be coming to a Scion dealer near you? "At this time we do not have confirmed plans to produce a tC rear wheel drive, but a lot of people will want to take one home," says company VP Jack Hollis. Ya think?

Rockabilly's in my blood and somewhere the late, great Charlie Ryan is smiling down on us. Man, they won't know what hit them, 'cause that Lincoln body makes it "look like a pup." Its true, after scoring a wrecked 1995 Mustang GT in the junkyard.  And why not? This pacified Pony Car had the perfect upgrade for a Hot Rod Lincoln eager to stomp on a certain Audi 4000 run by Captain Mike Solowiow: a Tremec T-5 transmission. And yes Mr. Lieberman, its true! V8 Volvos shake in fear, as Dearborn's finest offers a Fox body slushbox conversion sans the (LeMons crippling) cost of a new driveshaft. The price of such pleasure?  All of $65 at Pick-A-Part's half price sale, including a decent flywheel, clutch and cables. And it's precisely why you'll rarely see me shoe shopping, but I'm always down for a boneyard run.

Ford apparently just realized that blind spots in rear-view mirrors are an issue for drivers. In a move to get out in front on this brave new challenge to modern motoring, Ford will be offering special blind spot viewing mirrors on the upper corner of side-view mirrors. That's right, drivers of America, what you once had to pay ten bucks for at Autozone will now come as standard feature "on a few Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models to start, eventually making them standard across most of its lineup." But if cheap, uninspired solutions to the silent killer we call blind spots aren't for you, maybe you'd prefer something overly complicated and gimmicky? Ford has you covered there too, announcing an optional radar-based blind spot warning system as a (doubtless) expensive option on select models. With a little light on your rear view mirror to warn you that an intruder has penetrated your blind spot sector, your "Cross Traffic Alert" system will ensure that you never have to be aware of traffic around you ever again.