Nissan is switching production at its Canton, MS factory from the Quest minivan and Infiniti QX56 SUV to light commercial vehicles (LCV). USA Today reports that the commercial-grade trucks will start rolling off the line in 2010, and that Nissan has yet to decide if the outgoing Quest and QX56 will be replaced. "When we get to the end of each vehicle's cycle, we look at the market" and decide the fate of each vehicle, says Nissan spokeswoman Frederique Le Greves. "The decision has not been finalized. The intention is to continue them, but we don't know where we will manufacture them." Parse the PR-speak, and you get "maybe we'll replace them if minivan and SUV sales pick up." Canton will continue to produce Titan pickups and Altima sedans, while the $118m production switchover takes place. New LCVs will be built for the US market in the eight-ton gross vehicle weight class, powered by 50-state emissions control compatible Cummins turbodiesel engines.

According to China Daily, sales of passenger cars in China rose 23.6 percent in March, compared with the same period last year. That's the largest monthly rise in seven months, attributed (in part) to the arrival of milder springtime weather. The market recovered after "freak winter weather" slowed sales, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. First-quarter sales rose 20.4 percent to 1.85m vehicles, including 1.37m sedans, 55.3k minivans and 101.8k SUVs. Taking both first and second place in sales for the first three months of the year: Volkswagen AG's two Chinese joint ventures, FAW Volkswagen and Shanghai Volkswagen. Coming in third in the sales race: Shanghai GM, the Detroit-based car maker's JV with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. China is the world's second largest car market, with sales of 6.3m vehicles last year.

The Motor Authority reports that GreenRoad Technologies has developed a monitoring system that determines whether or not the person behind the wheel is "aggressive" or "safe." They claim that transforming one to the other equates to a "54% reduction in crashes and an 83% reduction in crash costs." To achieve these unbelievable results, GreenRoad's G-force meters measure roughly 120 different driver actions: acceleration, turning, breaking, middle finger saluting, etc. If the computer deems that a driver's too "aggressive," a red light flashes. Because that's safe. The box also builds a "user profile," which is (presumably) stored by GreenRoad Technologies and could be (theoretically) sent to the police, future employers and/or insurance agents. Using the same battle cry as the Simpsons' Mrs. Reverend Lovejoy, GreenRoad is hocking the system to parents who want to monitor their teens' driving habits. While my driving style would burn that red light out in seven minutes flat, in the 17 years I've had my license, I've caused zero accidents, injured zero people and died zero times. Unless you count "died and gone to heaven." Include me out.

Hertz isn't the only rental car company trying to save the planet one Buick LaCrosse at a time. The AP (via Google News) reports that Enterprise is lathering-up for a bit of greenwashing. The nation's largest rental company is opening four "green branches" in that bastion of environmental awareness: Atlanta, Georgia. In response to "consumer demand," about 60 percent of the vehicles offered in the designated green stores will be hybrids or other fuel-efficient vehicles. Experts say that rental customers looking to buy a hybrid are driving current demand (so to speak). No surprise there; rental companies charge a $5 to $15 a day hybrid premium. Enterprise, Hertz and Avis have about 10k hybrids in their fleets. With over 1.8m vehicles in rental fleets across the nation, Cobalts, Corollas and Elantras are destined to remain the rental companies' bread and butter vehicles– even as they put their green creds on the line.

My personal highlight of Last year’s Dallas Auto Show was watching Sajeev work his magic on GM’s regional marketing director. He’d met her at the Houston Auto Show some weeks earlier, where they’d had a productive conversation. Apparently the Powers That Be within GM didn’t think that was a good idea. She was talking gaily with other scribes when we approached her. When she turned to greet us, her face darkened the moment she recognized the dashing Mr. Mehta. Visibly agitated, she hissed, “I can’t talk to you,” spun on her heels and scurried away. After a moment of stunned silence I asked TTAC’s lonely lothario, “Do you have that effect on all women?”

We're not quite sure how one of TTAC's Best and Brightest got ahold of this image of the new Ford Taurus, but ours is not to question why (ours is to do and, uh, that's it). It sure is a handsome beast– throwing the new new Taurus' (né Five Hundred) Audi-aping shape into the bin where it belongs. Imagine if this car turns into a mega-hit for Ford? How ironic would that be? The car that saved Ford before saves Ford again, birthed by the exec who's career was inspired by the tale of the first Taurus' birth. At this point, all we know is that Ford's legal department is very busy this morning. Or it could be a head fake; an intentionally leaked shot. We'll give you more information as it arrives.

To evaluate the all-new 2008 Toyota Sequoia, I spent some quality time with comparable full-size SUVs from GM and FoMoCo. In back-to-back-to-back tests on the highways and byways of Denton County, Texas, I pitted the new Sequoia Platinum against the 2008 Ford Expedition King Ranch Edition and the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe LTZ "White Diamond" edition. Let's not beat around the Texan brush: the Tahoe outshines its competitors as the best all-around full-sized SUV. Here's why…

Citing environmental concerns, state Environment Minister Rainer Loske has enacted a plan to limit Bremen's section of the Autobahn to 120 km/h (about 75 mph). Loske reckons that the speed limit will cut tailpipe emissions by five percent. In the future, the limit would [somehow] reduce emissions by 15 percent. I think Garfield (the cat, not the dead president) put it best: "Big fat hairy deal." As one of TTAC's most environmentally conscious contributors (i,e, "a perfect example of a hypocritical hyper-car loving tree hugger"), let me be the first to condemn this idiotic bullshit misguided mandate. Bremen could achieve the same greenhouse gas reductions by stipulating that drivers keep their tires properly inflated. Also, how much is this limit actually saving if it turns a two-hour trip into a three-hour journey? My guess? Not much. The good news: Bremen only has jurisdiction over 60 km of Autobahn. If you were traveling at 300 km/h, it would take just five minutes to surmount. Sigh… The limit goes into effect today, April 9, 2008. How do you say "slippery slope" in German?

Or not, in this case. Sorry guy, I got back from Beantown kinda late and I sent you an email and you weren't in and Jonny was hot to trot so… we threw this proverbial shrimp on the e-barbie. But I heard the good news, that will surely turn Mr. Lieberman green with envy (JL being a perfect example of a hypocritical hyper-car loving tree hugger): Mercedes is lending you a C63 AMG. Now THAT ought to be fun. Although God knows how we're going to get a Mercedes dealer– sorry, AMG dealer– to lend us a C63 so we can do a mini-review and honor my pledge not to rely on pampered press cars for TTAC review. But the good news (for you and me and not Jonny) is that A) You're going to drive and review a Mercedes C63 AMG for TTAC and B) Mercedes joins the list of automobile manufacturers who don't hate TTAC on sight (site?), any more. Not that we need their love. But their respect is nice. It tells us there are those on the other side of this business who "get it." Meanwhile, don't feel too bad for Jonny. He says he's getting a BMW M3 to review on our behalf. Perhaps you two should meet-up somewhere in the mid-west near our Captain Solo's base. Now wouldn't that be something?

In chatting with Lieberman today, it became clear that GM has more engines than it really needs in its U.S. lineup. They also have too many brands, too many models, too many employees, too many factories, too many dealerships and too much debt. Those issues notwithstanding, engines are the order of the day. And I think GM could get by with only four engines. I just recently experienced the explosive 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder from the Pontiac Solstice GXP, Saturn Sky Redline, and Chevy Cobalt/HHR SS. The transversely or longitudinally-mounted mill makes 260 horsepower. It should be GM's base engine. Next up: GM's 3.6-liter direct injection V6, currently residing in the Cadillac CTS. It's smooth and has plenty of torque, but it could use more power– especially next to the 260hp turbo four. If they could push the V6 to 340 horses, they'd be all set (ahem, turbo). At the top of GM's automotive range: the 6.2-liter LS3 V8 that's presently in the Corvette. There's nothing to say about this engine except that it's perfect. Finally, GM probably needs a separate V8 for the trucks, even if the LS3 is a fairly close relative of current V8s in GM's truck stable. And that's it. Two-liter turbo four, 3.6-liter V6, 6.2-liter V8, and a truck V8. So I put it to you, TTAC's best and brightest: what does GM need to do on the engine front?

I was chatting today with my teammate Murilee Martin about what we're going to do after our Black Metal V8olvo wins the $1,800 in nickels at the upcoming LeMons race. Man oh man, do we have some brilliant ideas. Brilliant in the same way mixing cocaine with heroin is brilliant. However, I can't talk about them as they are of course top secret. Well, except for one — imagine an El Camino'd first generation Infiniti Q45. Can I get a hell yeah? Then Murilee showed me this two ice cubes beyond cool wine rack made from a Jaguar V12 block and crank. That got me thinking. I drink wine, the local junkyards here in LA are (nearly) overflowing with dead XJ12s and I can lift heavy things (that crank alone has to weigh 150 pounds). Still, getting that oil leaking hunk of aluminum clean would require tremendous effort. And since it's a malaise era Jag, it would find a way to poison the wine while simultaneously going on strike. No, my dream project is a Se7en. Specifically one from AutoPro Motorsport. You supply the Miata (which accounts for 85 percent of the finished Se7en), they supply everything else. That said, I have the mechanical inclination of thumbless chimp and a budget to match. Still, one day. You?

The American Axle strike got confrontational today, as UAW workers picketed an AA replacement-hire orientation in Kalamazoo. MLive.com reports that some 20 striking workers picketed a hotel where testing sessions were taking place, shouting "Unfair Labor Practices!" and other niceties at potential scabs. The company says that they're creating an applicant pool in preparation for forthcoming buyout offers, but spokesfolks won't deny that the new workers could replace strikers. "(AA) seem to be more concerned with pushing through new workers," said Kevin Bushouse, an executive board member of the Three Rivers local union. "We'd rather see them negotiate with us, settle with us." AA has received "thousands of applications" since it advertised for replacement labor, and will continue holding testing until Friday. Meanwhile, a UAW "informational picket" will continue in Detroit where UAW-AA talks are said to be improving.

The Hindu Times reports that the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers and TATA Motors have asked the Indian government to slap a 35 percent duty on Chinese goods. The duty's proponents argue that Beijing's enforced yuan-to-dollar parity has given Chinese manufacturers up to 30 percent advantage on exports. The proposed duty will supposedly level the playing field. Of course, what's bad for Indian manufacturers is good for Indian consumers. But protective tariffs have become a worryingly commonplace phenomenon in the Asian auto biz. Once one country gives its industry a small advantage, it tends to create a protective tariff arms race and from China and Korea to Malaysia and Indonesia, everyone is jumping in on the action. If India further legitimizes the practice, there will be few remaining incentives for fair competition in the fastest growing auto markets in the world.

As the 24 Hours of LeMons May 10 race date draws closer, my teammates in Northern California continue to clang, weld and bleed all over our Volvo 244 with a Ford V8 stuffed into the bay. Despite the audacity of our entry, we're quite fortunate to have two "veteran" hotrod builders on staff, Wayne and Dave. You know what they say, old guys rule. According to reports from the garage, these two can fabricate, fix or bend anything to their will. Amazingly, Wayne made the Volvo's throttle components work with our Holley carb. Awesome. Other progress notes of note include a completed fuel filler system Sawzalled right through the trunk lid using the factory Volvo cap, a hood scoop (adds several hundred horsepower, no doubt), the majority of the wiring plus the gauges and the brakes are (mostly) assembled. Now all that's left is a series of Herculean tasks that will keep their knuckles bloody red and their dreams filled with terror right up until race day. Pray for Black Metal.

The New York state legislature has shot down NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed $8 congestion charge on vehicles entering Manhattan. Wired News reports that the proposal which was to be a career-capper for Bloomberg was doomed by heavy-handed tactics by the Mayor's office. En route to telling state legislators that "You're either for this historic change in New York or you're against it," Bloomberg's transportation commissioner, Janette Sadik-Khan was pulled over by state police for speeding and improperly using her lights and sirens. This obviously affected how representatives received the proposal. "When [she] was coming up here telling me I can't drive," said Bronx Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, "she was busy being driven in a city-owned car by a chauffeur, speeding, getting a ticket with her lights and sirens on." Bloomberg called the rejection "a special kind of cowardice," which, in an ironic twist, is almost exactly what opponents called the revenue-building measure when justified by global carbon emission levels.