Acura has released the first image of the production 2009 TL sport sedan, going on sale this fall. While full specifications have not yet been announced, Acura does say that for the first time the TL will be available with their Super Handling All Wheel Drive system (presently on the RL). Acura also says that this new TL will be the "most powerful Acura ever," and previous reports tell us that two engines will be offered. The base front wheel drive model will have a 280 horsepower 3.5 liter V6. Step up to the AWD version, and you pack a 3.7 liter with 310 ponies. All wheel drive and 300ish horsepower sounds a lot like the RL. And what about the RL? Likely to move upmarket next time around, but exactly how so is still speculation. What is not speculation is that Acura is moving forward with the snow plow grills, which just debuted on the 2009 TSX, and it ain't pretty. While the press release also touts more driver technology (Bluetooth microwave oven, DVD hot pockets), let's just hope Acura didn't take the driving experience from hero to zero as they did on the new TSX.

If GM and Chrysler were healthy, they wouldn't have anything to deny, would they? But they do. And so they have. In so doing, GM CEO Rick Wagoner provided the perfect non sequitur. According to Bloomberg, "GM has no thoughts whatsoever'' of bankruptcy. Hang on; if you're not thinking about it how can you answer the question? And anyway, if Wagoner isn't thinking about bankruptcy, should he be? You know; the threat of bankruptcy? Or is this one of those quintessential GM fingers-in-the-ears "la-la-la-la-la" moments? Along the same lines, Wagoner declared "We don't have any plans to eliminate more brands." That's reassuring? Shouldn't GM have plans to eliminate brands? Especially if GM "has a lot of money for a company of its size" (i.e. one who's market cap is less than Mattel). Meanwhile, Automotive News [sub] has intercepted a letter from former ToMoCo Prez (and current Chrysler Prez) Jim Press and his best bud Steven Landry (executive vice president of North American sales) to ChryCo dealers. The missive assures store owners that the ailing American automaker isn't going Tango Uniform. "Speculation has surfaced recently in media coverage of analyst reports suggesting Chrysler might have liquidity issues down the road if the U.S. market does not pick up. Chrysler has communicated to the media that the suggestion of a possible bankruptcy situation is without merit." Without merit? As in untrue? False? Wrong? Parse-ably. 

Doom, gloom, Chapter 11, recession, housing crisis, credit crunch, Iranian missile tests, Dodge Journey — how much more bad news can we take? Well, lots. But that's not the issue. The issue is that I thought of a funny story and I'm going to share it with you and then ask you to do the same. Capiche? A few years ago I was dating a girl. One night some friends were in town and the four of us went out for dinner and drinks in their rented PT Cruiser Convertible. My gal had some fish and chips and perhaps one two many beers, though I think something may have been wrong with the fish. She got sick on the way to the car. Messy sick. Then, she demanded we put the top down, because she was still feeling awful. I got roped into driving because my friends also had too much booze. And then, as George Carlin termed it, the poor thing had an involuntary personal protein spill. At about 50 mph. And her spill got picked up by the wind and flung into the back seat. All over our out of town guests. The funny part is that later that night (after lots and lots of soapy scrubbing by yours truly) she asked, "What does PT stand for?" My friend answered, "Puke Tainer." You?

Motor Trend (MT) is filling-up bandwidth and hyping-up baby boomers with a post on the forthcoming New Beetle Mk II. The bulk of it isn't all that earth-shattering: there will be a new New Beetle. MT reckons it will be based on the next Golf and it should arrive in 2010. There will likely be a hybrid version. Motor Trend says VW should (or could) make the New Beetle a hybrid-only model since "its distinctive style lends it the same kind of instant recognition as the Toyota Prius." Except that the Prius is actually aerodynamic; a far more important feature for efficiency-oriented cars than boomer nostalgiamobiles. But that isn't even MT's wildest bit of speculation. They speculate that VW's forthcoming city car, the up! could be restyled to look like a "Baby Beetle." Hmmm. The VW up! was planned as a rear-engine car, and it will cost enough to place it in the "small-but-premium" category. By giving it a Beetle-inspired shape, VW could use nostalgia to trump the price point. A light, rear-engined baby Beetle would capture more of the original kaeferwagen's appeal than another reskinned Golf. But there's a small problem with the theory. As Mr Berkowitz pointed out, the up! is no la rear-engine, rear-wheel drive car. That doesn't mean a baby Beetle isn't coming. But if it does, it will be just another reskinned FWD VW. Or will it?

We've been pointing out for some time that lighter cars are more fun to drive and more eco-friendly than, uh, heavier cars. Enter the Lotus Eco Elise show car. The Lotus boys have still managed to shave another 70 lbs. from the donor Elise S' 1896 lbs. frame (ouch). And really, that's the sales pitch. Sure, the body panels are made of hemp-based composites (smoke 'em if you got 'em), there are photovoltaic panels on the roof (to power what?), the paint is water-based (woo-hoo!) and its production has more environmental credentials than Greenpeace. But the buzzword-laden materials and production techniques wouldn't mean a thing if this Lotus couldn't take wing. While other manufacturers struggle to reinvent the internal combustion engine, Lotus is simply following founder Colin Chapman's dictate and adding lightness. But not luggage. Nope. Not a bit.

There are three phases of life. 1. When you don't know any of the songs playing in the elevator. 2. When you know all the songs playing in the elevator. 3. When you don't know any of the songs playing in the elevator. I feel like I'm getting closer to phase three. Not because I've just celebrated my 49th birthday. Nor because of Muzak; it's been so long since I've been in an office lift they're showing the Elevator News Network for all I know. No, it's down to the fact that Justin had never heard of the word "cheesecake." It's an old-fashioned expression (sigh) referring to semi-pornographic pictures of attractive women (I daren't ask Justin about T and A). You may have noticed there's a lot of these sorts of pictures hereabouts, as of late. Frank made the decision to deploy garage wall pinups after contemplating our 4856th image of a Toyota Prius. I agreed because I'm largely heterosexual (so to speak), and what the Hell– it's not all about you. We realize this shift has rendered TTAC less cubicle-friendly. And so we've charged out boffins with creating a button to make TTAC a text-only site. Meanwhile, your thoughts?

While top 5 and top 10 lists are the crack of the automotive nickel press (cheap, low quality, likely to give you brain damage and felonious), Autoweek's Top 5 Fuel-Efficient Cars You Actually Want to Drive" is just too asinine, too absurd not to pass on to TTAC's Best and Brightest. Not only do they choose bad cars (that, according to Autoweek, bring a smile to your face), but their stats are largely incorrect.  

— 2008 Tesla Roadster (Exotic)   
        – $109,000 MSRP   
        – 220 miles per charge (256 mpg equivalent)    
        – 0-60 in 3.9 seconds

Oh, it's exotic alright. So exotic, it's not in production and you can't buy one. Autoweek should know better than to swallow the load from Tesla’s PR department. The Tesla isn’t in full production, the range is completely unverified, they are likely going to be selling for way over the $109,000 sticker. Then again, Autoweek’s list is “cars you want to drive” and in fact, we all do want to drive the Tesla. 

— 2008 Audi TT 2.0 TDI Quattro (Weekend Warrior)        
    – $49,000 MSRP (estimated)         
    – 44 mpg (hwy)         
    – All-wheel drive handling

Does Autoweek know something Audi doesn’t? This model wasn’t confirmed for US production. Audi is bringing a 3.0-liter V6 diesel for the A4 and Q5/Q7, but the TDI four-banger is VW only for now. If they want to go off on the European cars tangent, that’s fine, but in such a case I’m going BMW 120d.

  — 2008 Mercedes-Benz E320 BLUETEC (Executive Sedan)
     – $53,075 MSRP
     – 32 mpg (hwy)
     – 210 horsepower, 400 lb-ft of torque

  — 2008 MINI Cooper (Cheap Thrills)
     – $18,700 MSRP
     – 37 mpg (hwy)
     – 2546 lbs and go-kart handling

They were bound to get two out of the five right. But you still have to ask yourself if the diesel price premium actually makes sense over a Benz E350, which unlike the oil burner, is available with 4Matic. There’s no denying the diesel Benzes are wonderful. And as for the Cooper, it’s a gem.

  — 2008 Lexus RX 400h (Family Fun)
     – $42,980 MSRP
     – 27 mpg (city)
     – 84.7 cubic feet of available cargo space

The only “family fun” thing about the Lexus RX hybrid is parking it on a set of train tracks and walking home. This is a terrible vehicle, with observed mileage guaranteed to be much lower. Also, just try finding one without the $6000 navigation package.

Setting aside the fact that an indeterminate number people buy hybrids for reasons other than saving money (green props, emissions, etc.), what about Ye Olde Hybrid premium? Where are we on that score these days, what with $4 the new $1.50 down at the pump? NADAguides has done a little number crunching on that score. They reckon "only a handful of hybrid cars make financial sense for a consumer who buys a new car every five years." Warning that miles driven and local gas prices are significant variables, NADA conclude that the following gas – electric cars recoup their "extra" cost within the five-year time frame (presented in order of fastest recoupage to slowest): Toyota Camry Hybrid, Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid, Cadillac Escalade Hybrid (just kidding). NADA's press release gives us a big ass chart of local gas prices and uses EPA stats and manufacturers' MSRP. But they don't make mention of the single largest expense of car ownership: depreciation. And here's a question: to what "gas equivalent" did they compare the Prius?

Auto Motor und Sport has some stunning news out of Europe, where the Chevrolet brand is *gasp* kicking ass. That's right folks, GM has sold 318k fewer vehicles on the year in America, but in Europe the General's sales are actually up by 375k units on the year. And no, those numbers are not coming from the newly "upmarket" Opel (-1.7 percent), or established SAAB (-13 percent) brands either. Rebadged Daewoos sold as Chevrolets are what's been (sort of) saving GM's bacon on the continent that invented the car, up a staggering 23.7 percent on the year. Most of those sales come from Eastern Europe and Russia, where people realize that the American brand's connotations of obesity, pollution and warmongering were properly earned in the Cold War. And speaking of brand connotations, Chevrolet isn't even the fastest-growing GM brand in Europe. Sales of the real "America's Brand" HUMMER are up a staggering 29 percent on the year so far. Of course, that's a not-so staggering total of 1,325 HUMMERs sold. But still, who'd have thunk it? In summary, the former Evil Empire is crazy for Chevrolets, Europe still loves it some HUMMER and we're tracking a cold front moving through Hell this weekend. Details at Eleven.

It turns out that Fiat and BMW's axis of platform-sharing may help facilitate Alfa's stateside arrival. Automotive News [sub] reports that the Fiat version of the automakers' joint agreement states that "as part of possible cooperation, BMW Group will provide Fiat Group Automobiles with support in launching the Alfa Romeo brand in the North American market." And really, it's perfect. BMW already has a chain of boutique dealers in the more "sophisticated" American markets: MINI. And sure enough, Fiat spokesfolk tell AN "Mini U.S. dealers would have the possibility to also sell Alfa Romeo cars." Official details of the agreement have not been publicized, nor has BMW officially commented on MINI becoming a multi-brand retailer. Still, it's hard to think of too many downsides. MINI stores are already located in the markets that will be interested in Alfas, and the idea of an 8C Competizione gracing a MINI showroom is hardly the stuff of MINI salesman nightmares. Though the two brand's FWD offerings may not be as coordinated as they'd like, the platform-sharing plans mean that the two brands could grow around each other. Besides, a MINI-Alfa dealer would hearken back to the good old days of "import specialty dealers." Only without the horrendous products and service support. We hope. 

You'd think we were back in second grade, what with all this "not" stuff. New York Times Op Editorialist Roger Lowenstein joins celebrity stock picker (and former GM booster) Jim Cramer and Merrill Lynch analyst John Murphy in accepting GM's not impossible nightmare. In his attempt to discover "WHO shot GM?" Lowenstein passes rising gas prices, a lack of hyrbids and bad design and goes straight to… the United Auto Workers' (UAW) legacy costs. "None of G.M.’s management miscues was so damaging to its long-term fate as the rich pensions and health care that robbed General Motors of its financial flexibility and, ultimately, of its cash." Huh? Apparently, without paying all that money to the UAW GM could have "designed new cars or researched alternative fuels. Or it could have acquired half of Toyota." Or bought Saab! Or HUMMER! Or started Saturn! Oh wait… sorry. It's all about universal health care and highly relevant shit like that. "The sorry decline of General Motors has proved Reuther right: the government is the better provider of social insurance. Let industry worry about selling products." Sure. That's the right approach. NOT! 

Did you miss out on the chance to reserve a Challenger SRT-8 during the pre-production feeding frenzy? Don't worry– they're still available. It turns out the "sold out" production run wasn't. While many of the first 6.4k built were pre-sold, "a quarter of the cars were set aside for dealer orders." The Detroit News reports they're available at some dealers; in fact, one Michigan dealer has nineteen of them for sale. Jim Simpson, sales manager at Dick Huvaere's Richmond Chrysler Jeep Dodge, said "I wish I had 50 of them." So far he's sold one; he currently has two on the lot with 17 more expected later this month. A quick scan of inventory at Dodge dealers in the metro Atlanta area turned up five on dealer lots. So if you're interested, you might be able to find one in your area too. Or you can wait a few months until dealers have milked the "market price adjustment" and they're willing to talk turkey (so to speak) to get them off their lots.

According to an editor's note in yesterday's LA Times, the Autos section, Highway 1, is no more. The likely reasons? The LA Times is having a hard time making money. Subscriptions and circulation are down, paper, ink, and distribution costs are way up. This is true for most print newspapers, and something's gotta go. Why they picked autos, I don't know, since the biggest part of the budget is Dan Neil's salary. And that will stay put as he moves over to the business section for his charming reviews (he hits the Alfa MiTo this week). The bulk of the rest of the section is advertisements, and I'm fairly certain the LA Times gets paid for those. Still, this was an accounting department decision, so we can be sure the math added up. For a city like LA, so steeped in car culture, this is a sad development. And yet not at all surprising. Kevin Roderick over at LA Observed thinks Home, Real Estate, Books, and Food are lined up for the guillotine, also. Meanwhile, Crain's Detroit Business reports that it's only a matter of time before The Detroit News sends its cheerleaders packing. "Dwindling circulation, plummeting retail and classified advertising sales and the tribulations of metro Detroit's economy make this two-newspaper town an 'anomaly,' said Rem Rieder, editor and senior vice president of the American Journalism Review." How ironic is that?

America can't get enough of the Prius. To meet demand, Toyota will begin building the gas – electric four-door in the U.S. in late 2010 (yes, at the same time the Volt is supposed to debut). ToMoCo'll use the plant they're building in Blue Springs, Mississippi– originally destined for Highlander production. Highlanders are moving to the Princeton, Indiana plant starting in late '09. To make room for the Highlander, they'll shift Indiana Tundra production to San Antonio, consolidating Tundra production in Spring 2009. But before they do that, they'll shut down all Tundra production from August 8 until early November (lagging sales). Toyota says they'll continue to provide work for the non-union "team members" at both facilities, as well as those working at the Huntsville, Ala. plant that builds Tundra and Sequoia engines.

Behind every flailing/failing company is a bunch of clueless, warring egomaniacs. Students of mismanagement mishegos have a new case study to contemplate, thanks to a portrait of the aspiring electric vehicle maker in Fortune magazine. There's plenty of SNAFU granularity to consider, but the main theme is that Tesla founder Martin Eberhard is an overwhelmed Wozniak to Elon Musk's OCD Jobs. In other words, it's a simple case of the blind leading the lame. Or is that the other way around? Anyway, there are some insanely great quotes. "Musk has kept silent until now about what happened [to Martin Eberhard's crashed Roadster]. 'I was too busy trying to fix the fucking mess he left. I haven't had time to tell my story… I will say, I have never met someone who is as capable of creating such a disinformation campaign as Martin Eberhard.'" And "When an early member of the marketing team suggested putting solar panels on the roof of Tesla's new headquarters in San Carlos, Calif., Eberhard's response was, 'Why the fuck would we do that?'" And "Musk ordered the engineers to lower the doorsill two inches, thereby losing much of the cost savings that come from using a crash-tested off-the-rack chassis. 'Have you tried getting out of an Elise?' asks Musk. 'It's like you have to be a contortionist.'" There's SO much more. Suffice it to say, we learn that seven Roadsters have been completed; each cost Tesla more to build than they [in theory] make. Each will have to have its transmission replaced. The Tesla Death Watch continues.