The mainstream media jumped all over the story that the Tesla Roadster had "begun full production" on March 17 (of this year), And then… nothing. How long will deposit-paying customers wait for their $98k– sorry, $109k lithium-ion-powered carbon fiber-skinned and modified Lotus Elise? Tesla must be wondering the same thing. The Stamford Advocate reports that the Silicon Valley start-up has taken their Roadster on the road, calming customers' impatience with 20-minute demo drives. Potential Tesla owner and "media company executive" Gary Patrick was realistic about the car's core appeal: ""You can still feel like you're fulfilling your green responsibility and reducing your carbon footprint with a car like this." We also learn that Tesla's national sales manager reckons her customers could, in theory, recharge their Roadster using "smaller, 110-volt sockets used for a living room lamp or television set." Only "charging that way could take as long as 30 hours, compared with eight hours on a larger circuit." Hang-on; setting aside the fact that no one has confirmed ANY recharge time, what happened to the highly-touted three-hour recharge cycle? Same thing that happened to the Roadster's 250-mile range. Or the idea of selling the Roadster as a "true" sports car. "For now," Allen prevaricated, "Tesla plans to sell its luxury products largely on the appeal of its eco-friendliness." Plans to sell, as opposed to selling, 'cause selling implies delivery, of course.  

Should states be allowed to sell specialty license plates with religious messages? Stefan Lonce, author of a book on vanity license plates, doesn't think so because he wants The New York Times to promote his book and we all know where they stand on the old church-state thing. The one-time New York Times op-ed contributor points out that federal courts consistently rule that vanity plates are protected under the First Amendment. Unless, that is, someone finds the plate offensive. Lonce advocates establishing a national database of "prohibited vanity plate messages, created with advice from First Amendment experts and open to public scrutiny." States would use the db to determine what's PC and what's not. Lonce doesn't even consider the fact that a plate that's considered "offensive" in one state would be perfectly acceptable in another. For example, religious messages prohibited by state law in Vermont are perfectly acceptable in most southern states. "As long as we have a reliable method for deciding what's allowed and what isn't," Lonce concludes. "I say the more, the merrier." And Lonce and his pals at The Grey Lady need to stop trying to say how the First Amendment should be interpreted for the rest of us. 

I've been pining for the Audi R8 since I first laid eyes on the "Le Mans" show car five years ago. Last February, I test drove Audi's 911 redo in Vegas (baby). Although I found the R8 lacked some of the the Porsche Turbo's user-friendly OMG WTFitiude, Audi gave their everyday supercar a far more appealing wrapper than the ass-engined Nazi slot car (thank you P.J. O'Rourke). Yes, I knew the movie Ironman would define R8 ownership for non-owners. But I was willing to take the risk of being associated with an actor who's spent more time in rehab than any five celebutantes you can name. So I placed an order and arranged for delivery of my R8 at the Neckarsulm factory.

Last things first. The Detroit Free Press article on the prospects [eventually] greeting Ford's delayed next generation F-150 ends with a sobering analysis. It arrives courtesy of CNW Marketing Research in Bandon, Ore. "The appearance buyer is totally out of the market," Art Spinella asserts. "He's gone." According to Spinella's template, that leaves farmers and ranchers; towers or people who pull recreational vehicles or boats and fleet customers. Uh-oh, what happened to building contractors? They may not be on Art's radar– given the housing slump, why would they be?– but Ford's still got them in its sights. "Instead of launching the all-new 2009 F-150 with luxurious four-door models, Ford instead will spotlight the two-door models that always have been more popular among contractors, farmers and fleet customers." With full-size pickup sales off 21.1 percent so far this year, Ford F-150 sales down 40.5 percent in June, gas prices staying high and the fact that F-Series accounts for one-fourth of FoMoCo's total sales, the new F-150 is fighting some big ass headwinds. But hey, at least it will do so with a six-speed gearbox and 1.5mpg better fuel economy than its predecessor.  

Give all the hype surrounding Chevrolet's forthcoming plug-in electric – gas Volt, I guess we've got to call the Chevrolet Beat GM's mini-Hail Mary. Or is that MINI Hail Mary? Actually, let's stick with the small "m." Lest we forget, the Beat is/would be no less a Daewoo than the South Korean-built Aveo. Regardless, GM's Car Czar Maximum Bob himself is floating the micro-car-shaped trial balloon to The Wall Street Journal, as above. Freelancing Detroit News scribe Sharon Terlep's lead makes it clear that obfuscation is the order of the day. "General Motors said it is giving a higher priority to deciding whether it will bring the next-generation Chevrolet Beat mini car — a vehicle it sells overseas — to the U.S. market in the 2012 timeframe." [Note: higher. Not highest.] Meanwhile, Ford is making a similar move. I mean, mulling. "Ford Motor Co. said Thursday it has no plans on the table to bring its micro-sized Ka mini car to the U.S., but it is monitoring the success that Smart is having. 'We have small cars on the shelf all around the world,' Ford spokesman Jay Ward said. 'If at some point we decide to bring [the Ka] over here, we would be in a position to do so.'" Sensible caution or institutional paralysis? We report, you deride.

Doth Chrysler President and Vice Chairman Tom LaSorda protest a possible C11 filing too much? You be the judge. Meanwhile, step forward JPMorgan auto analyst Himanshu Patel. And man did that dude set the Wall Street cat amongst the Detroit pigeons this week, most notably flagging GM's "not impossible" bankruptcy. Now that the dust has settled (i.e. GM's stock found a level below the basement) the AP is highlighting Patel's assertion that Chrysler is in worse shape than GM, or Ford. "Patel estimated the automaker will burn through $4 billion this year and could be forced to file for bankruptcy protection or sell off parts of its business in the second half of 2009 if industry conditions don't improve. Patel said it's difficult to predict the most likely outcome for Chrysler, but he said South Korean or Chinese automakers covet Chrysler's U.S. distribution network. A bankruptcy filing could be a hit to Cerberus, which invested $6.1 billion in Chrysler as part of its acquisition and also backed a $500 million line of credit that Chrysler tapped last month." [FYI: The steelworkers union was no big fan's of Patel's.] 

Most Americans take their freedoms for granted. Thank God and our soldiers they can. But there is at least one generally recognized icon of our citizens' liberty: the automobile. Ever since the Model T, the fact that car ownership was within reach of the "common man" has been a point of national pride. A big, fancy car/pickup/SUV is still seen as a potent symbol of success. Europeans have long derided America's "love affair" with the automobile as a selfish extravagance. With global warming joining terrorism (and replacing nuclear war) as America's insidious unseen enemy, with gas over $4 a gallon, the average U.S. citizen may be more inclined to agree now than at any time in the last 100 years. Or are they? Has the recent pain at the pump really taken the bloom off the four-wheeled rose? Does the fact that fewer teens are getting their license indicate financial/legal necessity or the iCarly non-future of passionate personal transportation? Personally, I think we're simply exchanging one automotive lover for another. You?

Truck-heavy Detroit is in a world of hurt. Buyers have abandoned their former cash cow; light truck sales dropped 28.4 percent last month. July's numbers will be worse. August's worserer. And speaking of what's-blacker-than-black, even the remaining formerly bounteous bovines are looking distinctly Mary-Kate and Ashley. The Detroit Free Press takes a break from their barbecue to bring news that the genre's profits have dropped by half. Or more. "Many of the nation's automakers [read: all of the nation's automakers] have been jacking up the deals into territories not seen since the summer 'employee pricing' craze of 2005. Last month, automakers offered an average of $6,580 off pickups and $5,850 off midsize SUVs, according to Autodata Corp. of Woodcliff Lake, N.J., a private firm that estimates incentive spending. Automakers do not report that number publicly." Why would they? Six-plus-grand is the average. Of course, there will be a reckoning. Brian Johnson, an analyst with Lehman Brothers: "We believe that GM and the industry will see a large payback in the coming months." Ya think?

While the 4th is an American day of celebration, it's a day of national shame, disgust, and disappointment for our British friends across the Atlantic (Jeremy Clarkson, in particular, is said to be spending the day sobbing and eating some kind of pie with meat, rather than apples). To help combat their dreadful feelings, BMW of UK has put out a press release on the just revealed new uberlux 7-Series sedan. Not surprisingly, it will holster the new twin-turbo V8 engine (badged 750i in The Land of Hope and Glory). The 740i name returns, denoting the sublime 3.0-liter twin turbo six from the 335i, making 326hp– as much power as the last gen 745i V8. The force-fed six will rocket the 740i to 60 in six seconds. Naturally, the "Biggest Losers of 1777" will get a straight-six diesel 7, stumping-up 245 hp and returning some 32 mpg. BMW UK estimates the six-pot oil burner will account for 85 percent of 7-Series UK sales. With a 0 – 60mph time of 7.2 seconds, why not? So, is BMW ready to bring a six cylinder 7-Series to America? Uh, no. But ours (like theirs) will come with enough gizmos to make an S-Class nervous: optional four-wheel steering (!), side view cameras, variable damping suspension, night vision, and something called "post warranty heart attack." On sale in the UK in November; anticipate a similar date for us Yankees. 

Ten years ago, my local electric company invited me to participate in a two-week test of the then-new General Motors EV-1 electric car. After some detailed vetting, including a ten page questionnaire and a long focus group (with the de rigueur one-way mirror), I was selected to receive an electric-powered GM two-seater. For those of you who wonder who killed the electric car, it was me. 

OK, OK. I get it. Cars need less tech 'cause they're too heavy and gas and the polar bears and all that. BUT I saw something today that (kinda) changed my mind. Driving around Hollywood in an Infiniti FX50, my friend went to parallel park the sharp-looking beast. He shifts it into reverse and besides the de rigeur backup camera, the screen also showed a picture of the FX from above with video images of all four sides. No joke, I could see not only the curb, but the white markings painted on the street to indicate a spot. I kept looking and staring and asked, "Is that a satellite image?" I got laughed at. My poor little brain just couldn't handle the fact that four separate cameras were transmitting info back into the vehicle. But, they were. Brilliant. How many times have you smashed a tire or wheel or worse while backing into a spot? If you're me, many times. Conclusion, I love it. What's your favorite new piece of tech?

Without much fanfare, BMW has debuted its redesigned 7-Series sedan. A supposed riff on the svelte CS Concept, the new 7 is certainly less chunky than its 2002 – 2008 predecessor. While the outgoing generation (that's E65 or E66 to BMW folks) broke the styling mold, the 2009 model is no ground-breaker. To these jaundiced eyes, it looks a lot like the current gen Lexus LS with a BMW front-end grafted on. The letter-box pipes are a particularly shameless cop from the El Finesse folk. As far as mills are concerned, it's a safe bet that the X6's twin-turbocharged V8 will nestle under-hood. BMW will no doubt bless 7-loving Euro-folk with the 335i and 535's twin-turbo inline six and a particulate of diesels. The 7's interior is all-new. While the cabin's a step up from the last gen, again, it's nowhere near as rad as it forebearer. That said, the new version adds BMW's gimmicky space shuttle (RTFM) gear lever and MMI's the iDrive (if you know what that means, get a life). The new 7-Series sedan will, of course, handle impeccably, cost a bomb and intimidate the bourgeoisie. Mission accomplished?

Pixamo Gallery

By 1968, Elvis' career was over. The King had squandered his cultural capital on an endless series of hokey flicks with soundtracks so forgettable I've forgotten them. Although the movies all made money and spawned the word "inelvitable" (the appearance of the Jordanaires whenever Elvis started to sing), they turned him into an roller rink singer. But in '68, Elvis' got his shit together (i.e. used sleeping pills to lose weight) and taped a Christmas TV show for NBC. In what came to be known as "The '68 Comeback Special," Elvis sang a finale written for him the night before the recording. The King grabbed a crappy microphone, reached deep inside his soul and belted-out "If I Can Dream" as if his life depended on it. Which, in some ways, it did. Elvis proved that F. Scott Fitzgerald was wrong: there is a second act in American lives. I like to think that one of the buff books (or American automakers) will stare oblivion in the face and channel their inner Elvis. They'll return to the spirit of the "good old days." But then I can't watch my favorite band, Little Feat, perform anymore. Sometimes it's best to move over for someone else. So if anyone wants to publish a TTAC magazine, let me know.  

Just a week ago, we called on Ford to revive the SVO Mustang. And now, a "reliable source" has told Garage 419 that Ford is considering a revival of a Mustang SVO. OK, not the actual Fox-body ‘Stang of the eighties. But the same idea translated for today. We're talking about a 300hp EcoBoost four cylinder engine mated to a six-speed stick; a combination that could shave as much as five hundred pounds off a current GT. Much of that diet would come off the front end, improving front/rear weight balance and handling. How about an IRS back there while we're at it? No? Damn. Anyway, the new SVO's EPA numbers could easily beat the GT by some 25 percent or more. Just the ticket for the times: a good-handling ‘Stang with wallet-friendly mileage. Dropping oil prices helped kill the last SVO; sounds like the obverse is true now. Weird.

Scanning the blogs as we do, Frank and I often sense the cold dead hand of automotive PR. Predictable patterns emerge. For example, GM saves bad news for Friday and launches "good" news (new products, restructuring, etc.) ahead of bad (sales figures, losses). This time, unusually, we've detected GM PR man Steve Harris' spinmeisterwerk post-trauma (Black Hole Tuesday). Unless… Anyway, not to diss disinformation, but Harris' handiwork arrives in the form of "here's one [high mileage car] we prepared earlier." Bloomberg doesn't even bother trotting-out the proverbial "unnamed sources" in its lead, preferring to stick with the "m" word. "General Motors Corp., which popularized the 7,800-pound Hummer, may [emphasis added] begin selling a mini-car more than a foot shorter than anything else it markets in the U.S. to win back buyers deterred by record fuel prices." Sure. We believe that. But here's the real story: "GM has reassigned engineers to many of the projects, according to the people familiar with the planning. The company is taking them from SUV and truck programs suspended while awaiting the return of customers. Now, these people said, GM sees no point in waiting." In other words, it's chaos as usual behind the scenes at GM– aside from the PR department.