Plug-in Volt, hydrogen fuel cell Equinox, two-mode hybrid Tahoe, belt-assist hybrid Malibu, yada, yada, yada. With all this high mileage hype, how come GM's not making a big deal out of the XFE (eXtra Fuel Efficiency) Cobalt? If it weren't for our good friend at AUTOSAVANT, we would've never known that as of May 17, all Cobalts with the five-speed manual tranny get 36 mpg on the highway. (That's second in its class to the Honda Civic Hybrid AND the Cobalt XFE offers class-leading hp from its 2.2-liter Ecotec engine.) GM squeezed the last few mpgs from the Cobalt by calibrating the engine, decreasing the tires' rolling resistance and (probably) offering a taller fifth gear. These are exactly the kind of common-sense efficiency improvements Chevy (et al) should spread across their lineup. Yes, well, come the '09 model year, the Cobalt sedan will no longer be available with a manual transmission. So if you want best-in-class horsepower and efficiency from a four-door, buy a Cobalt XFE now or you'll be looking at the Civic. Because practical, efficient cars just aren't Chevy's future, are they? Oh wait… 

VW recently released details of its forthcoming North American-market diesel engine, known as Blue TDI, at the Viennese Auto Symposium. The common-rail turbodiesel boasts the latest and greatest in clean-diesel technologies, like a particulate filter and a maintenance-free NOX catalytic converter. Of particular note: the first-ever application of both high- and low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation systems on a diesel engine. VW says all the new-fangled diesel wizardry delivers a 90 percent reduction in acid rain-causing NOX emissions while delivering 140 hp and 320 nm of torque. Oh yeah, and meeting Euro 5 as well as U.S. 50-state, Bin 5 tier 2 emissions standards. Look for the Blue TDI as an option on US Jettas starting this summer.

A spreadsheet of analysts hanging with The Detroit News all agree with TTAC's Best and Brightest: Michigan is the least likely place on Earth of the three states VW's considering for its new U.S. plant. Hello? Bis morgan? Didn't anybody notice the fact that Volkswagen NA ALREADY LEFT DETROIT? Anyway, for some strange reason– something to do with labor costs and work rule flexibility– unionization seems to be hamstringing MI's chances of landing the gig. "That's the big risk of coming to Michigan or anywhere in the north," says Aaron Bragman, an analyst with Global Insight. "A lot of companies have wanted to avoid" the UAW. (For this he gets paid?) IRN's VP of auto forecasting says Alabama is the likely front-runner, followed by Tennessee. Erich Merkle fancies 'Bama's chances, citing the success of Mercedes-Benz production and the "German supply base that's already pretty well-established." Ultimately, the decision between the two right to work states will come down to the bribes incentive packages each state offers VW. 

Car and Driver reports that the Audi S4 will ditch its normally-aspirated 4.2-liter V8 for a 3.0-liter V6 in the name of fuel economy (of all things). The uber A4's new six will feature some form of forced induction. "At the very least, we expect the new V-6 to be supercharged," C/D says. "Although what will allow the S4's version to generate 50 or so more horsepower is still a mystery." Twincharger? I just met her! Seriously folks, the brainy boys at C/D add that the new Audi mill "will generate something close to the 340 horsepower found in the outgoing S4's 4.2-liter V-8." Ya think? Apparently, the new S4 will get 23.3mpg, compared to a V8-powered S5's 19.4mpg. So the S4's reduced cylinder count not only improves S4 fuel economy (this does matter for CAFE) AND it makes the V8 RS4 and S5 that much more special. The bad news? The S4 will shed only "20-100 pounds" to make up for the cylinder envy. 

Peugeot will be making a production version of its double-bubble-roofed 308 RC Z Coupe concept, shown at last year's International Automobil Aufstellung in Frankfurt. Auto Motor und Sport says the 2+2 coupe will keep the styling shown in the concept, which is no bad thing. An earlier Auto Motor und Sport report says the concept sported a 1.6-liter turbo-four with 218hp and up to 300nm of torque with overboost. Whether that engine makes it to the road remains to be seen, but let's hope the production model doesn't gain much weight beyond the 2,600 pound concept. The 308 Coupe will go on sale in the spring of 2010, although not in the states (of course). Even so, we'll be keeping an eye out for photos from this year's IAA where the 308 Coupe will debut, 'cause we unrequited love is love nonetheless.

When TTAC received a terse tip from one Allen Hannawell asking if we'd seen something called Rampenfest, we were immediately suspicious. A quick check of our users, a Google search and an exchange of emails exposed Mr. Hannewell's corporate connections to BMW. Tsk, tsk. And yet… the "mockumentary" is funny as Hell. It chronicles the yokels of Oberpfaffelbachen as they attempt to launch a BMW 135 into America via a colossal ramp. The characters deadpan through the turmoil of a town turned upside-down; the Bavarian brogue duologue is hilarious. There's a lot of meta-comment about the nature of marketing, which proves that the folks who made the thing are clever and ironic, and not much else. (Hannawell's final email to TTAC says BMW will eventually admit that Rampenfest is an ad. Wow! Really?) After watching the whole thing– a significant temporal investment– I still don't understand how the film is supposed to make me want a 1-series. That was the point, wasn't it?

The Daily Mail reports that the UK's new carbon tax works spectacularly… as a revenue-builder. The recently-increased "showroom tax" costs consumers between $500 and $2k on cars based on their  C02 emissions. According to her Majesty's Treasury, the carbon tax will add nearly $5b to the government's coffers. And here's the kicker: the gov's own figures will only decrease auto-related greenhouse gas emissions by… wait for it… less than one percent. Conservative Treasury spokesman Justine Greening discovered the discrepancy between the cost to consumers and benefit to the environment during that awesome fixture of the British Parliamentary government known as "Parliamentary answers." "This is a massive tax hike which will have virtually no impact on the environment," said Greening. "Despite their claims, the Government don't expect this move to change behaviour at all – it is just another eco stealth tax of the worst kind." Hear hear.

Detroit News reports that VW has narrowed its list of prospective sites for a new American plant to Michigan, Tennessee and Alabama. The planned factory, which is said to eventually produce vehicles based on VAG's MQB (Golf) platform, is an important measure for VW to fight profit losses due to the weak dollar. The factory should produce up to a quarter million Audis and Vee-Dubs annually, and will employ between 1k and 2k employees. VW will need to sell all of its increased production in order to meet its stated goal of tripling its US sales by 2018, and sell a million vehicles per year. The decision to base the new factory in the Midwest or South comes shortly after VW USA moved its headquarters from Michigan to Virginia, citing the fact that "its customers were concentrated on the East and West coasts." Will a Michigan plant make up for the slight? More importantly, will American production hurt or help VW's spotty reliability record? Expect more details when a final decision is announced sometime this summer.

Rendered speculation at Motor Authority by the usually on-point Schulte Design shows us a new Bimmer that is neither fish nor fowl. Let's savor this latest X-6-esque, "what the Hell is this supposed to be?" moment. This is not (nor will it ever be) the 3-series coupe. It's not a 1-series hatch. It's not a two-door X3 coupe. It's a shooting brake! It's not clear if the, uh, hatch will earn this model a premium over the regular 3-series coupe, or if it's some kind of weird ass budget model. This indecision is reflected perfectly in the car's incoherent rear-quarter, with Banglian lines and surfaces evoking bad memories of the Z3 coupe. The X6 shows that BMW is trying to infill its product lines with new packaging, and this study continues that trend. As nice as it is to get a gander at the face of the new 3-series (if that's what this is), I'd rather BMW leave this one in Munich and send over a 1-series hatch instead.

Motor Authority reports that the Dutch Cycling Federation (their equivalent of AAA) is calling on the Dutch government and the auto industry to make externally-inflating airbags standard issue on all cars. The external airbags would inflate upon impact with a cyclist or pedestrian, absorbing the impact and potentially saving lives. Swedish supplier Autoliv has developed such an airbag already, and Jaguar and Nissan have tested pop-up hoods which deflect pedestrian impacts in a similar manner. Of course, these technologies are too expensive to be included as an available feature on any vehicle, but that isn't stopping the Dutch Cyclists Federation. The spandex crowd claims that by making these technologies standard issue, some 60 lives could be saved each year and some 1,500 injuries prevented in Holland alone. If required by law, the expense would also probably cause most automakers to exit the Dutch market (score one for the cyclists) but at least it might make for some cool "Jackass" stunts. Critics say that cyclists are responsible for their own safety, and that several companies are currently developing an airbag-equipped vest for cyclists. Not that making people pay for their own safety makes any sense…

In yet another technological answer to a question nobody is asking, Indian IT firm Satyam is developing an in-car entertainment/connectivity platform which will choose your music for you based on a proprietary "mood sensing" technology. The development is part of Satyam's "dot auto" initiative, which combines GPS navigation with internet access, video conferencing, social networking, electronic money transfer as well as other applications which have no business in an automobile. The wildest promise by far of the hardware-software development is the "mood-sensing" stereo, which will respond to the number of passengers and the destination input into the navigation system. Satyam R&D chief Venkatesh Chandrasekaran says that, for example, "the system would detect if a driver had passengers and was heading downtown, and perhaps cue up some party music. On the other hand, if the driver is on his own, the system will not cue up 'sad, moody music.'" Because who wants to drive by themselves while listening to "Everybody Hurts?" Chandrasekaran expects the system to be market-ready in 16 months, and the company is already talking with potential customers in the auto and broadband fields. We look forward to hearing our stereo sing "A Bicycle Built For Two" in a pathetically diminishing voice as we pull out its memory chips out sometime in the next few years.

The Detroit Free Press reports that Toyota has taken GM's position as the top seller of cars in the world. Toyota announced yesterday that it had sold 2.41m vehicles the first quarter of this year, compared to longtime volume champ GM, which sold 2.25m vehicles. Of course, Toyota beat GM in the first quarter of last year only to have the General pull out a narrow victory to hold on to its top spot for the 76th year running. Toyota has surpassed GM in production volume, and with global sales up 2.7 percent this quarter while GM's sales dropped less than one percent, this could well be the year they drive old Dixie down. So to speak. Not that the General would even stand a chance if it had to rely on the American market, where its sales are down ten percent. Curious why the fifth largest corporation in the world is having its lunch eaten? There are a few Deathwatches for that!

Malaysia has launched a war on street racing, targeting its hoon-happy citizens. [hoon: 1. lout: a lout or hooligan 2. speeding driver: somebody, especially a young man, who drives fast and recklessly.] Motor Authority reports that the Malay government has proposed a $1500 fine, five-year prison sentence and three-year license suspension for first time road racing offenders. The government threatens to send repeat offenders away for ten years, fine them over $3k and– just to make sure they learn their lesson and indulge S&M-oriented bureaucrats– smack them with a cane three times. The sentences cover all forms of road racing, but they're particularly aimed at Mat Rempits, the step-through scooter hooligans who tear-ass through the streets of the South-East Asian country. We've heard of tank slap before, but this is just ridiculous.

In what is likely the most depressing story you will read all day, scientists have determined that your car makes flowers smell less sweet. Green Car Congress has the details of a new University of Virginia study which concludes that air pollution diminishes the fragrance of flowers, making it harder for insects to pollinate them. The study, published in Atmospheric Journal, offers this explanation for documented declines in wild pollinators like bees. "The scent molecules produced by flowers in a less polluted environment, such as in the 1800s, could travel for roughly 1,000 to 1,200 meters; but in today's polluted environment downwind of major cites, they may travel only 200 to 300 meters," says co-author Jose D. Fuentes. "This makes it increasingly difficult for pollinators to locate the flowers." Researchers found that the scent compounds released by flowers to attract pollinators tend to be volatile and quickly bond with pollutants such as ozone, hydroxyl and nitrate radicals, which destroy or modify the aromas they produce. The symbiotic relationship between flowering plants and pollinators means that this breakdown can prevent reproductions for flowers and cause starvation for pollinators. Using computer models, researchers found that scent compounds likely traveled much farther in pre-industrial times than today, when pollution levels tend to be highest during the mid-summer pollination peak.