Ford Taurus is the Homer Simpson of cars– or at least that's what Ford's head of product development thinks. Earlier this month in Detroit, Alan Mulally told a seminar a "fabulous" new Taurus is coming that "is the one we should have made originally." MSNBC reports product guru Derrick Kuzak was a bit more direct when speaking to a group of analysts. He showed a slide with Homer Simpson standing above a Five Hundred, along with Superman and Mr. Incredible above smaller drawings of sleeker versions of the Taurus and explained "As you walk from a Homer Simpson design to a Superman design, it's all about millimeters matter. That's only delivered when the engineering team does not dumb down the design because of engineering and manufacturing feasibility concerns." Analysts like marketing prof David Koehler were surprised and encouraged by the Ford exec's newfound candor: "It wasn't a rogue V.P. that was frustrated with the lack of innovation." Hopefully once they've finished polishing the Taurus, they'll turn their attention to the Marge Simpson Focus.  [thanks to starlightmica for the link]

Dodge's horny longhorns at the Detroit Auto Show were just the beginning. Chrysler's Firehouse media blog reveals that the automaker's decided to put the horns back into their slogan. Last year, The Dodge Boys gelded "Grab life by the horns," transforming the brand's advertising exhortation into the Zen-like (i.e. vague) "Grab Life." Even though Dodge used "Grab Life by the Horns" since 2001, they hoped that removing the grabby part of the strapline (how butch is that?) would make the brand more appealing to female buyers. Unfortunately, the new version didn't go over well with truck buyers, who account for the most of Dodge's (not to mention Chrysler's) profits. Taking the bull by the horns, Chief Marketing Officer Deborah Meyer disclosed that that Dodge is reviving the original "Grab Life by the Horns" line for the 2009 Ram. The new version won't horn in on the car ads, though. Their automotive slogan will remain "Grab life." Perhaps they should sell that one to Buick, with a parenthetical "while you can" at the end. 

Is it dangerous to drive a Prius in the snow? ConsumerAffairs thinks so, based on reports they've gathered from several states. It seems that the traction control system in some of the gas-electric hybrids shuts down the power to the drive wheels when they start slipping, a complaint that's been around since last year. Back then Toyota admitted the traction control system could impact performance but isn't a safety problem. Spokesman Bill Kwon stated that a "fairly steep grade [eight to 10 degrees] and … snow would cause a loss of traction which will activate the traction control system and therefore reduce or cut power." Reducing power is one thing, but cutting it out altogether? "In my opinion, it's better to have the vehicle stop then to have the wheels spinning and out of control." That would be fine if the vehicle did stop, but on a snow-covered incline slippery enough to activate the traction control, a powerless car isn't going to stop. For our Prius-owning readers living in snow country, have you experienced this, or has your traction control been behaving itself?

In Harris Interactive survey-speak, "Influentials" are American adults who describe themselves as either 'very' or 'extremely' knowledgeable about cars. Harris estimates that around 19 percent of American adults fall into this category. These Influentials– or automotive alphas as we like to call them– are far more likely to use the internet for auto info than "Non-Influentials" (63 percent vs. 36 percent). Harris Interactive's Director of Automotive & Transportation Research says the research shows that "Non-influentials seek out Influentials for vehicle advice." But, Stephen Lovett maintains, "they are more likely than Influentials to rely on their shopping experience to make their final vehicle choice." It's nice to see TTAC Best and Brightest get the statistical recognition they deserve, and sad to see so many people fall into the clutches of nefarious car salespeople. Now can someone send a memo to our ad reps?

As we mentioned last September, Herpa secured the rights to the Trabant name. Rumor had it that the toy manufacturer was considering reviving what we termed the "plastic-bodied, smoke-spewing, two-stroke, two-cylinder rolling testimonial to everything that was wrong with communist East Germany." Well, it looks like Herpa's actually going to do it. Worldcarfans reports that Herpa is partnering with specialty car manufacturer IndiKar to form an initiative called "newTrabi." The plan's originator, Klaus Schindler, hopes to incorporate "the wishes and expectations of the cult car's many enthusiastic fans… in the development." They'll debut a 1/87 scale model of the newTrabi in February, shooting for a full-scale prototype for the IAA in 2009. Again we have to ask, WTH are they thinking? Perhaps our European readers would like to comment on the possible market for a machine with a well-earned reputation for being the worst car ever produced by hand of man. 

As Darryl Siry promised, the Tesla Roadster will meet all federal safety standards. Well, all but the advanced air bag rule, that is. Yesterday, Tesla received a pass from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Tesla will not have to equip its Roadster with air bags that deploy with varying force depending on the weight of the passenger and force of the impact. That's not such a big thing– the Lotus Elise (upon which the Tesla Roadster is based) receives the same exemption. But the NHTSA's rationale is unprecedented: "public interest is served by encouraging the development of fuel-efficient and alternative-fueled vehicles." The AP reports that NHTSA was worried that the advanced airbag rule would bankrupt Tesla– given the erstwhile automaker's $43m operating losses from 2003 – '06. Tesla would have to "cancel its pending development of an electric-powered sedan, and would ultimately have to terminate its operations." So if GM can't meet some requirement with the Volt without spending tons of money, do they get to slide? Oh and "based on information provided by the automaker, NHTSA estimates the waiver will cover 3,825 Roadsters, including 625 vehicles this year and 1,600 in each of the following two years." Last we heard, Telsa was talking about building one car a week. 

Does the American Family Association have a Canadian chapter? If so, someone better alert them to avoid all cars built by union labor there. Marketwire is carrying a news release from PFLAG Canada (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) that the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union has donated $25k from CAW's Social Justice Fund to the organization. CAW President Buzz Hargrove explained: "The donation recognizes the important work of PFLAG and underscores the ongoing commitment of the CAW to creating a positive environment for LGBT members and their families." I don't know what kind of car American Family Association chairman Donald Wildmon drives, but he'd better be careful. Not counting the Candaian-built Fords he's busy boycotting, CAW labor builds 15 other vehicles for the U.S. market. I'm sure Donnie wouldn't want to be exposed as a hypocrite of some sort.

Perpetuating the overblown self-importance surrounding their role in the Super Bowl, Audi's latest press release announces they will debut the "Audi Forum Phoenix." The play station "will offer athletes, celebrities, and VIPs access to exclusive events and a level of intimacy and privacy unavailable to them elsewhere in the chaotic social landscape of the Super Bowl." In the week leading up to the big game, the Forum will offer the beautiful people indoor/outdoor bars, a pool with private cabanas, tennis, golf and outdoor fire pits (no "luxury experience" is complete without outdoor fire pits, you know). Not wanting to brag or anything, Audi of America's chief marking officer Scott Keogh stated it was "the only viable destination for VIPs seeking a true luxury experience at this year's Super Bowl." Good for them (and them alone). But how does any of this "redefine luxury?" I guess we have to wait until their Godfather spoof ad to discover the meaning of Audi's "new era." If I'm off having a piss, will someone please post a description on the following Monday? Much obliged. 

The British media is all a-twitter this morning over a video posted on YouTube that shows a driver pushing his Vauxhall Cavalier to 125mph down the the M23 in Sussex. According to BBC News, the police are looking for him. They've also warned other potential scofflaws that anyone filming such activities could themselves be filmed and hauled into court. While YouTube said the video was not "considered offensive" and would not be removed, apparently the user, "paulscav," took it down (when I searched for it, YouTube said the account was closed). Meanwhile, the Royal Auto Club (RAC) Foundation is calling for all website operators to remove clips "that glorify speeding on public roads." In the spirit of international relations and all that, we'd like to do our part by showing the RAC how it's done right– I mean, wrong, in a Ford GT at 200mph.

The 1.6-liter four-pot in the Chevrolet Aveo (né Daewoo Kalos) is the smallest engine GM offers in the U.S. Automotive News [sub] reports that's about to change, as The General goes smaller in a big way. The world's second largest automaker will introduce a 1.4-liter gas engine (that's just 250cc's more than half the displacement of the supercharger in the Corvette ZR1). What's that you say? GM will probably blow this one? Well, you're at least partially right. GM's boffins are going to take the 1.4-liter engine from the European Opel Astra, slap on a turbocharger and drop it into the Cobalt, U.S. Saturn Astra and God knows how many other small cars in GM's vast product portfolio. They're also looking at using it in some mid-sized vehicles. The question is, will a market that was built on "there's no replacement for displacement" take a hankerin' to the smallest engine GM's offered since the 1.0-liter three-banger in the Geo/Chevy Metro?

GM Car Czar Bob Lutz wants you to know what's on his mind. So, at last night's Automotive News congressional confab, Maximum Bob let rip, revealing the concerns triggering the suit's septuagenarian synapses. But, as usual, there are major gaps between Bob's thoughts and actual reality. 

With air quality so toxic that Olympic athletes plan to train outside the city, with its international reputation for peace, love and harmony on show for the entire world, Beijing knows it has to clean up its act. The Beijing News (via the New York Times) reports that city officials want to de-smog the world's most polluted urban atmos by cutting its motorized traffic in half. (That's up from the one-third target that TTAC's Adrian Imonti reported back in August.) To that end, the government is considering implementing the number plate restrictions trialled last summer. The move should take about 1.65m vehicles off Beijing's roads each day during the Games. As you might expect from a military dictatorship, the Powers that Be the People's Republic of China (PRC) are contemplating other, equally draconian corrective meaures. The Old Gray lady reports that the PRC may also shut down factories throughout northern China during the Games. Paycheck? What paycheck? Gone, in the name of Citius, Altius, Fortius.

Proving the old bromide that "many a truth is spoken in jest," Wal-Mart may be fulfilling a prediction made by some of TTAC's erudite readers: selling Chinese cars alongside the toilet plungers and plastic shoes. According to Bloomberg, Wal-Mart CEO H. Lee Scott has revealed that the monolithic megastore chain has been talking with automakers about selling gas-electric hybrids and plug-in EVs at Wal-Mart. Lee decline to specify which carmakers are involved, or where they were located. Scott would only say the potential suppliers were "major" companies. He also unveiled a proposal to provide recharge stations for EVs, generating the juice via wind turbines or solar panels or some other politically correct means. Of course, there are logistical challenges, such as getting planning permission for a windmill at your local Wally World, training part-time minimum-wage stock clerks how to sell cars, and figuring out a way for customers to get their shiny new EV through the self-service checkout lane.

You slowpokes in your Koenigsegg CCR's and Bugatti Veyrons, pull over! There's a new king of the hill. According to BusinessWeek, the Shelby SuperCar Ultimate Aero claimed the title of the world's fastest production car on September 13 last year. The [non-Saab or English candy bar] Aero averaged 256.18 mph during a Guinness-certified run. And if that ain't scary enough for your heated, air conditioned and climate-controlled garage, the wind tunnel tests at NASA show that the $600k 1,183-hp rear-wheel-drive car (with no traction control and 1,094 ft-lbs of torque) vehicle would be stable up to 273 mph.Virginia-based Shelby (no relation or association with 'Ole Shel) says it's building "just" 50 of these not-so-daily drivers. They built and delivered five Aeros in 2007; they have eight orders for 2008. What's next on the company's agenda? A four door luxury sedan that'll do 220 mph, of course.

Even if the stars don't leave the lines at home for this year's Grammy awards– must respect the little people's writer's strike– Chevy will be there. Their press release proudly proclaims "Chevrolet will bring an eco-friendly presence" to the awards this year. The gas-friendly to gas-free automaker will provide "a mix of 100 Tahoe Hybrids and FlexFuel E85 ethanol Tahoe and Suburban SUVs" to ferry oblivious talent to the award show "in a fuel-efficient way." And if that wasn't enough to prove GM's green creds to the music industry, they'll also "'electrify" the red carpet with a show-stopping display of the extended-range electric vehicle Chevy Volt Concept car." [NB: That's not the hidden-from-the-public, aerodynamically dumbed-down revised Volt headed for Chevy showrooms by… uh… when-ever.] What a difference a year makes. In '07, Cadillac provided non E-85 gas-guzzling Escalades for the same affair. I guess that was SO last year.