GM is preparing (and preparing) to put its faith in some form of Lithium-ion batteries from some manufacturer at some point for its Hail Mary-shaped plug-in electric – gas hybrid Chevy Volt. Meanwhile, Noburu Kikuchi, the Director of Toyota’s NA Research Institute, says his employer isn’t abandoning ye olde nickel-metal-hydride battery anytime soon. “The auto maker’s goal is to begin selling 1 million HEVs annually in the next decade and to offer hybrid powertrains in every vehicle in its lineup in 2020-2030,” WardsAuto reports. But what percentage of those will be built with more advanced and still largely unproven Li-ion batteries, ‘I really can’t say…  But in the near future, if you look at it realistically, we have accumulated so much technology in NiMH that simply giving up (on that) might not be a good idea.'” Does that sound, I dunno, realistic? Well, there’s more common sense after the jump.

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There’s only one thing wrong with the Porsche Cayman’s handling: the seats. The standard fitment chairs on the entry-level hardtop Porker (i.e. the non-S Cayman) are nowhere near supportive enough for the G-forces a spirited driver can easily and confidently generate. Drive a Cayman and you will know that darting about isn’t just for dragonflies anymore. But then, if you’re the kind of passionate pistonhead who craves cornering, you probably won’t be interested in our test car. Not ’cause of the smaller engine (245hp vs. the S’ 295hp). There’s plenty of poke once the revs crest three grand. Nope, it’s the Tiptronic gearbox that rankles.

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Yahoo! Finance reports that Michigan Representative Thaddeus McCotter has joined State Senator Carl Levin in suggesting that the GM – Chrysler merger is something that really ought to happen, even if the feds have to, uh, help. A Republican suggesting government intervention to broker a deal (i.e. kick-in your tax money) between two large corporations? Sure! “I would be supportive of anything as long as it guarantees people the opportunity to vote for me keep their jobs so they can vote for me so I can keep mine.” In fact, Tad’s “biggest concern” is “if there’s not a merger.” “If there is no merger you could see the entire Chrysler car company destroyed, disbanded and thousands of Americans put out of work.” Which is also true if there is a merger, but as they say, a week is a long time in politics. Anyway, check out the video interview on the page; Tad’s got a terrific little wiggle as he explains the difference between being a capitalist and a “free market supporter.” [thanks to Steven Lang for the link]

Automotive News [sub] reports that billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian has sold part of his 6.5 percent stake in Ford Motor Co. and could sell the rest before this blog hits the net. This according to spokesfolk for Kerkorian’s investment “vehicle” Tracinda Corp. “Tracinda, which has invested about $1 billion in Ford, said in regulatory filings it sold 7.3 million Ford shares on Monday in the open market for an average price of $2.43 per share. Tracinda intends to further reduce its holdings, including the possible sale of all of its remaining 133.5 million shares, or about a 6.09 percent stake, depending on market conditions and available sales prices.” Hang on; is this the same Captain Kirk who offered a cash infusion to FoMoCo in June? The same Lion of Las Vegas who, according to last Friday’s Bloomberg report, “pledged another 50 million MGM shares to back the $600 million Bank of America Corp. credit line he used to buy into the second-largest U.S. automaker?” Yup. There’s at least one analyst and an investor with a massive egg on their respective faces…

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DaveAdmin over at Allpar Weblogs is just as unhappy with the coverage of the potential GM – Chrysler debacle merger as your faithful TTAC correspondents. But for different reasons. Apparently, it’s OK for the mainstream press and armchair analysts to suggest that this is a done deal, but they don’t “get it” when it comes to what might come next. In the main, DaveAdmin reckons they’re all guilty of the sin of omission. “No article I have seen suggests that maybe, because the Dodge trucks are clearly superior (especially in Class 3-5), that GM might shift over to Dodge’s designs. Only one mentioned the Dodge trucks in any way other than ‘to be canned’ at all, and that was to point out the bad timing of their launch. Ford’s big, trucklike Flex, Toyota’s Tundra (with one factory already being converted to other uses), and Ford’s upcoming F-series were apparently examples of good timing. No article I’ve seen mentions the Hemi except disparagingly, as in ‘dummies make V8s when people don’t want them any more.’ (Four years ago.) Never mind that trucks still need V8s and the Hemi is best in class, especially in variable cam form. No article I’ve seen mentions the Phoenix engines or the dual-clutch transmission technology. The latter, to be fair, appears to be dead at the moment, as Chrysler chose to cancel their launch by picking a fight with Getrag and abruptly canceling all talks.” Yeah, to be fair. It gets better…

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Reuters reports that Mercedes COO Rainer Schmueckle says his company is in a “full blown sales crisis.” In other words, he’s checking his pension plan and prepping his people for a big ass round of layoffs. “While it [Mercedes] has not yet discussed reduced working hours, it has already cut the number of temporary workers. As of the end of June, Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz Cars division that also includes its Smart badge of microcars employed a staff of 98,000 worldwide.” And as that’s about it for this one, how about a tidbit from the world of Mercedes onership, via Kenya’s The Standard? “Police have questioned High Court Judge GBM Kariuki over the stabbing of a motorist after a minor road accident in the city… Police said Justice Kariuki and Kamau were driving from opposite directions on Lower Kabete Road at about 8pm on Saturday when their vehicles were involved in a minor accident. The judge, who was driving his official Mercedes Benz car, was alone at the time of the incident, while Kamau had two passengers in his Toyota Corolla vehicle… The judge seemed disturbed when journalists arrived at the police stations to take his pictures. At one point, he shouted at them, saying they were free to ‘take even his buttocks.'” And do what with them, precisely?

372 Kph BMW M6 By G-Power- 232 miles

C’mon now, don’t laugh. As The Wall Street Journal points out, this GM – Chrysler deal is some serious shit for people who live and work in and around Detroit. “Analysts estimate more than half of Chrysler’s 66,000 employees would lose their jobs in a merger,” the Journal reports. “Thousands more would be affected at GM and at suppliers and service companies that rely on work with Chrysler.” In a related story, helpfully titled “What If the U.S. Auto Makers Don’t Survive?”, the Journal’s Heidi N. Moore asks “How close are we to an ‘Omega Man‘ scenario? Lache, who expects that in the event of a serious cash crunch ‘sales among the Big Three will decline virtually overnight,’ provides a nice overview of what would happen to the Big Three-dependent businesses: auto-parts suppliers and retailers including American Axle, Autoliv, BorgWarner, Johnson Controls, Lear, Asbury and AutoNation.” I’ll sum-it up for you: nothing good. And in yet another related story (in fact the one I set out to blog oh so many control Cs ago), we learn how GM’s pitching the Chrysler hookup in this, the worst all possible times to pitch a major merger…

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I’ve just received my copy of AutoWeek’s ’09 Buyer’s Guide. Logic suggests that a buyer’s guide would have some sort of relative rating system to help consumers decide, you know, what to buy. Logic isn’t bought and paid for by automotive advertisers. Or, in this case, is. I won’t trouble you with the hosannas, which are more common than car hacks imbibing at a press junket’s open bar, or the “a nice vehicle but you just might want to look at something else” remarks, or the one and only complete slam (Chrysler Sebring). But I thought you might get a kick out of the prevarications and WTFs embedded in the “Our opinion” box. Acura TL: “An enticing performance proposition with the AWD version, but the extreme design departure from the previous generation might turn some away.” Audi Q7: “Good looks, and the new diesel option makes the Q7 even more attractive.”  Cadillac STS: “A decent vehicle with sharp looks and a potent V6 base engine.” Chevy Aveo: “Economy car with economy styling that serves just fine for fuel-efficient basic transport.” Suburban: “Big enough to haul a large family and their stuff while returning respectable gas mileage.” Chrysler Aspen: “Affordable full-size luxury, now with greener prospects in hybrid trim.” Had enough? There are a few more after the jump.

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TTAC reader steronz writes:

“I’m sure you’re familiar with the advertising claim in the subject. I just noticed it on a billboard during my morning commute, sans question mark. I did a brief search to see if I could figure out what marketing math GM is using to back up this claim, but I’m coming up
dry. I did my own quick check on Edmunds and came up with the following list:

Chevy Honda Toyota
Aveo* 24-34 Fit 28-34 Yaris 29-36
Cobalt** 25-36 Civic 26-34 Corolla 28-37
HHR*** 21-30 CR-V? fail Matrix 26-33
Malibu 22-30 Accord 22-31 Camry**** 21-31
Malibu Hy 24-32 Accord Hy dead Camry Hy 33-34
Civic Hy 40-45 Prius 48-45

* GM may be trying to bill the Aveo5 and the Aveo as two different models. I’m not buying that.
** Cobalt numbers are for the elusive XFE model, but that shouldn’t make a difference
*** GM may be trying to bill the HHR Panel Van as a different model than the HHR, but I’m REALLY not buying that
**** If GM is indeed playing tricks with model counting, the Camry Solara could potentially count as a separate model here

I’m not even sure if I feel comfortable calling hybrid versions of regular cars as new models, but since it doesn’t give anyone an advantage, I’ll allow it. Therefore, by my count, Chevy has 5 models, Honda has 4, and Toyota has 6. Claim busted, right?”

Judging by the frenetically ascending “Cost of War in Iraq” clock on MyruralAmerica.com, I think it’s safe to say the website is slightly to the left of center. Does it matter? I reckon themthereruralvoters are willing to cast their ballot for whomever will provide the biggest trough. To discern this distinction, Myruralamerica republishes advice from The Iowa Corn Growers Association. “It is not our job to tell you who you should vote for or what party you should follow,” said Gary Edwards, the ICGA Prez. “But it is our duty to stand up to promote the interests of Iowa corn growers, Iowa consumers, and their future.” Yes sirree Bob. I bet you know where they stand on the “environment” (The ICGA supports the continuation of the 45 cent per gallon blenders’ credit for ethanol, the 54 cent per gallon ethanol import tariff, the federal Renewable Fuels Standard, and other tax incentives for ethanol (such as E85) that will reduce prices at the pump for consumers) and crop subsidies ( the ICGA supports a safety net for farmers that is based on revenue and not price, which supports production and market demand. ICGA policy supports farm policy that is trade compliant and supports strong conservation programs that protect our environment. ICGA also supports a crop insurance program at rate levels sufficient to induce crop insurance and designed to avoid the need for disaster assistance). So, which presidential candidate gets the official nod?

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Blind Man Drives Lamborghini At 308km/h

I give up. There are so many top ten car lists, and they’re arriving at such a frentic pace, that I couldn’t even assemble a top ten top ten car list. Of course, TTAC’s “Ten Worst” awards– coming to a monitor near you soon– would make the grade. As would Wreckedexotics.com’s “10 Most Expensive Crashes Ever.” I love wreckedexotics (WE) in general, especially now that they’ve eliminated some of the most ridiculous pop-up ads since Lexus’ 3D RX RX. As the former owner of a fully restored XK150 that wiped out a small English village, and a Ferrari F355 that punted a Honda CBR1000 into the middle of a roundabout, I believe that any website that shows that there’s a downside to owning expensive cars should be encouraged and supported. And then, of course, there’s the whole schaudenfrade thing. (You know, class warfare for pistonheads.) Anyway, while I think the title of this hit parade is slightly misleading– it’s more accurately described as the “10 Most Expensive Cars That Have Crashed”– please click over to wreckedexotics for ALL the pics and the proprietor’s comments. Meanwhile, here’s my take.