An Allstate Insurance press release informs us that Texas' second largest insurer (damn!) saw vehicle thefts climb 11 percent in 2007. Apparently, SUVs (up 22 percent) and trucks (up 17 percent) formed a "large portion" of these boosted vehicles. The vehicles are a victim of their own utility– and Texas' porous borders. "'The majority of stolen full-size trucks and SUVs are taken into Mexico and used to transport narcotics and human smuggling. After that, these vehicles are stripped, used for parts or sold to unsuspecting buyers in Mexico and the U.S.,' said Officer Steve Plummer with the El Paso County Auto Burglary and Theft Prevention Taskforce. 'The size, carrying capacity, off- road capability, monetary value and availability of large trucks and SUVs will continue to make these vehicles prime targets for thieves.'" Allstate also reports that The Lone Star State's biggest losers are the Ford F-250 and 350 pick-ups (truck category) and… drum roll please… the Acura Integra! And there we were, dissing Acura. Shame on us! 

"We're showing you this car earlier than Dodge wants us to because similar images are on the Web, and we don't think you should have to wait." Translation: please don't punish us Chrysler! Someone else broke the press embargo. Oh, and we LOVE you dear reader. Puh-lease. Anyway, Autoweek has broken the Challenger SRT-8's embargo cherry, revealing hi-res pics that show us The Doge Boys' plain Jane four-wheeled freight train. I'm sorry (if only because the muscle car fanboys are likely to descend on this post like a plague of big bore locusts), but I'm done with the whole retro-mod muscle car thing– and not because of concerns for our planet's health and well-being. I reckon if you morph the Charger, the Challenger and the [now you don't] Camaro, you'd end-up with a car that looks a lot like the Charger, Challenger and Camaro. Or the next Mustang. And don't get me started about back seats. While I LOVE big, gas-gargling V8s, can we move on here please? The Chrysler 300 proved that Detroit knows how to do the next gen bad-ass car thing. Gentlemen, it's time to move forward. 

I'm sure plenty of auto bloggers and erstwhile reporters will hail GM's decision to form a new engineering group to "focus on hybrid vehicles, extended-range electric vehicles and battery technology." It's easy enough to see the development (reported by CNNMoney) as proof that GM has, finally, put its chips on the alternative propulsion (alt prop) table. But I'd like to raise the red flag here. GM already has a 500-member team working on the electric – gas hybrid Chevrolet Volt. GM already has another team working on the plug-in Saturn Vue. GM already has vehicle development teams for all its eight U.S. brands, spanning some 49 models. GM already has boffins in Germany working on their products. GM already has a hybrid development team in China. In theory, consolidating all these efforts under one Alt Prop Czar–  Robert Kruse, executive director of vehicle engineering for hybrids, electric vehicles and batteries– makes sense. But the fact that GM says it will be "based" in North America, Europe and Asia tells me that this new GM fiefdom will struggle within The General's Byzantine bureaucracy and competition fiefdoms, floundering within a culture known for product paralysis and financial profligacy. Just sayin'…

Late last year, The New York Times hired long-time Detroit News cheerleader Bill Vlasic. Fans of the man will be glad to learn that the auto scribe has stayed true to his roots. Writing for The Old Gray lady, Vlasic pens a paean to Ford CEO Alan Mulally's global integration plans; an essay that finds the silver lining in Ford's arterial spray of red ink. "Much of his focus since joining Ford 16 months ago has been on cutting costs and jobs. And more buyouts were announced on Thursday, when the company reported that it had narrowed its overall losses in 2007 to $2.7 billion, a major improvement after its wrenching $12.6 billion loss in 2006. But with the shrinking of Ford’s core United States business nearly done, Mr. Mulally is eager to get its global operations hitting on all cylinders." Sounds great! So, tell us about Big Al's Boeing-like plan to consolidate Ford's platforms. How many do they have, how many do they want, and how are they going to build compelling local products on a world platform? "Mr. Mulally declined to specify how many platforms Ford had now or discuss its goal for consolidation. But he gushed at the savings the company could realize by spreading its costs over more international models. 'Seventy percent of our total volume will be on eight platforms by 2012,' he said. 'You can only imagine what a tremendous improvement that will be.'" Looks like Mulally found the right guy for that job.

On one hand, Polk Automotive's 2007 Loyalty Awards are "based on actual consumer transactions, with over 6 million household records per year being analyzed to determine the winners." On the other hand, I never trust a list of award winners that doesn't provide the full results, including the losers. So, GM wins the manufacturer loyalty category, with a staggering 62.89 percent customer retention rate. Take THAT Toyota! Uh, hang-on. ToMoCo wins the "make" loyalty category, with 56.69 percent customer retention. What's the diff? (We'll phone Polk later.) GM scoops six segment titles: Small Car (Saturn Ion, 23.5 percent), Large Car (Chevrolet Impala, 33.89 percent), Sports Car (Pontiac Solstice, 19.08 percent), Full-Size Pickup Truck (Chevrolet Silverado, 36.64 percent), Full-Size SUV (Chevrolet Suburban, 23.21 percent), and Prestige SUV (Cadillac Escalade, 33.61 percent). Toyota takes five segment titles: Mid-size Car (Toyota Prius, 33.34 percent), Luxury Car (Lexus ES, 32.8 percent), Prestige Luxury Car (Lexus LS, 44.41 percent), Compact Pickup Truck (Toyota Tacoma, 17.73 percent), and Midsize SUV (Lexus RX, 29.04 percent). There's something strange about all this. Did I mention that we're phoning Polk? 

The new retro-styled Fiat 500 economy car is a major score for the storied Italian automaker, whose turnaround was funded by GM CEO Rick Wagoner's not-so-finest hour (a $2b+ payment to not buy the carmaker). Auto Express reports that Fiat will extend and defend the 500's position as the cutest of city cars when it unveils a drop-top version at the Geneva Auto Show. "The newcomer will use a full-length fabric roof that slides back to store on top of the parcel shelf. It will retain a glass rear window, plus full-frame doors and the hatch’s roofline." Fiat will also unleash the 500 Abarth SS hot hatch motorvated by a 1.4-litre turbo four good for 155bhp. That's got to piss-off Brazilian Ferrari F1 driver Felipe Massa, who just took delivery of a "special" turbo 500– with only 120-horses. Well, at least until he gets the new new car.  

Longtime followers of this website know that this is not the first time we've announced that automotive journalist Brock Yates is set to join the TTAC team. Back in the paleolithic era, we cut a deal with the former Car & Driver scribe to pen a weekly column on our readers' behalf. The arrangement went south when we couldn't put enough cash on the proverbial barrel. Now that TTAC is a bigger site– we broke our 500k uniques per month cherry today– I have more confidence that Brock's participation can take us to that place where we can recoup his fee. In other words, we can afford to roll the Yates-shaped dice. Now the last time Brock was TTAC-bound, some of you wondered– OK, sneered at the prospect. There is a school of thought that says Mr. Yates is too Old School for web 2.0land. After speaking with Brock on potential topics for his regular column, I can assure you he's just as full of piss, shit and vinegar as he was back in the day. And he's not a Lutzian recidivist dreaming of big-bore V8s. That said, I have no idea what's going to come from Yates' fevered imagination. I told him TTAC wants 800 words per week on whatever floats his boat. No holds barred. Kick some ass. This he promised to do. Fingers crossed. But at the very least Mr. Yates arrival should help this website's regular writers get some more of the recognition– and readership– they deserve.

Yesterday, Ford CEO Alan Mulally told the world that he'd downsize the company if needs be. Well, needs be. After revealing that FoMoCo dropped $2.7b in the last financial quarter, the Detroit News reports that the American automaker is offering buyout to ALL of its [remaining] 54k United Auto Workers (UAW) employees. You heard right: Ford is asking every single UAW worker laboring for The Blue Oval Boyz if they'd like to abandon ship. To that end, Ford's sweetened the deal for union members with retirement packages in place. "Workers eligible for retirement will receive a lump-sum payment of $50,000 if they agree to leave the company, plus full retirement benefits. That is $15,000 more than Ford offered to retirement-eligible UAW workers in 2006. Moreover, skilled trades workers, who are among the highest paid, will receive a $70,000 buyout payment, or $35,000 more than the previous offer." Although Henry's Mob doesn't expect everyone to leave, the move paves the way for Ford to hire lower-cost replacements; you know, if they need them. The DetN ends on the usual upbeat note. "'Ford is becoming a smaller company and becoming a lower-cost company at the same time,' said Gary Chaison, a professor of labor relations at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. 'You can become profitable by becoming small.'" Ah, but will they? Watch this space. 

of the Tesla Birth Birthwatch? Our friends over at Edmunds reveal that Tesla has finally set a new new new launch date for their all-electric Tesla Roadster: March 17. Yes, that could be the fateful day that TTAC terminates this series on the oft-delayed EV to the Stars– if not our coverage of the ongoing technological changes (and resulting performance claims) for the vehicle. But remember: we're obliged to quit carping under this title when one– count it ONE– Roadster enters its owner's climate-controlled garage. It will be a rare beast indeed. "Tesla spokesman Joe Powers said production will ramp up in a 'slow cadence' of about one car per week. 'We'll be getting the processes down and getting a feel for the build of the vehicle,' he said. 'The eventual rate will be 40 cars per week. That is realistic based on what Lotus has committed to. We'll get there eventually. The question is, how soon can we ramp up to full production? I would say we'll get close to full production in late 2008.'" He would say? Sounds to me like another promise destined to remain unfulfilled. Oh, and scribe Anita Lienert needs to peruse TTAC's Best and Brightest comments section. She says "Tesla Motors will not disclose who is supplying the transmissions for the Roadster." Spokesmouth Darryl Siry told TTAC readers the Roadster uses "a single speed xtrac transmission." 

You know the old joke that ends "We've already established what you are. We're just haggling over price"? Same deal here. Despite public outcry that forced Mayor Bloomberg to make congestion charging someone else's fault– a 17 member commission– The New York Times wants to keep the "dream" alive. Apparently, congestion charging is THE answer to gridlock. "London proved as much when it adopted congestion pricing, charging drivers to use certain streets. Traffic moved faster, tailpipe emissions went down and the fees collected went to improve public transportation." Uh, no. No. And no. While The Old Gray Lady is ready for NYC motorists to lay down (bend over?) for a regressive tax/PC money grab, the newspaper of record doesn't like "the unworkable suggestion of rationing entry to the city each day based on the last digit of license plates. There are other duds, including the idea — sure to die in Albany — of putting tolls on toll-free bridges over the East and Harlem Rivers. An $8 surcharge on taxi rides, part of another proposal, is another nonstarter." Those crazy commissioners, eh? And the winner is… forcing "most cars $8 and trucks $21 to drive on the city’s busiest streets during weekdays." Fare enough?

Hot on the heels of the canine-killing conflagration of a model's neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) in Key West, Business Line reports that Tata Motors is all fired-up on building one of Chrysler's little GEMs in India– and shipping it back to the States. Tata Motors has inked a development deal with Chrysler’s Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) to develop and market an electric version of the Tata Ace for the U.S. of A. "For Tata Motors, the electric Ace that requires no homologation, and attracts fewer regulations as it does not operate on highways and main roads will be a launch pad of sorts in a market where it currently has a no presence." The Indian automaker, favored suitor for Ford's Jaguar and Land Rover brands, expects big things from the little machine. They estimate that they'll export 10k NEVs by year-end, ramping-up to 50k units in '09. The arrangement also represents Chrysler's ongoing committment to foreign outsourcing, which includes the development of a small car for the U.S. market with China's Cherry. 

On the subject of the contest between GM and Toyota for the title "World's Largest Automaker," Autoblog jeffe John Neff accepts an unnamed source (via Reuters) and pronounces GM the winner. Strangely (for a man who's devoted a sizable chunk of cyber-space to the battle), Neff writes that "owning this title makes little difference to either automaker." Readers familiar with Toyota's profits– which dwarf GM's– would be forgiven for thinking that's where Neff's going. Readers familiar with Toyota's growing U.S. market share– as opposed to GM's shrinking market share– would also be forgiven for thinking that's where the story is about to go. Uh-uh. "Even if Toyota does pass GM in global sales for 2008, however, we don't expect it will be able to keep the title for very long before the General snaps it back. GM has a stronger presence in China and is doing very well in emerging markets, while Europeans seem to have taken a liking to the Chevy brand over there. If GM can get its U.S. sales back up, we expect it will remain the world's largest automaker." And as my Dad likes to say, if my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a trolley car.

[FYI John Neff discusses blogs vs. the trad media with his pals here.] 

A month or so ago, I exchanged emails with an editor whose auto blog shall remain nameless. TTAC had slated his wide-eyed, spin-friendly coverage of some auto industry news. The offended ed wanted me to believe that our sites were brothers in arms. He argued that delivering "soft news" was just as valid a pursuit as purveying "hard news." In what turned out to be my final missive, I insisted that the term "soft news" is an oxymoron. We were actually discussing the difference between good journalism and bad journalism. And that was that. But the more I surf his site, the more I cruise the autoblogosphere for honest-to-God reportage, the more I wonder if Watergate ever happened. Time and time again, the press give even the most patently bone-headed not-to-say Lutzian industry players a free ride. Even on those rare occasions when a reporter asks a suit a hard question, the self-proclaimed journalist never drills down to the nitty gritty. I guess that's why we're here. To ask the question no one else is asking. And I think the industry knows it. That's why Tesla failed to honor its promise to TTAC and followed BMW, Subaru and other automakers in refusing us seat time in a press car. But–  and I'm guessing here– our editorial independence is also one of the reasons Toyota recently contacted TTAC and offered access to their press fleet. Does this signal some kind of sea change? Is the industry finally ready to face the music? I doubt it. But like Ford CEO Alan Mulally's promise to see the world through "clear glasses," it's a start. Kudos to Big Al. And props to Toyota. While we won't give either automaker special treatment, we recognize and respect their courage.

Credit where credit's due: the executive director of GM Powertrain's fuel cell activities realizes that this may not be the best time to clamor for a suck on the taxpayers' collective tit. As Automotive News [AN, sub] reports, J. Byron McCormick was careful to cloak his call for federal funding in vague and patriotic terms. "Without more investment, there is a real threat that alternative vehicle technologies and development of the hydrogen automobile will leave the United States… Other countries are investing heavily in this sector and could surpass the United States." Oh no! A hydrogen gap! Let's throw some tax money at it, 'cause if we don't "There is a real chance that [a hydrogen gap] could happen. If that happens, what happens to the jobs, to the learning and the skills that go with it?" Oh, hang on. "But for now, McCormick said the United States has technology momentum in the field. 'We have a wonderful opportunity to put the United States in a leadership position,' he added." Still, "There are a number of regions getting their act together. I would hate as a U.S. citizen and taxpayer to have the United States become complacent." And I would hate as a U.S. citizen and taxpayer to have to pay for any more of GM's R&D bill. 

We passed on yesterday's story in Automotive News [AN, sub] on the new Corvette ZR1's carbon fiber bits (roof, hood, front splitter, front fenders, side skirts and spoiler) 'cause we had bigger fish to fry. (Even though you've got to wonder about GM's decision to use customers' top 'o the line Corvettes to, as Autoblog put it, "monitor the degradation of C.F. parts over time.") But as TTAC awaits the return of Jonny Lieberman to the editorial fold, we received a press release touting the joys of Loverman's pet peeve : faux fiber. Thanks to a German company named Foliatec (Fool Ya Tech?), Corvette owners suffering from carbon fiber envy can use plastic sheeting to get their freak on. Degradation? What degradation? "Regardless of whether it is on the bonnet or the roof the film is extremely robust, just like the dark high-tech fibre it is named after. It can brave polar colds of up to minus 40 degrees as well as oven temperatures of 120 degree and maintains – with its full adhesive power – its shape at all times. This is also important if it is fitted in the interior of a car, as there are high temperatures in this area in the summer." While Jonny rolls his eyes, a Question of the Day: what part will YOU be carbon fibering?