Forgive us for saying so (i.e. we would still appreciate a test drive), but the Mercedes SLR McLaren could well be the Maybach of exotic cars. We're not saying the $495k (base) roadster's design, price or marketing was inherently flawed, but it's well known that McLaren designer Gordon Murray was unhappy with the front-engined, mid-weight layout from the git-go, and bristled at having to accommodate so much GT-ness (i.e. weight). Curmudgeons were less than impressed with the SLR's brake-by-wire system and its inability to make it into the finals of "Dancing with the Supercars." And then Paris Hilton bought one. And was photographed in it. And drove it drunk. And was jailed for same. Anyway, WardsAuto brings us up-to-date with the ill-fated SLR, revealing that the model's twin exhausts mean it can't be registered in five U.S. states (?). We also learn that "Mercedes declines to say precisely how many of the super cars will be built at the McLaren factory in Woking, U.K. But Greg De Smith, a marketing specialist for the product, says it will be 'substantially fewer' than 500 units." The number reflects Mercedes realization that it will not hit its initial target of 500 SLRs per year for seven years. A blessing in disguise for collectors, or the world's fastest albatross? 

"Other than a borrowed grille from the Camry SE, some 'character lines' in the sheet metal and the Camry’s 2.4L 4-cyl. engine/5-speed automatic transmission in the top trim, there’s little to get excited about with the new model." WardAuto proclaims that "Toyota has delivered a downright boring Corolla for ’09." On one hand, Christie Schweinsberg seems to appreciate the value of vanilla, pointing out that the Corolla didn't suffer a sales slump prior to the new model's introduction (a la Honda Civic). But she can't get her head 'round the fact that Toyota didn't do, well, anything about the Corolla's narcoleptic sheetmetal and driving dynamics. And that's bad because…? "Toyota says it is aiming to conquest Mazda3 buyers, the youngest demographic in the segment, with its new Matrix hatchback rather than the Corolla, but that seems shortsighted. A more dynamic Corolla would have given Toyota more ammunition with which to target that crowd." Or less pleasure for its existing customers. The article disses the Corolla's delayed intro while flagging ToMoCo's quality issues (the reason for the delay). Schweinsberg concludes with a quote that could have come straight from the mouth of a domestic competitor. Oh wait, it did. "But with Toyota’s quality reputation beginning to suffer just as competitors are building better small cars, there’s no guarantee the auto maker will be able to continue selling '350,000 appliances a year,' as a competing OEM exec recently put it."

The American Family Association (AFA) has sent out an "action alert" to its members informing them that Ford's health care policy covers the medical expense of workers who undergo a sex change operation. Apparently, a full page Volvo ad in The Advocate's transgender issue got someone within Donald E. Wildmon's organization thinking about Ford's medical plans for employees suffering from gender dysmorphia. The AFA report claims "Ford offers medical benefits to help pay expenses of those who choose to undergo sex change operations. Ford pays for mental health counseling, hormone therapy, medical visits, and short-term disability after surgical procedures for employees who desire to change their sex." The AFA hopes the alert will help add adherents to their petition declaring its signatories' intention to "boycott Ford Motor Company automobiles until Ford stops supporting homosexual groups which are pushing homosexual marriage." The AFA claims the e-document has attracted 777,833 signatures. Given that the organization also claims its campaign has been the "driving force" behind Ford's dropping sales and Bill Ford's decision to step aside for CEO Alan Mulally, a grain (though not a column) of salt may be in order.

When you make the market’s most un-SUV-like SUV– a large, fast, expensive, thirsty, luggage and mud-aversive vehicle– what do you do for an encore? If you’re Infiniti, you make a virtually identical smaller version that’s slightly more fuel efficient. And how do you convince consumers to buy this $40k FX35 mini-me? You cram it with enough electronics to keep an AWACS crew busy for hours. Strangely, that’s not the best reason to buy an EX35. Hell, it’s not even a good reason. But I’m getting ahead of myself here…

"And even those who keep paying their [car loan] bills may reach a point… where they simply can't afford another car. That could send vehicle sales down the drain, a nightmare scenario for an industry that has already taken a hit this year from slower consumer spending and higher gas prices." This little tidbit in the LA Times underscores a point TTAC made when GM first offered "Anyone with a Pulse" zero percent financing: easy credit creates short term gain leading to long-term pain. The Times identifies four warning signs that the easy credit chickens are coming home to roost. First, loan durations are growing. "Nearly 45 percent of loans are for longer than six years. Toyota Financial Services and Ford Credit are offering seven-year financing. And a few credit unions are tinkering with the eight-year note." Second, the loan amount is rising. "In October, the average amount financed hit $30,738, up $3,500 in just a year and nearly 40% in the last decade." Third, more and more customers are "backwards" on their loans, by a larger amount. "Today's average car owner owes $4,221 more than the vehicle is worth at the time it's sold." And fourth, an increasing number of these negative equity car owners are hanging fire on new cars– or simply defaulting. "S&P says delinquencies of more than 60 days on car loans issued this year to borrowers with the best credit are up 20 percent compared to those issued last year." Manufacturers and consumers alike are learning there's no such thing as a free car.

Consumeraffairs.com reports that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has rejected a request from Ralph Nader's Public Citizen advocacy group to revoke some of Ford's Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) credits. Public Citizen claimed that 2003 – '05 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable vehicles "do not perform up to standards when fueled with E85." Public Citizen argued that an unknown number of these 228k Flex Fuel Fords wouldn't start when filled with corn juice. What's more, some of the E85-fed Taurus engines would stall, creating a safety hazard. NHTSA demurred, saying that E85-related engine stalling was "rare." And anyway, simple repairs fixed the problem. While the issue clearly relates to Ford's engineering prowess, the idea that a tankful of E85 can make a car fail to start or stall probably isn't an idea that the Renewable Fuels Association would like to see widely disseminated. You're welcome.

Now that we're in the post-Christmas pre-New Year interregnum, the media is, as usual, attempting to fill the void with retrospectives. The New York Times Dealbook looks back at the wheelers and dealers that filled their column inches in '07. And you just knew Cerberus' takeover of Chrysler Corp. was going to be in there somewhere. Somewhat surprisingly, scribe Andrew Ross Sorkin decided to upbraid the private equity firm for its lack of PR skills, rather than its decision to invest billions in a sinking ship. Perhaps that's because Cerberus is only slightly more media-friendly than Leonid Brezhnev's Kremlin. Well, not exactly. While we were expecting criticism of Cerberus' decision to dump combative Chrysler Spinmeister Jason Vines, and the resulting circling of Chrysler's PR wagons, Sorkin seems to think Cerberus' management style makes them unlikeable. "To lead Chrysler, Cerberus chose Robert Nardelli, the former chief of Home Depot, whose high-handed style helped get him ousted from his previous job. Layoffs grew, but so did losses. Then Cerberus dented its deal-making reputation by walking away from two previously agreed-to deals — for H&R Block’s mortgage arm and for United Rentals. So far, this charm offensive is light on the charm and heavy on the offensive." Don't look for Cerberus to answer Sorkin's emails anytime soon. 

I know TTAC is the hard man of the autoblogosphere, but sometimes I can't resist taking a walk on nerdy side (and the pistonhead girls go do do do do…). The International Herald Tribune addresses one of rivet counters' most vexing questions, as above. Previously, on "You Need To Get A Life," Trib author Jan Freeman declared that the appropriate term for more than one Toyota Prius was "Prioria." Reader Christopher Casey took exception, kinda. "You were right that Prius is the neuter nominative/accusative singular of the adjective prior, but the plural forms of the word – which means 'earlier, better, more important'- would be Priora, not Prioria." Freeman rang-up Harry Mount, author of "Carpe Diem" (a.k.a. "Latin isn't half as dull as you think it is. More like a quarter"). "Yes, it's Priora," he told Freeman, "because it's neuter plural. But if you cheated a bit and made the car masculine or feminine – and I do think of cars as female – then it would be Priores. And Priores has nice undertones of grandness – Virgil used it to mean 'forefathers' or 'ancestors.' So if your hybrids are named for the dames of ancient Rome – Drusilla, Octavia, Agrippina – you're granted poetic license. Otherwise, Priora is the Latin plural you're looking for." Mea culpa! TTAC's been using Prii. We sit corrected. 

If you're looking for a reason to be hopeful for strong sales of Pontiac's forthcoming G8– an imported Australian Holden by any other name– News.com.au's got a story for you. The news agency reports that sales of Holden's V8-engined cars down under are up 183 percent year-on-year. Of course, we're talking about absolute numbers so small they wouldn't even twitch the sales needle for GM. "We look like we'll sell between 11,000 and 12,000 V8 Commodores and Caprices," John Lindsay revealed. Still, "People seem to be adjusting to higher fuel prices. It's also important to remember that modern V8s are more economical than those of the past." The article points out that all may not be as it seems; sales of Ford's V8-powered cars are flat (the last of the great V8 Interceptors?) and overall Ozzie sales were up for the period. Still, it's true that V8s haven't reached a commercial or technological dead end. And the idea that consumers prefer rorty V8s is a nice thought for Motown denizens who [still] share GM's Lutzian perspective on the average consumer's desire for maximum horsepower. 

The Swaziland Observer gives us evidence that automotive obsession is a worldwide phenomena, with dangerous side effects on marital relations. And for once, I'm snarkless, awed by Dumisa Dlamini's rhetorical brilliance. "These three-legged animals just love their cars and women hate the cars with a passion. From his first income, a man would neglect any sort of expenditure and concentrate on buying a car. There is a time in a man’s life where the color, shape, size and model does not matter. So long as he has a car he can call his own life better, complete and the gentleman blissful. Through his car, he can have most desires of his hearts including the very woman who comes to fight him over the automobile… Will men get rid of their cars or rather prefer their women more than the cars? This is a balance that lies deep in the man’s heart. It would seem a man without his car is like an emu- a big useless and flightless bird. He can’t have his desires, dreams and aspirations met. He cannot even afford to please his woman when his car is not around." Sigh.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sets Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards and collects fines from manufacturers who fail to meet their provisions. NHTSA recently updated their website with a list of CAFE fines the agency collected for model year '06 scofflaws. DaimlerChrysler's $30,257,635.50 penalty covers Mercedes models both imported and domestic, and represents an enormous jump from last year's cost of doing business ($16,895,472). In fact, the now defunct DaimlerChrysler's fine is the largest single amount NHTSA's ever collected, eclipsing BMW's massive penalty in 2001 ($27,985,925). That's not to say that BMW got off lightly for their '06 models; the Sultans of Stuttgart forked over $5,056,012.50 for not meeting the required fleet-wide federal mpg standard. BMW's whack just "beats" Porsche's '06 model year CAFE fines ($4,599,864.50). No wonder Porsche was trying to change the new law to get an exemption as a low volume automaker. Speaking of which, Ferrari shelled-out $842,160 to the feds for their fuel-sucking models' mpgs. As the new standards get tougher, the Germans and Italians are going to have work harder to make the grade, or dig deeper into their corporate coffers. Oh, and if you think about it, guess who really pays these fines? 

Judging from the comments on this site, the average TTAC reader is closer in age to a Buick buyer than a Sciontologist. Then again, you never know. I would have given my right testicle to find a site like this as a boy– you know, if it had dropped by then. In deference to the possibility of juvenile readers, I tend to keep the language in the posts and comments G-rated. Or at least asterisked. God knows why. Three of my four daughters– aged ten through 14– are fully conversant with every one of George Carlin's seven words you can't say on TV. I reckon it's a matter of days before my four-year-old learns that "stupid" isn't on the comedian's list. Just last week, I overheard one of these fine little ladies tell a notoriously aggressive classmate to f-off. Did I upbraid her? Yeah right. Truth be told, I'm a big fan of swearing. Although I don't swear in front of the kids, I'm not averse to a little plain speaking in unmixed company. In fact, I've toyed with the idea of using swear words on TTAC as a way to differentiate us from our more mainstream competitors. But the last time I deployed obscenity on this site in the name of art, the shit hit the fan. I received a barrage of emails suggesting that my salacious sailor-speak destroyed TTAC's credibility. Fair enough. So I want you to know that the F-bomb in the attached podcast was entirely inadvertent, although, I thought, editorially appropriate. You be the judge.

[Warning: the attached podcast contains intemperate language, including the "F-word"] 

At Tesla's recent e-town hall meeting, company Chairman Elon Musk said the erstwhile automaker "might" build some Roadsters with a temporary transmission, until such time as they can find one that lasts longer than a week [paraphrasing]. Tesla's new head honcho Ze'ev Drori has just turned that possibility into a certainty– in as much as one can be certain about any promises made by the Silicon Valley start-up. The EV-in-Chief made the new tranny for new announcement on Tesla's eye-searing blog (white on black text is against the Geneva Convention guys). "To help speed delivery of cars, we will begin production in 2008 with an interim transmission design. These transmissions will meet high standards for reliability and durability, but the car will not meet the original performance spec for acceleration, reaching 60 mph in 5.7 seconds instead of the promised 4 seconds. When the final transmission is ready, we will retrofit all cars, at Tesla’s expense, to meet the promised performance specifications." Speaking of promises, Tesla has a new new production date: Spring 2008. That said, "the ramp rate of the production volume will depend on how quickly our suppliers can ramp production of parts and how quickly Lotus can increase the rate of the production line. Because of this dependency we don’t yet know when each car will be built or how many cars will be completed in calendar year 2008." How reassuring is that?

When Frank and I heard that Mike Spinelli was disengaging from daily Jalopnik, we agreed: blogging ain't for sissies. To have a hope in Hell of attracting a regular audience, a blog must constantly and consistently feed the gaping maw that is the internet. As a former CNNer and borderline workaholic, I've got no problem facing an empty literary quiver every morning. I just bloody well get on with it. Frank's military discipline and undiagnosed personality disorders also qualify him for the task. But I understand that what we do requires a rare level of craft and commitment. If you think about it– and I have– every week, TTAC produces the equivalent amount of editorial as a monthly car magazine. And we're doing it for a fraction of the cost– and getting a fraction of the revenue, but that's a whole 'nother story. Anyway, all this is an excuse for why I didn't post this podcast yesterday; I simply ran out of time. Well, that and I had to drop my step-daughter off with her Dad in Boston and my brother-in-law wanted to see what The Ocean State has to offer in the way of nightlife (let's just say parking isn't a problem on Thursdays). Normally, I'd let the podcast slide and move on to the next one, but Justin had some real insights worth presenting. I think.

Oregon's Mail Tribune reports that the Beaver State will now offer motorists a chance to warn other motorists not to run over bicyclists. For an extra $10 on top of the usual license fee, Oregonians can buy a plate with the design pictured here, safe in the knowledge that an undisclosed percentage of the proceeds go to Portland's Bicycle Transportation Alliance. If drivers don't want to share the road with anyone– Oregon is survivalist central after all– they can affix plates benefiting the Elks, Masons, square dancers and firefighters. Military vets also get their own plates: Purple Heart recipients, members of the First Marine Division, disabled veterans, former prisoners of war, and five others). Graduates of seven Oregon universities are also allowed to flaunt their education on their tags, but not if they went to Southern Oregon University (for some strange reason). All of which begs a question: whatever happen to having one damn plate design per state? Setting aside the law enforcement implications of multiple iterations, a single design with a single motto provided a unifying state identity for its residents. Anything for money, eh?

[A list of all 50 states' plates– without minor variations– here ]