American pistonheads, tree-huggers and pistonhead tree-huggers have been clamoring for Euro-diesels long before California passed regulations making them legally untenable. WardsAuto reports that The Sultans of Stuttgart will add a urea-injection system to their 3.0-liter variable twin-turbo diesel and bring that bad boy stateside. In the Eurozone, Bimmer's six cylinder oil burner cranks-out 286 hp and stumps-up 427 lb-ft. of torque– which, it must be said, is one Hell of a lot of torque. (Satch Carlson, editor of Roundel, the official magazine of the BMW Car Club of America: "It feels and sounds something like a big-block Chevy when you put your foot down.") The not-smelly, non-clattering 3.0-liter inline six currently serves duty in BMW's European 335d, 535d and 635d models. There's no word on which US models will be blessed with the oil burner, or what they'll cost stateside. 

A documentary aired on German TV (without advance notice) has linked the family controlling BMW and the Nazis. In "The Silence of the Quandts," filmmakers Eric Friedler and Barbara Siebert reveal that BMW's eventual owner Günther Quandt used Jewish slave labor in his battery factory during the war. The connection with the Nazi regime went right to the top; Quandt's first son Herbert was raised by Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, architect of Kristallnacht and other horrific aspects of the state-sponsored pogram against German Jews. Herbert Quandt assumed control of the German automaker in 1959. Although a family spokesman said the allegations were "not incisively new," the Quandts have previously denied allegations that they cooperated with the Nazis; up until now they have portrayed themselves as victims of the Third Reich. When the German Forced Labour Compensation Program was established, the family declined to make a contribution, claiming they had no reason to do so.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM) represents a strange agglomeration: BMW, Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen. Getting all nine members to agree to any given PR plan must be Hell on Earth. And yet, as any Star Wars fan will tell you, you can't be a proper Alliance if you just hang around waiting for the Death Star to appear. For Death Star, read the federal government, which has emerged as the single most important force in the American auto industry. Anyway, someone at the AAM got their members to fund a new website called YourMileageMayVary.com. The site tells consumers all about the new EPA fuel economy stickers. It's a terrific little corner of cyberspace: concise, user-friendly and useful. There's nothing controversial here– other than the fact that the tax-payer funded EPA couldn't do it nearly as well. But it's definitely geared towards the intellectually challenged. In the Q & A bit: "How effect will the new labels have on the cost of a fill-up?" Answer: "These updated estimates are about updated information for American drivers, not worse fuel economy." Glad we got that straightened out.

BMW and Mercedes have been rivals since 1929, but Detroit News columnist Christine Tierney reckons the two automakers are eyeing each other across the dance floor. Tierney points-out that Daimler-Benz (Mercedes to you and me) hooked-up with Chrysler to fend off the possibility of a hostile takeover. Now that the Chrysler divorce is going through, they're even more vulnerable than before. What's more, Tierney says the folks sheltering under the three-pointed star are "increasingly threatened" by Porsche's takeover of the VW Group. As Mercedes needs to off-load some of their R&D costs, and BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer just declared his intention to "wring out" $8b in savings to bolster his company's margins, and BMW is working with GM and Mercedes on hybrid powertrains… We reckon this Yenta's got a yen for mischief, and under-estimates the weight of history and the bad blood that flows between the Germans. Still, just ask Dr. Z; stranger things have happened.

After perusing the United Auto Workers’ (UAW) contract with GM, I reckon both sides got a good deal. The UAW secured job guarantees: assurances that GM won’t off-shore new and existing products for the North American market. For its part, The General gets to off-load the lion’s share of its fixed costs AND a chance to lower the pay scale for a third of its hourly workforce. If the contract is ratified, the UAW protects its existing members’ livelihoods and GM becomes a lower-cost producer. No question: it’s a new lease on life. 

I know really big cars are deeply unfashionable amongst people who know who Tim Robbins is. And driving fast is about as socially acceptable as smoking a cigar in a maternity ward. But I can't help it: I love driving huge cars really fast. I suppose it goes back to my first experiences in a seriously swift motor: my Dad's 1972 300 SEL 6.3. That car was a handful. Literally. You know how today's sports sedans all have those big fat steering wheels covered with some sort of hi-tech grippy fabric that never, ever gets slimy? Well the 6.3 had a helm as thick as a sparrow's leg made out of the same translucent, amber-like material you find at the end of a meerschaum pipe. With so much power underfoot, you had to grip that slender oval like grim death, ready to yank it one way or the other or both when the torque overwhelmed the tires and the chassis. Which was all the time. At least the way I drove it. In fact, I got my first speeding ticket in the 6.3. I was nailed doing 113 in a 55 on I195. It really wasn't a big deal. Straight road. Perfect day. Fresh pavement. The judge was not kind. But nothing he did put me off the idea of going like Hell in the automotive equivalent of the QE2. Other kids might look at a speedo of a sports car and ask "What'll she do?" Me, I reserve that particular enquiry for luxobarges. (Sports cars are for corners.) Which is why I totally get an AMG-fettled S-Class but can't make head nor tails out of Justin's C350 Sport. As far as I'm concerned, if you can't chill out and enjoy Mahler's Death in Venice at speed, why bother?  

Automotive News [AN, sub] has not one but two article's about Detroit's [supposed] design excellence– actual or eventual. First, former Car and Driver editor William Jeanes wants us to know that GM's sun will come out tomorrow is out, design-wise. "Like that hint of springtime, it is suddenly apparent that a design renaissance has taken hold at GM… No one, not even Lutz, can change perception overnight. But you have to start somewhere, and he and the GM designers have rolled a grenade into the room…" Next, Steven Cole Smith is pleased to report that the non-car guys heading Ford and Chrysler are staying the Hell away from the design studios– lest they screw-up the aforementioned design renaissance. "'Let's face it,' said a Ford executive who asked not to be identified. 'Alan [Mulally] has bigger problems to deal with than how the headlights should look on an F-150. Plus, he's proven that he delegates responsibility to those who deserve it, and the design staff deserves it.'" In case you prefer a non-fiction quote, Chrysler 300 designer Ralph Gilles says Nardelli's been a good boy. "Bob… seems to be one of those guys who knows what he doesn't know… He's keen on what we do. His cautiousness is very encouraging." 

I'm not quite sure why police and members of the judiciary consider anyone driving above 100 mph the automotive equivalent of a child abuser– when speeding per se doesn't top the list of accident causation (unless the stat gatherers lie), but they surely do (both lie and consider 100mph+ speeding beyond the pale). The Associate Press (via the Coshocton Tribune ) carries the SHOCKING NEWS that Buckeye State Troopers cited 1416 motorists for speeding offenses above the toxic ton in '06. "Most of those ticketed were driving high-performance automobiles such as BMWs, Audis and Acuras. However, troopers say even compact family cars like Kias can reach triple digit speeds." The poster child for this speedo-related recklessness: a motorcyclist clocked at 167 mph. Municipal Court Judge David Picken threw the book at the bad boy biker. Luckily for the miscreant (if not road safety), it was a relatively slender tome: a $440 fine, six-month license suspension and a court-ordered driver's safety course. The scofflaw should count himself lucky he wasn't caught in Virginia, which, like the UK, is quite happy to jail drivers cresting the ton. Or Hawaii, which also offers a little alone time with Bubba in the hoosegow or community service for any driver caught driving over 80mph. 

No good deed (or government subsidy) goes unpunished. The New York Times reports what we surmised many moons ago: without a national network of ethanol-compatible pipelines, the corn-based fuel can't be distributed in sufficient quantities to impact America's dependence on Arab-sourced fuel. In other words, trucks and trains aren't getting it done. Add in the large number of E85 plants coming on stream and the rising price of corn and there you it: expensive raw materials, a transportation bottleneck AND oversupply leading to falling prices. Over the last two years, the price of ethanol has slumped form two bucks a gallon to $1.55. At least the ethanol industry can rely on their friends in Congress to prop-up demand through "conservation legislation." For now. Aaron Brady, a director at the consulting firm Cambridge Energy Research Associates, warns that "unintended consequences" may hurt popular support for home-grown gas. He's talking pressure on corn and other food prices, water shortages, and soil and fertilizer runoff. Without Washington's support for ethanol, what then? 

The controversy surrounding the decision to allow Mexican trucks free access to US roads, and vice versa, rolls on. After howls of protest greeted the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) pilot project, the Department of Transportation and its Mexican equivalent decided to install no-cost (to anyone but the taxpayer) satellite transponders in all participating trucks. The Associated Press reports that Qualcomm has been awarded the contract to source, install and monitor the bugs tracking the trucks' location, speed, cargo and trip details, and mileage. BUT the project has been cut-off at the congressional knees, as the Teamsters (surprise!) successfully lobbied their elected reps to veto funding for the technology. And yet, even without the chips, the project is already underway; there are currently 12 domestic trucks in Mexico, and seven Mexican trucks stateside. 

Owning a Ferrari is like having a mistress. When you're with it/her, you understand exactly why you were willing to risk life, limb, your children's happiness and a huge pile of cash to indulge in inherently selfish, fleeting pleasures. And then the Ferrari breaks/crashes and the mistress goes hinky, as is their wont. And you wonder WTF you were thinking when you bought the Ferrari or indulged your libido [presumably] outside the marital bed. You swear on a stack of fifties that you will never, ever be so stupid as to think you could get away with that kind of shit again as long as you live. You will live within your means, within your sensible, proscribed comfort zone. And then the Ferrari's fixed and the mistress gives you "that" look. If the process becomes an endless loop, there's only one thing for it: buy a Porsche and marry your mistress. My gift to you Justin– and our two fine listeners.

TTAC's best and brightest were not slow off the mark on this one: GM's plan to put $50b into the hands of the United Auto Workers for a union-controlled health care superfund could lead to epic fraud, leaving union members without adequate coverage. The Director of the National Legal and Policy Center's Organized Labor Accountability Project and editor of Union Corruption Update sounds the alarm. "Union-controlled health and benefit plans often shortchange union members and retirees," Dr. Carl Horowitz warns. "Instead of getting the best deal for participants, these plans are often characterized by cozy, inside deals beneficial to the union bosses, and on occasion, organized crime. With the staggering size of this proposed health fund, the UAW bosses must be salivating." In case you didn't notice, Dr. Horowitz (who still has both legs intact) thinks Congress should hold hearings on the health care deal– or else. "Neither GM nor the UAW can be counted on to act in the best interests of workers. Putting the union in charge of this health fund creates a potentially huge conflict of interest for UAW leaders." 

Regular readers will know that we're big fans of painfully obvious press releases. Although it's been a while since a really stupid obvious PR shout-out has crossed our e-transom, it was worth the wait. Honestly, I can't do justice to this one. So, at the risk of seeming as lazy as a newspaper automotive supplement editor, here's the text: "Peanut butter and jelly, chips and salsa, vegetables and … oil changes? They really do have something in common — they both promote good health. Just like your mother told you to eat your vegetables so you could be strong and healthy, you have probably been told that you are supposed to change the oil in your car regularly, according to the guidelines in your car's owner's manual. Your driving habits, the climate you live in, and the conditions you drive in will determine whether you are on a regular or severe schedule. But like you may skip the broccoli and opt for fries instead, you may let your oil change slip, thinking it really doesn't make that big of a difference. But regular oil changes and maintenance can have a big impact on how long your car lasts… So the next time you're tempted to skip that oil change, remember the price you and your car may pay in the long run. As for skipping the vegetables … well, you know what mom said." Podcast with Steve Christie, Executive Director of the Automotive Oil Change Association below. 

The Manchester Evening News reports that the local plod have crushed over 10k cars belonging to owners who are wanted for a criminal offense, dare drive without a proper registration or insurance, and/or haven't maintained their vehicle properly. This "bounty" stems from new police confiscation powers enacted in January 2006 and deployment of patrol car-mounted Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras and software (which can identify a car's legitimacy or outstanding warrants attached to the registered keeper in seconds). As awesome as that may be for insurance companies and road safety– "police say uninsured drivers are six times more likely to have convictions for driving un-roadworthy vehicles and nine times more likely to have convictions for drink-driving"– the fines involved are equally staggering. Offending vehicles are hit with a £200 on-the-spot fine; or a larger one meted out later, in court. There's also a £105 charge for recovery, plus £12 a day storage AND offenders get points on their license. As the Greater Manchester Police seized 25k cars during this time frame, without storage charges, we reckon the crackdown has dumped over £4,575,000 in revenues into the City Council's coffers. You know, byproduct-wise. 

Is the name of the coffee table tome resting underneath my left elbow. Michael Furman's photographic study of automobiles built from 1925 to 1948 leads with pictures of American models, and it's enough to make an American car lover cry. From the Bentley Blower-like 1927 Kissel 8-75 Speedster to the perfectly proportioned 1932 Lincoln KB Model 248 Convertible Roadster (I'm ignoring the hideous 1940 Lincoln Continental Convertible), the US section features some of the most beautiful and charismatic cars the world had ever seen. As TTAC continues to chronicle Detroit's dissolution, let it be said that we look forward to the flowering of talent that its conclusion will bring. There will come a time when the US once again return to the pinnacle of automotive design and engineering. Count on it.