Diners at the Motown bailout banquet are back at their tables, their plates groaning under the weight of federal “investment.” They’re just now beginning to tuck in, spending your hard-earned money on various plans to achieve what Oliver called “that full-up feeling.” The reluctant chefs (70 percent of American opposed GM and Chrysler’s second bailout) are showing signs of nausea. While the anti-GM/Chrysler bailout backlash has not been statistically analyzed (I wonder why), anecdotal evidence suggests that at least a small percentage of car buyers are shunning the welfare queens’ products as a protest against their government “affiliation.” Meanwhile, political analysts on both sides of the spectrum continue to debate the elections in Maryland and New Jersey, wondering if voters are rejecting the Obama administration’s heavy-handed economic intervention in the U.S. economy. Did I say “heavy-handed?” Plenty of pundits believe that not only did Uncle Sam have every right to nationalize GM and Chrysler, but they didn’t go far enough. What’s that all about?

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“Consumers increasingly are noticing that the Ford difference is our great products, our strong business and our leadership in quality, fuel efficiency, safety, smart technologies and value.” So sayeth Ken Czubay, Ford’s vice president of U.S. marketing sales and service. Am I reading too much into it, or is “strong business” a euphemism for non-teat-suckler? Anyway, the spin is the spin, and the facts are the facts. The Blue Oval Boyz report that sales of the new Ford Taurus rose a staggering 141 percent, from last October’s 2517 to this October’s 6076. A big ass one-month jump does not a runaway best-seller make. And these numbers aren’t all that spectacular for a mainstream automaker (especially compared to the original Taurus). But you can’t take that away from them. Or can you? What’s going on here? My guess: Ford’s getting a big lift from GM and Chrysler defectors. Or maybe the Taurus has simply hit the sweet spot, as SUVs continue to fall out of fashion. Fleet sales (hidden as retail, as Ford/Mazda is wont to do) may have a little something to do with it. Could be all three. What’s your take?

Back in 1994, supremebrougham helped one of his old high school teachers shop for a car. [NB: “she’s really not old, she’s a vibrant and elegant 50-something that hasn’t changed a bit since the early 90’s.”] She ended-up buying a new Camry LE (not shown). And now she’s looking for another whip. She lives in central Florida (AWD need not apply) and she doesn’t want to spend over $30,000.

I have had an oil leak for about two years. A trust-worthy mechanic suggested I just let it go; just check and replenish the oil as needed. I just bought a new window motor, yet my locks are still unpredictable. Plus the passenger front handle broke off two weeks ago when a a passenger didn’t listen when I insisted that I needed time unlocking her door. I don’t want to put any more money into it. The lovely green machine has served me very well, but I am feeling just a tad unsure about taking it for rides entailing more than local traffic. What do you think of the CR-V or Rav4? Anything by Kia or Hyundai? I am not sure if I want a sedan or one of the little SUV’s. What do you think of the Camry hybrid? I have also noticed the good reviews on the Fusion lately!

As we wait for October sales to come rolling in, I’d like to take advantage of the calm before the storm to update our faithful readers on the wild week to come. Tomorrow I’ll be flying to Detroit to cover Chrysler’s five-year product and business plan. Luckily though, the trip will not be limited to a six hour presentation on “Fiat’s fuel-efficient engine technology” and sundry Pentastarred optimism. We’re also getting the opportunity to interview a certain Mr Ian Callum, chief designer for Jaguar. Do you have any burning questions about the new XJ, the XF or Jaguar’s new styling direction? Let us know and we’ll be sure to ask for you. We will also be covering the roast of Bob Lutz, so be sure to tune in for a report on the best jokes of the evening (although really, nobody expects them to improve on Farago’s effort). Though we’re thrilled to be able to offer a week of fresh reporting, interviews and jokes about GM’s Vice-Chairman, making it happen might require a slightly slower pace of content this week. Luckily Robert Farago, Bertel Schmitt, Paul Niedermeyer, Sajeev Mehta and other TTAC faves will be stepping up to keep the flow of news, commentary and analysis steady. So get ready for a big week, and take a moment to tell us what you most want to hear from Mr Callum, and the New New Chrysler. And thanks, as always, for your tips, comments and support.

It’s not an academic question: if your answer is yes, Mazda has a $1.1B share offering it wants you to participate in. Now that Ford has reduced its stake in Mazda, the Japanese automaker is finding itself short on all kinds of hybrid and EV development. In fact, Mazda’s planned offering will dilute Ford’s share even further, to 11 percent. Automotive News [sub] reports Mazda’s plan is to use the money to improve fuel economy by 30 percent by 2015 mainly by improving its internal combustion engines, gradually adding electric components such as a hybrid system. However, isn’t promising to offer a first hybrid (let’s pretend, as most of the world has, that the Tribute Hybrid never happened) by 2015 a bit like a TV company finally offering a flat screen within the next five years? Has Mazda dallied to long with hydro-rotary nonsense, or is Mazda’s Hail Mary worth betting on?

Pity Takanobu Ito. Like many (ok, some) of us, the CEO of Honda is torn between his love for speed and the desire to be perceived as environmentally responsible. On the one hand, he lambasted Toyota for building its $375k LF-A supercar, saying that to his mind the fuel-cell FCX clarity (once described by Jonny Lieberman as “exactly like a Honda Accord”) was his idea of a modern sports car. On the other, “I would like to make a sports car,” Ito tells Automotive News [sub]. “Once we have that technology and once we have cash on hand, I would like to see Honda have a sports car that symbolizes our technology.” Is he referring to the forthcoming CR-Z? Because, as cool as that car looks, it will hardly satisfy the LF-A jealousy we detect in Mr Ito’s voice. And you have to imagine that the creator of the NSX is as qualified as anyone else to design and develop the first 21st Century green sportscar. But what would that look like? Assume any price point up to the LF-A’s insane $375k sticker, and give us some specs. And remember, at this point, green is relative… and quantifiable only in terms of marketing.

Roast chicken, roast lamb, roast pork, roast beef, roast….Lutz? That’s right. The car world’s most favorite big mouth is going to get it shut, at least for an evening. Bob Lutz is being roasted in the name of the arthritis foundation of the United States. Maximum Bob is going to check his ego in at the door and have people shout barbed comments at him and all he can do is smile (a bit like when our own “Bob” Farago met him). In the past, comedy roasts have produced some great comments, my favorite being when Lisa Lampanelli said that Danny Bonaduce was the the only person in room who was in a good band (Gene Simmons was the guest of honor). Some comments have been very, very great but we couldn’t possibly print them on TTAC! So the question of the day is this: If you had to write one joke for Bob Lutz’ roast, what would it be? Here’s my entry: “It’s nice to see Bob Lutz and arthritis coming together. Normally, when Bob Lutz and cars come together, all the driver gets is rigor mortis!”. Thank you! I’ll be here all week!

[Ed: Roasters are said to include Fritz Henderson, Ed Wellburn, Jean Jennings, Brian Nesbitt and Brent DeWar… Jason Vines will be the MC. When asked if  a certain Robert Farago could contribute, either in person or in a video appearance, organizer Michelle Glazier said “We’re more or less selling things, not slamming things.” Pity.]

Everett writes in:

I know that each motor, transmission, and car combination has optimums areas of performance for mileage. All the Jetta drivers that swear by idling in 5th gear are a testament to that. With some of the newer V-8 motors, however, finding the sweet spot is a little more problematic. Take for example a GMC Yukon XL, paired with a 5.3L V-8. Because GM designed the motor to shut down four cylinders whenever it could to increase fuel economy, the motor does just that when coasting, during braking, and for short stretches where the motor can maintain the desired speed (provided the driver holds a steady pedal). Is it possible that because the motor would produce more horsepower under the V-4 mode at a higher rpm/road speed, that there is a sweet spot of efficiency at a HIGHER than expected speed? Having a power curve for the V-4 mode of the motor would be a good starting point to know if there is a point where the V-4 mode is revved higher and produces enough power to better maintain highway speeds, but saves gas because four cylinders are shut down. Any ideas if that exists for the actively managed motors out there and what speed that would be?

GM’s Onstar EV Lab recently invited Autobloggreen in for a preview of some of the Volt’s unique Onstar options. The upshot is that the GM-exclusive system will reach new levels of invasiveness, monitoring battery charge and temperature levels, as well as providing charging information. But beyond these Volt-related systems, ABG also reveals that Onstar monitored current users as guinea pigs for developing Volt roll-out plans:

GM pulled real data from thousands of OnStar-equipped vehicles over the last week, and calculated what would have happened had they all been Volts. These vehicles were a representative sample, which in this case means the random drivers were selected from areas where GM expects initial interest in the Volt will be high. GM has previously said that it has its eye on “early adopter” cities like San Francisco and Washington, D.C. to sell the Volt at first, so the sample might have included drivers from these areas.

This is a new development in the discussion of whether Onstar crosses privacy lines in the pursuit of safety, and oh yeah, profits. Onstar would argue that complete access to your vehicle helps prevent things like carjackings (a mission it has now officially accomplished once). The downside is that GM is apparently allowed to spy on your vehicle use patterns at will. Oh, and apparently the computer voice recognition leaves something to be desired, for the rurally accented. Is the system worth the downsides?

Part two here.

Nope. Not a bear. Although I bet this 400 lbs. bear would have liked the opportunity to take out a few cars from a chopper before Tim Lorey’s marksmanship made him take The Big Sleep (and I don’t mean hibernation). Write your answer below. THEN click here for the (an?) answer.

The rise of electric cars has  pedestrian safety and hearing-impaired rights groups worried about the accident potential of near-silent electric cars. And so the race to aurally differentiate EVs is on. Heinrik Fisker tells the New York Times that his company’s Karma EV will sound like “a cross between a starship and a Formula One car,” thanks to bumper level speakers pumping out a Hollywood-developed “exhaust note.” Others suggest exhaust notes may be downloadable, like automotive ringtones. Until now, the sounds our cars make has been a function of the engine (with some customization possible via enormous exhausts). Being given the option of making our future electric vehicles sound like anything we want creates a world of options.  How to decide?

That’s my lawyer’s kid, exiting a McLaren F1. I’ve not heard if young Master Gleason pronounced “How sweet it is!” whilst exiting the seminal supercar. Or if this “boy meets Big Mac” moment will inspire Hayden to follow his dad down the road to riches, singing Mack the Knife every step of the way. But I do know the first time I fell in love with a four-wheeled object: the day my father took me a for an inaugural ride in his Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.3. Dad owned a lot of dirty sexy cars leading-up to this German beast—including a black Olds Rocket 88 and white Ford Thunderbird (whose electric roof froze in an obscenely horizontal position on sports day). But the big Benz’ rumble and MASSIVE acceleration began a lifelong love of all things automotive. I remember a journey from Little Compton to Logan airport in the 6.3, when one of my friends was late for a flight. The speedo touched 100 mph— and stayed there for over an hour. Cars zipped backwards as if pulled by the hand of God while my friend slept comfortably in the back. We arrived with plenty of time. So, how did your automotive passion begin?