What's the downside? Seems no one at Honda asked that question when the automaker decided to hire a team of 19 skydivers to form the word "Honda" in mid-air. In three minutes and 20 seconds. Live. On British national TV. The spot falls under (so to speak) Honda's new ad campaign: "If it's difficult, it's worth doing." If something goes seriously wrong, the Honda ad will test the limits of another, showbiz-oriented strapline "There's no such thing as bad publicity." The Guardian makes no mention of the ad's central lure– the possibility of death. It does, however, reports that Honda's already tested the concept. (So that's alright, then.) "The stunt is a means of gaining publicity for Honda's new multi-million pound ad campaign, which features 45 skydivers promoting the Honda Accord by creating a series of shapes over the Mojave desert to reflect new features on the car." i-VTEC® this! So why risk risking lives to do it live? ""We wanted to create something unmissable and what better way to produce something 'must see' than to stage the first live ad event on TV," Channel 4's sales director, Andy Barnes revealed. "It's about creating talkability on a big scale, managing the risk and being seen as pioneers for it." Let's hope "managing the risk" doesn't turn into paying off someone's widow. 

Autocar magazine has suddenly woken-up to the threat to UK jobs posed by the Government's new CO2-based car taxes. And boy are they miffed! After listing the auto industry's contribution to the island nation's economy– 800k employees, £200b turnover– Julian Rendell lets 'em have it with half a barrel: "And yet the government's policies could be putting that business, and those jobs, in increasing jeopardy." [emphasis added]. Ya think? CO2- belching Bentley, Land Rover, Jaguar, Aston Martin and Lotus all call Britain home. Instead of bringing out the big guns to attack the anti-car jihad– union leaders, car makers' reps, opposition politicians, analysts– Autocar picks up the cudgel on behalf of the working stiff. "Those who govern our country are making cars prohibitively costly to buy and to own, and by doing so they've giving the ordinary people who make, sell, service and repair those vehicles real concern for their jobs and their futures." That said, the guys on the line really know their onions. “I feel the government’s policies are clearly anti-car,” said Craig Caves, line manager at Ford of Britain’s Dagenham Diesel Centre. “On a daily basis they are producing an anti-car mentality that can only threaten jobs in the car industry. And it’s not just us at risk; it’s all the people supplying us and the people local to the plant.” News flash: the time to bring-up this issue was five years ago. At least. 

Before setting off on a 2000 mile roadtrip around the Great American Southwest in a loaner Jaguar XF, my co-driver and I commented, "We are taking a brand new, unproven, Jaguar, across barren deserts and across mountain passes, through blowing dust and drifting snow, and the nearest Jaguar dealership lies over 300 miles away. How much water did we bring?" The Jag proved faultless no matter what we threw at it– until now. Arriving back in Oklahoma City, in true Labor Party fashion, the headlights went on strike. The local Jag dealership proved very useful in not only taking immediate care of me, but also gave me coffee and a loaner Toyota Camry– which while not as much fun, will probably have working headlights. Due to a parts shortage on the new XF, the Jag rep had the dealership cannibalize a new XF to provide the parts. Stay tuned for a full second take on the Jaguar XF.

TTAC's dedicated a fair amount of bandwidth to the UK's anti-car jihad. Our coverage has included London's Congestion Charge, speed cameras, CO2-related taxes and more. And now, finally, we offer a link to a proper polemic that encapsulates the logic and emotion of the British chattering class' anti-car arguments. Novelist and Independent columnist Joan Smith — "known for her human rights activism and writing on subjects such as atheism and feminism"– claims petrol-profligate pistonheads are forcing Chancellor Gordon Brown to reconsider yet another increase in the UK's fuel duty. And she's not a happy camper. "Welcome to 21st-century realpolitik, where the fact that overconsumption of oil is destroying the planet matters less than a noisy group of wannabe Jeremy Clarksons… I'm not saying that people shouldn't own cars, especially in rural areas where public transport is inadequate. I am suggesting that our present level of car use is a luxury we can no longer afford, which is why I always give a quiet cheer when the cost of petrol and diesel rises. In residential areas two- and three-car families have become the norm, and I'm not talking about little runabouts like my Ford Ka; the same people who whinge about the price of petrol have often spent £40,000 or £50,000 on top-of-the range saloons and SUVs without stopping to think of the cost in road accidents and premature deaths from respiratory disease." 

The Aston Vantage is, for many junkies of the petrol, just pure car porn. Or car strip club, if you go to the dealer. Or car hooker, if you hit up an exotic car rental company for a day. It's just so sexy it hurts (I blame the jeans). In any case, Aston has set to update the engine in the V8 Vantage which was, in a commentary on our horsepower times, underpowered compared to competition. The former 4.3 liter engine (which some real goons claimed ran out of puff at times) is enlarged to 4.7 liters. Horsepower jumps from 380 to 420, and torque goes from 302 lb ft to 347 lb ft. Aston also claims there will be modest efficiency gains, since the war on cars is firing on all cylinders. The interior, which Jonny Lieberman told me is unsatisfactory considering the car's price, is also significantly upgraded (we'll bring you pictures the moment they surface). But if the power still isn't enough for you, you'll just have to wait for the V12 Vantage with the honking 12 pot from the DB9. Probably will sound great, but no need to cut into the car's balance like that.

Jeremy Clarkson's strident, xenophobic and bombastic opinions aside, he's a rare bird, a true master of the craft. Case in point: former car salesman and failed Top Gear presenter Jason Dawe. "How to test drive a car properly" begins in the great Clarksonian "I'll get to the car bit when I bloody feel like it" tradition, trying to amuse us with tales from the mattress department. (Snoring is sooooo funny.) And then… "How can you possibly get a proper feel for a new car when you find yourself driving around the local industrial estate with an over anxious salesman sat beside you bellowing into his mobile and indicating the next turn back to the garage? Rental offers a very simple solution, with a lot of the main fleets offering a huge choice of vehicles. The chances are that if you have your eye on a car, your local rental agency will be able to get it for you. And hire doesn’t have to be expensive – ignore the published tariffs and do some bargaining – you might be surprised at the deals with which you could end up. For the sake of spending just a couple of hundred pounds for a week’s rental, you could save yourself thousands if you find the car isn’t for you." I suppose if you're looking for the car that isn't for you, a rental is as good a place as any in which to look. And now a word from our sponsor– I mean another word from our sponsor: "Avis confirm that rental experiences influence new car buying decisions. On handing back the rental car 44% of UK renters said they were slightly or much more likely to add the model to their next new car shopping list." So Jason, which is it: slightly or much more likely? 

PistonHeads reports police in Manchester have raise their surveillance efforts in the world's most surveilled country to the next level. They're recording information on every one of the 600k cars that enter the city on a daily basis. When you drive into Manchester on one of twelve major routes, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras record your car's registration and color and the time of entry. The system automatically checks your information against national databases to see what heinous crime someone driving your car may have committed. The police and/or various government agencies store the information for five years "to fight terrorism, crime and car theft." The UK has the same system in place in The City (London's financial district) following a 1993 terrorist attack in Bishopsgate. Let the "if you haven't done anything wrong you have nothing to worry about" arguments begin.

I mean, how much worse can the UK's anti-speeding jihad get? Aside from actually making shit up, oh wait, that's what they did. Kent County's police officers issued speeding tickets to people who weren't speeding. (More than this and the fact that a member of the force was suspended, the police will not reveal.) So how can the Kent County constabulary act even more reprehensibly towards motorists? By not reversing the speeding fines and points illegally "awarded" to drivers. And yet, Pistonhead reports that Kent police "have dropped 200 speeding charges after allegations an officer rigged roadside checks – but do not plan to notify the rest of the motorists caught." You must be joking. Nope. According to Motorcycle News, a serving Kent officer said that not everyone caught by the operator will be notified because "files are only kept for one year and the cost would be very significant." Folks, keep in mind that one speeding conviction in the UK puts you two speeding convictions away from license revocation, with all of the economic hardship that implies. And ANY points on your license translate into higher insurance premiums. Not to mention the erosion of public confidence in/support for the police. What's it going to take to get the UK government to end this self-financing holy war against its own, otherwise law-abiding citizenry?

Pistonheads reports that Suffolk police are leading the charge to ensure that all UK motorists are banned from driving. OK, that's not the goal– even if it isn't entirely unimaginable. As befits the British Nanny State, the police are trying to ticket as many speeders as possible to stop them from killing themselves. Or others. Yes, we've been down this road (at the posted speed limit) before. But I think it's important for TTAC's Best and Brightest to appreciate the Suffolk Po-po's full commitment to public safety. Pistonheads reports that the constabulary nailed 94 percent more mobile scofflaws between April 21 and 27 than they'd collared during their previous six-day high water mark. We're talking 854 selfish bastards vs. 264 'scrotes. Assuming the absolute minimum possible fine for all [who bloody well should be] concerned– £44 or $86.2749– The Suffolk Old Bill added £37,576 ($73,668.63) to the county coffers. If they could maintain that pace (£6,262.66667 per day), they'd raise £2,285,873.33 ($4,481,316.10) in a year. But that's not the point, is it mate? Speaking on behalf of "you should see what I've scaped off the pavement" police everywhere, Sgt Steve Knight said a "significant" number of motorists have "failed to grasp the concept" that speed kills. "Motorists really have no excuse," he said. 

To say motoring-related police enforcement and green-justified taxation has driven a wedge between the average UK citizen subject and Her Majesty's government would be an excellent example of British understatement. Literally every day we hear news of another "us vs. them" story, whereby motorists face new charges and/or the police punish them for what is, let's face it, normal behaviour (a.k.a. speeding). To wit: one in three of all licensed UK drivers have points on the license. And the hits keep happening. The Daily Mail reports that "a leaked memo has revealed that rank-and-file officers in the Norfolk force have been told that incidents such as car vandalism should not be classed as an offence when there is 'no idea how it happened.'" From the memo: "We appear to be making things difficult for ourselves by 'criming' things which aren't actually crimes. One example is where a car window is found to be damaged, no entry to vehicle, no witnesses and no idea how it happened. This has been recorded as criminal damage, even though there is no evidence to suggest it fits the definition. If there is no evidence of someone intending to destroy or be reckless then there is no crime." In other words, Norfolk crime figures are getting a bit of Shiatsu. I know what you're thinking. "The Association of British Insurers said claims for criminal damage would not be affected if police refused to issue crime numbers." So, if a 'scrote pushes a tree onto your car in The New Forest, does your car really exist? 

London has voted out Mayor Ken Livingstone. While the BBC frame the election of Conservative Boris Johnson as London's new mayor in the context of a widespread shift of support from Labour to Tory, "Red Ken's" call for increased congestion charges (to $50/day) and 20mph speed limits in residential areas helped turn the tide in Johnson's favour. Johnson has pledged to review the congestion charge scheme, particularly in London's West End. Note: review and adjust. Not eliminate. Yes, there's little doubt that the UK motorists will continue to be targeted by revenue-building environmental measures, including Ye Olde CG. How long before New York City or Seattle of Portland or San Francisco revive this idea?

Critics have long maintained that "safety cameras" (a.k.a. no-armed bandits) cause crashes. Unsuspecting drivers stumble upon a camera, hit the brakes hard and BAM! Rear-end collision. This is especially likely for motorists who suddenly catch sight of camera vans (a.k.a. "Talivans"). Well duh. The whole point of these infernal machines is to catch motorists "off guard." Otherwise, well, they wouldn't make any money catch any speeders, would they? But scientific studies and common sense will only take you so far, hearts and minds-wise. What could really turn the tide is a video of a Talivan-caused crash. And the BBC had just such a video. Only they pulled it. Which has pissed off the Association of British Drivers no end. "The video was first shown on BBC News 24 on Monday 21st April when it was bizarrely used to illustrate a misleading story claiming that 'speeding' is by far the biggest cause of accidents. The video later appeared on the BBC News website at this address: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7358372.stm, but by the next day it had mysteriously disappeared." ABD member Keith Jones said Auntie Beeb told him that the video is missing from their website "because of a technical problem." They don't know when it will be fixed and "do not provide feedback on progress." So much for tax-payer funding guaranteeing the BBC's editorial independence, transparency or accountability. Not that it ever did, mind. 

Our favorite climate change-denying British windbag is up to his old tricks. Recently, Jezza was out in Los Angeles where he was handed the keys to a Callaway Corvette C6. He and a friend took it to Orange County and the El Toro Airbase (where the NBC version of Top Gear is being shot) and then back up to the City of Angels. His verdict? "I absolutely bloody loved it." With 616 horsepower on tap, we're not surprised. But we're not writing this here blog because of hyper Vette. No, we're telling you about Clarkson's review because of this: "When it comes to motoring, the English language makes more sense in Albania than it does in Alabama. Almost every word in the Americans' automotive lexicon is different from ours, so when we talk about motorways, pavements, bonnets, boots, roofs, bumper bars, petrol, coupés, saloons, people carriers, cubic centimetres and corners, they have no idea what we're on about." Hey, he's taking the Mickey! That said, not only do we know what cubic centimeters are, he spelled it wrong. There's lots more piss and vinegar where that came from.

The Daily Mail reports that the UK's new carbon tax works spectacularly… as a revenue-builder. The recently-increased "showroom tax" costs consumers between $500 and $2k on cars based on their  C02 emissions. According to her Majesty's Treasury, the carbon tax will add nearly $5b to the government's coffers. And here's the kicker: the gov's own figures will only decrease auto-related greenhouse gas emissions by… wait for it… less than one percent. Conservative Treasury spokesman Justine Greening discovered the discrepancy between the cost to consumers and benefit to the environment during that awesome fixture of the British Parliamentary government known as "Parliamentary answers." "This is a massive tax hike which will have virtually no impact on the environment," said Greening. "Despite their claims, the Government don't expect this move to change behaviour at all – it is just another eco stealth tax of the worst kind." Hear hear.

It looks like GM's labor pains are just starting. The Detroit News reports that strike threats are coming in from sites around the country. While The General is busy dealing with a strike at their Delta Township, MI plant, they also have to defuse threatened walkouts at plants in Parma, OH; Mansfield, OH; Grand Rapids, MI; Kansas City, KS; Flint MI and Arlington, TX. And that's on top of dealing with parts shortages caused by strikes at suppliers American Axle and Alliance Interiors. Even though UAW prez Ron Gettelfinger says he supports the strike actions, he seems to have forgotten the fact that the actions are a backlash caused by the contracts his minions acquiesced to negotiated last September (and strong-armed the members into ratifying). At the time we wondered how workers could agree to the contracts; it seems that they've "woken up" to the reality. Once the Locals settle their differences with GM, you have to wonder if they'll have the same issues with the Ford and Chrysler, and if they'll go after the UAW's leadership for putting them in this situation in the first place.