After Rob Diel read a Detroit Free Press article about the automaker's Indian outsourcing, the Chrysler contract information technology worker posted CEO Bob Nardelli's telephone number and email address in the comments section. It wasn't long before the suits descended on Diel's desk. "They said unlock your laptop and come with us," Diel told TTAC. "When they show up doing that, it's not a good thing." Today's Free Press says "Diel, who expected to lose his job at the end of May, said he made several postings on the Web site under the name 'Chryslerworker,' including: 'Boycott Chrysler. If Chrysler is going to screw all the American workers, than (sic) it is only fair that America screws Chrysler. E-mail Nardelli and tell him what a great job he is doing.'" The Freep has since removed Nardelli's information. Meanwhile, Diel says Chrysler's Indian IT operators wouldn't know how to respond effectively to a glitch in the company's production computers, increasing the likelihood of delays. Diel also says morale in his former department is "just horrible… Nobody cares about doing anything. People are just wandering around; they just go for walks and stuff 'cause it's just so depressing." BTW: you can contact Mr. Diel at tripower428@hotmail.com. [apologies for the low audio levels]

I'm sure LA scribe Dan Neil's extraction from the U.S. Top Gear team came as no surprise to anyone who's ever seen The Player, or any other Hollywood movie about how Hollywood movies are ruined by Hollywood executives (who probably ruined the movie about how Hollywood executives ruin movies). It's the rare creative venture that can survive the cold dead hand of executives working for a deeply-entrenched, publicly-owned media company. From the moment that an American Top Gear was first mooted, American pistonheads (gearheads?) suspected the worst. They just knew that Top Gear's anarchic yet elitist spirit couldn't survive the jump into ad-sponsored network hypespace. Still, some good will come of NBC strong-arm tactics. As TTAC commentator Tom Anderson points out, Neil's dismissal saves him from the possibility, perhaps probability, OK certainty of an ignominious loss of credibility. Dan's automotive criticism is too important– as recognized by Lilly Pulitzer, I mean the Pulitzer prize people– to suffer a massive loss of face. This way, his work will remain unsullied; a literary gift to future generations. Meanwhile, Justin and I try to show that goofing around has its place in the autoblogosphere. We kid, you deride.

will know that I'm a firm believer in branding guru Al Reis' dictum that the tighter a brand's focus, the more powerful it is. A Porsche that only makes sports cars is a stronger brand than a Porsche that makes sports cars and SUVs. TTAC's Best and Brightest will also recognize the blatant hypocrisy of this stance. This website does three things: news, reviews and editorials. The clumsy nature of our site design represents my ongoing– and largely unsuccessful– attempts to reconcile this triumvirate. An opportunity has recently arisen to right this wrong, and I want to get your feedback. How would you feel if we had three inter-linked car sites? The first would be a kick-ass news blog. TTAC would be the second: home of editorials, forums, social networking and all news-related comments. The third would be a car review site. TTAC writers would populate all three sites, which would maintain our high standards of editorial integrity. Your feedback would be most appreciated. Meanwhile, Justin and I discuss the day's news.

Or not, in this case. Sorry guy, I got back from Beantown kinda late and I sent you an email and you weren't in and Jonny was hot to trot so… we threw this proverbial shrimp on the e-barbie. But I heard the good news, that will surely turn Mr. Lieberman green with envy (JL being a perfect example of a hypocritical hyper-car loving tree hugger): Mercedes is lending you a C63 AMG. Now THAT ought to be fun. Although God knows how we're going to get a Mercedes dealer– sorry, AMG dealer– to lend us a C63 so we can do a mini-review and honor my pledge not to rely on pampered press cars for TTAC review. But the good news (for you and me and not Jonny) is that A) You're going to drive and review a Mercedes C63 AMG for TTAC and B) Mercedes joins the list of automobile manufacturers who don't hate TTAC on sight (site?), any more. Not that we need their love. But their respect is nice. It tells us there are those on the other side of this business who "get it." Meanwhile, don't feel too bad for Jonny. He says he's getting a BMW M3 to review on our behalf. Perhaps you two should meet-up somewhere in the mid-west near our Captain Solo's base. Now wouldn't that be something?

Although TTAC remains highly cognizant of the difference between carefully-prepared press vehicles and the cars people buy off dealer lots, we are not against press cars or manufacturer's junkets per se. (Nor have we ever been.) Our policy is simple: we declare any and all manufacturers' contributions to our coverage so you can read our copy with your bullshit detector switched-on to maximum sensitivity. Jonny Lieberman's junket-fed X6 review (from Spartanburg) marks an important turning point– at least from the automakers' point-of-view. Longtime readers will recall that the German automaker banned us from their press fleet for dissing the Subaru Tribeca B9 (go figure). So now we're back in their good books; provided they don't take offense to today's review or read that link and have a "they shouldn't have had a V8!" moment. Anyway, the Texas Toyota rep who offered us whips has stopped answering our calls. And TTAC's still on Subaru, Honda and GM's shit list (amongst others). How reassuring is that?

As you know, TTAC has a simple posting policy: no flaming the website, it's authors or fellow commentators. As some commentators have [rightly] pointed out, the policy contains a glaring inconsistency: we allow flaming of third parties. GM Car Czar Bob Lutz, Toyota, The New York Times, President Bush, etc. have all been flame-broiled on this site. [NB: if Bob Lutz or George Bush posted on TTAC, they'd have anti-flame protection.] My only defense for this obvious double standard: it works. I'm not going to make that case by pointing to any of the incisive remarks penned by our Best and Brightest. Instead, I'd like to draw your attention to the comments (and picture of a douche) underneath a Jalopnik link to my last GM Death Watch. If you share some of these sentiments about TTAC, I invite you to voice them right here, right now. All I ask is that you do so in a civilized manner. Because that's who we are, and that's what you do. Meanwhile, Justin and I discuss the day's news.

First of all, I apologize again for the broken comments function. As a survivor of the early PC, I know the agony of dysfunctional if not downright evil computing. As a smart ass kid in a school where corporal punishment wasn't the name of a porn star, I know the frustration of not being able to speak the truth. Thanks for all the emails giving us a heads-up, and your patience awaiting the site's restoration. Second, a big thank you to Justin for his sterling work at the New York Auto Show. I still think I should have "accidentally" fallen and grabbed the sheet covering the Hyundai Genesis concept while Justin just "happened" to be taking some photos of the liggers. But otherwise, Justin's editorial judgment is pure TTAC, AND the guy's a hard worker who knows his onions. Well done that man. And kudos to Frank Williams for holding down the fort. We literally couldn't have done it without him. I'm proud that Frank considers TTAC a worthy place to hang his hat. And, of course, thank you for your e-patronage, our raison d'etre. 

Longtime readers of this website may recall my antipathy towards auto shows. I view the opportunity to watch new product reveals (and attendant spin mongery) with about much relish as I anticipate So You Think You Can Dance? And yet, I'm off tomorrow, dancing with suits. I'm Acela Expressing to the Big Apple to meet-up with Justin for the New York Auto Show. My goal: to ask the tough questions that my colleagues are unwilling or unable to posit. Suffice it to say, I don't think I'll be making any friends. But that's not my nature nor my vocation. I am concerned only with our mutual desire to discover and share the truth about cars. In this, I am your (I swear) humble servant. If you have any suggestions for lines of inquiry, please share them here. Meanwhile, wish me luck.  

Well, who doesn't? But Jonny's willingness to accept a Mercedes-engined Aston Martin highlights an important trend in upmarket automotive marketing: the end of mechanical snobbery. Yes, there are still brand purists who believe that the greasy bits' provenance is more important than a well-turned fender, a respected badge or comparative performance. That the connection between track and road is a holy one, whose realization establishes the brand's all-important bloodlines. But these engineering-savvy enthusiasts– who were always a minority of any luxury or high-performance marque's buyers– are a dying breed. Today's 30 or 40-something sports car buyer is likely to desire Nissan's GT-R because of its status as a Playstation plaything, rather than any racing glory. (Ferrari is the exception that proves the rule.) They're willing to judge expensive automobiles on their own merits, regardless of what lies beneath, who made it or how it got there. This open-mindedness (a.k.a. ignorance) is no bad thing. It gives a deluxe car company greater freedom to be itself, if you know what I mean.

Mr. Lieberman is right to call the musical metaphor informing TTAC's Question of the Day "seriously forced." In fact, it reminds me of 70's-era touchy-feely market research methodology. "If the Toyota Cressida was a dog [sic 'em], would it be more like an Australian Kelpie or a Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen?" And yet, the QOTD also reminds me of a long-ago survey– in the UK of course– where a researcher claimed that listening to loud music was more likely to cause speeding (gasp!) than alcohol consumption. True dat. I've always had a thing for [theoretically] driving fast whilst under the influence of music. But it's nothing like alcoholic inebriation. When music, road, man and machine meld, it's a far better high than anything supplementary chemistry can provide. And I get the parallel between engineering and music. In fact, I reckon if The Big 2.8's execs could "get" Little Feat, they'd have a chance of saving their own bacon. But then, most people that age consider Neil Diamond rock and roll. Go figure. 

Rising U.S. gas prices and the American mortgage meltdown has hit sales of new vehicles hard. In terms of the product mix, a lot of ink has been expended on the rapid, ongoing transition from gas-guzzling SUVs to more miserly models– a change that's hurt the truck-heavy domestics particularly hard. There's been something of a presumption that luxury and near-luxury brands are safe from the tumbleweeds blowing through mass market showrooms. Marketing Daily reveals that it ain't necessarily so. "Recent years represented a boom-time for American investors and the luxury marketers that filled their homes with Lexus SUVs, Rolex timepieces and Coach handbags. Now, the net worth of even wealthy Americans is dipping as real estate prices slump and stock portfolios sag. And, as investment banks and government economists begin beating the drums of recession, even high-net-worth households are cutting back." Is this the right time for Mercedes to launch their AMG sub-brand, or VW to go upmarket? Hell no. And one has to wonder if [presumed] declining sales at Lincoln (the main cause for optimism at Ford), Land Rover (whose sale is already in jeopardy), Jaguar (mega-dittos) and Cadillac (whose CTS is the poster child for GM hopes of a product led turnaround) will stress the automakers to the point of no return. Watch this space. 

As TTAC revs up its engine and stares down the ramp at the shark tank– just kidding. I have every faith that the TTAC team can maintain this e-brand's identity and integrity ad infinitum. And beyond! Well, at least until we start making some real money. And then after that (relax, we're good, it's been a long week). That's not to say we won't make some missteps along the way. We won't. I mean, we will. Today, I published two blogs posts that I later removed. The first described the plight of a Dodge Charger owner whose lights went all screwy when it rained. While the dealer's disinterest was the point of the piece, commentators rightly pointed-out that such difficulties afflict buyers of other brands. Our focus on the Dodge Boys was unfair. The second post covered a GM recall of Buick and Pontiac models. KatiePuckrik reminded me of my pledge not to run recall stories in general, as the selection process is inherently biased (either do them all or don't do them). Again, I hit delete. I bring this up because I want you to know that as TTAC grows, I am determined that we won't fall victim to "big company disease." We will stay true to our url. And we will always rely on you, dear readers, to keep us honest. 

A reader emailed me recently, asking why I tolerated the following post by coupdetat: "I remember being at the old Ontario Motor Speedway and not being able to see the San Bernadino Mountains back in 1973. I figure the pollution controls on cars and industry allow us to enjoy the beauty of the state and have the beauty there for the coming generations. Now if we could get all these transplants to leave, it would be even nicer." The reader reckoned it was a racist remark. I saw it as a off-hand, tongue-in-cheek comment about out-of-staters. The reader was adamant. "It's an 'us vs. them' statement that definitely has nothing to do with the topic at hand," he protested. Barring some convincing argument here, I've decided to go with my gut and leave the post as is. Meanwhile, the debate got me thinking about the wider point: how life is, at its most fundamental level, a competition for resources. There are millions of battles every minute of every day; for clean air, water, steel to make cars, customers to buy the cars, readers to visit car-related websites, etc. Call me a heartless Darwinist, but I don't think 'us vs. them' conflicts are inherently bad. In fact, I believe humans were born to compete– in groups. If we weren't, I wouldn't be here. Nor, in fact, would you. And I mean that in the full, collective, inclusive sense of the word. 

I forgot to upload the podcast. Sorry Justin. In my own defense, I never thought TTAC's blog would take off like this. When we started, it was just Frank and me and sometimes Glenn. We struggled to make ten posts a day. Now we're nearasdammit outblogging the other guys, via regular snarks from Jonny, eco-actualities from Donal, new car buzz from Justin and occasional shots from Samir, William C and Sajeev. Oh, and Edward Niedermeyer, who's a friggin' blogging machine (and the only writer I know who has more snidely whiplash than me). And like the good brand that we are, TTAC has grown organically in this, dare I say it, comms post. For the first time in this history of the world (ever) we crested 600k unique visitors (that's you) per month, ascending to 1.8m page views. Equally heartening, we're e-fly paper; visitors hang around the site for an average for 4:16. The ad guys are talking about a demographic survey, and that's great– given that we haven't heard hide nor hair of them in the last six months. Anyway and meanwhile, I promise you more of the same. Fair enough?

No, not those guys. I'm talking about people who don't talk about cars. Apparently, there are a lot of them. In fact, my wife and I went out to dinner with a couple who had no desire to talk about cars at all. Which is fair enough. As a journalist, I enjoy talking to people about their work and interests. But no, that wasn't good enough. He had a question: "How in the world can you talk about cars all day? You drive them, write about it, and then what?" I tried to explain that cars touch on all aspects of life: physics, chemistry, high finance, psychology, law, philosophy, computers, etc. I told him about TTAC's Best and Brightest: our computerized conclave of experts drawn to the site from all walks of life. Enthusiasts who bring a huge range of disciplines to bear on all things automotive. My dinner companion nodded sagely, considering all that I'd said. "So do you think I should trade my Mercedes for an Infiniti?" Like politics, all car talk is local.