My wife and step-daughter became U.S. citizens today. The ceremony was disappointing from the git go: over 500 people trying to escape bitter cold through two theater doors. (God help us if there had been a fire, terrorist attack or general panic). The judge was about as inspiring as a tax attorney; harping-on about voter awareness, voter registration, voting, keeping an eye on the elected officials you may or may not have voted for, voting them out (or back in office), etc. Although I'm about as PC as a Mac, I was also annoyed when the robed one kept harping-on about the Mayflower– as if Myles Standish single-handedly established the United States. The oath was meh and the multitudes muttered their way through the Pledge of Allegiance. While I am a proud American, I was not proud of the swearing-in. In fact, I was bummed. And then, when we were leaving, I saw an immaculately-dressed man clutching his certificate mount the running board of an equally immaculate black Cadillac Escalade. He held the paper aloft and beamed from ear-to-ear as he posed for a photo, commemorating the day he became a U.S. citizen. Now that's what I'm talking about! 

The less resources available to a group that needs them, the more fierce the competition for those resources becomes. If you're a consumer and the fight's for your dollar, this is a good thing. For the companies chasing your custom, the struggle to compete can exhaust their resources and lead to extinction. Which is good for you and a bad for them. (Survival of the fittest and all that.) All of which is a preamble to the fact that the deals on GM wheels are getting seriously serious. Regional GM dealers– including Cadillac and Saturn— are offering "pull ahead" leases until March 15. In other words, they'll forget six months of your GMAC Smart Lease to get you into a new lease. If you fancy a Chevrolet Silverado, well qualified (i.e. vertical) buyers can pick up a pickup on a 60 month zero percent loan. Can GM afford to offer these kinds of incentives? No. But they can't afford not to offer them either. Darwin, eh?

Since TTAC began, GM has never deigned to address or correct a single General Motors Death Watch. The automaker's PR department has also declined numerous invitations to post a guest editorial on this site. And there's never been a single "official" comment in the comments section by a single GM employee. Not one. And yet, of course, GM wants to be Web 2.0. We've already chronicled the half-assed attempt at e-glasnost known as gm.next.com. As the company is unwilling/unable to engage in anything remotely resembling open, honest and frank online dialogue with their critics and customers, it seems that they've shifted tack. While keeping his low profile, GM PR Supremo Steve "attitude is key to a successful career in public relations" Harris has launched a charm offensive with [relative to Edmunds, kbb, etc.] small bloggers and webslingers. And by charm offensive I mean, of course, payola. The General has taken to providing all-expenses-paid trips to the auto shows for small sites. Gaywheels.com went to Detroit on GM's dime (don't tell the AFA). Askpatty.com and automobilesdeluxe.blogspot.com are headed to the New York Auto Show at GM's expense. I'm sure there are plenty more. I call on all websites accepting GM's largesse to declare it in any and all copy generated at the show, and make sure it's included in their tax returns, and trust that they will do no such thing.

Watching Rick Wagoner is like listening to some weird ass fairy tale: the Emperor's New Car Company. Only no one's saying Wagoner's buck naked and GM isn't new, it's old. As my father says, the only thing worse than getting old is the alternative. GM under Wagoner's administration seems Hell bent on exploring the alternative. Did you know that GM's market cap has shrunk by two-thirds since Wagoner assumed control? Did you know that the only reason the American automaker isn't in worse shape is that Wagoner sold EVERYTHING? Wagoner knows that and more, 'cause he's an accountant. In fact, Wagoner was GM's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) before he ascended to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) spot. And now he's chosen his CFO to be GM's new CEO; only he's calling Fritz the new COO, 'cause, well, Wagoner's still CEO. So here we have not one but TWO beancounters at the top of GM. Who've let a nutcase named Bob Lutz (winner of TTAC's Bob Lutz award) decide what kind of cars to build at a time when their North American market share is slipping, slipping, slipping… And let's be Frank here; the reason that the company is in such trouble is that this terrible triumvirate doesn't know how to build fully competitive cars. Or price them. Or brand them. Or advertise them Or… Doh! Anyway, as long as Wagoner's at the top of GM, you can be sure of one thing: someone somewhere will be cooking the books. 

Credit where credit's due. When I told our ME Frank Williams we needed a second podcast to cover the blog posts that Justin and I missed, he suggested we have a rotating guest commentator. (Not literally, of course.) While other TTAC writers and industry celebs will get their turn to share their dulcet tones and intellectual perspective on the day's news, I thought I'd start with ex-Chrysler PR flack Jason Vines. When Vines was spinning for ChryCo, he had well-earned reputation for a confrontational style and, uh, that's about it. (What more do you need anyway?) Now that the ailing automaker has put PR under HR (that's Human Relations for our non-cubicle-dwelling audience) and Vines has moved on to Compuware, I wanted to find out if he'd mellowed. You be the judge. 

Asked about the American Axle strike, GM Marketing Maven Mark LaNeve said "I don't know how long this thing is supposed to last. It's not a threat to our daily business. If it persists for a long time it could be." Yes, that's factually accurate. But it sure sounds like LaNeve couldn't give a shit. It's a far cry from something along the lines of, "We deeply regret this disruption at one of GM's trusted, longtime suppliers. For the sake of our employees and customers, we're hope to see a speedy and amicable resolution to this dispute." And at almost the exact same moment that LaNeve was poo-poohing an industrial action that's hurting GM's other suppliers, Toyota was handing out its 2007 Top Supplier Awards. "The awards were presented at Toyota's Annual Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center, bringing together approximately 500 North American suppliers. Toyota hosts this annual event to communicate objectives for the current year, recognize top supplier performance for the prior year and enhance relationships… Suppliers' commitment to continuous improvement is key to achieving Toyota's long term focus on quality and value." 

I know it was cheeky of me. OK, I was being an asshole. But I am genuinely perturbed by media outlets who accept airfare, accommodation, food and booze (not to mention gas and insurance) from car manufacturers without declaring this financial contribution. So when I saw The Car Connection live blogging their Pontiac G8 test drive (General Motors Death Watch on the G8 tomorrow), I couldn't resist adding a comment challenging Mart Padgett to reveal GM's financial interest in the Pontiac review. Within five minutes, the comment was removed. I reposted, trying to be a bit more subtle (as you can imagine). Gone in sixty seconds. (TCC later removed TTAC info provider Michael Karesh's car-related comment.) The last time I chided The Car Connection for their undeclared junketeering, I also took a swipe at Edmunds for the same sin of omission. Edmunds now publish this little ditty at the bottom of their junket-sourced editorial: Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report. Notice the note of self-congratulation. And the lack of any specific mention of the fact that the carmaker PAID FOR THE TRIP. Once again, I challenge The Car Connection and Edmunds to come clean on their relationship to the people making the cars they review. It's high time the automotive media cleaned-up its act and started serving the people who count: the readers.

I believe that somebody is worth exactly what someone is willing to pay for them. If The New York Yankees are willing to pay shortstop Alex Rodriguez $275m for ten year's service, that's what he's worth. You can bet that owner George Steinbrenner stands to make more money than his employee. Well, that's the theory. In practice, sometimes the people signing the checks are so divorced from reality that they happily shell-out tens of millions of dollars to employees without any hope of recompense. Needless to say, I'm referring to the top level execs infesting GM, Ford and Chrysler. Now you could make a case that Ford is the exception– if we're talking about Alan Mulally. I reckon the former Boeing man might someday be worth Ford's $75m – $150m (at a guess) investment. As for Ford's million dollar plus top level suits– who've already proven that they don't know how to run a railroad– I'm not sure. I find Bill Ford's postponed payments even less convincing. The man owns stock. If Ford makes a profit, he will (once again) bank millions. Ford's compensation committee might think that it's worth $25m to $35m per year to get Bill Ford to "represent" the family biz and stay out of Alan Mulally's hair. I think not.

I love TTAC's commentators. Whenever I'm scanning the net for stories or writing an editorial or editing a review, I've always got you guys and gals in the back of my mind. For one thing, your expertise keeps me on my toes. Without naming names, it's no secret that some of the writers published hereabouts have found themselves in possession of a new excretion-oriented orifice after confronting TTAC's best and brightest with half-baked analysis or factual errors. For another, you guys provide me a welcome anti-inflammatory. Whenever a commentator accuses the site of bias (comment which are removed as per our anti-flaming policy), I email the offender and challenge them to submit their "balancing" opinion in an editorial. Sensibly enough, most choose not to run your intellectual gauntlet. In fact, I can count on one hand the number of correspondents who rose to the challenge, and one of them regretted it to the point where I had to block him from my email. So thanks for keeping an eye on us. Those of us on this side of the e-fence depend on you for our honesty, integrity and, let's face it, entertainment. Oh, and this link says global warming is a crock of shit. 

As I pointed out in today's editorial about Detroit's branding fiasco, I was extremely disappointed by Mark Rechtin of Automotive News [sub]. When I called him for more info on the J.D. Power Customer Ratio index story, I never expected to hear that he'd cut a deal with J.D.'s mob to limit his coverage to excerpts. The index data was important information presented in a semi-public forum, using a projector no less. If a TTAC reporter made that kind of agreement with a news source, their services here would no longer be required. Anyway, the more we talked, the worse it got. Rechtin said reporters from all the big guns had attended the conference. A handful recognized the importance of the material. All of those who did agreed not to use the full chart. And only Automotive News carried the story. As long as the automotive press refuses to report the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, TTAC will do its best to fill in the gaps. And even after that. 

I can't remember the last time I drove a press car. Since we added the News Blog, more than quadrupling our content at a single stroke (not literally), I've had precious little time to get my running machine fixed, never mind test drive a press car. Not that carmakers are falling all over themselves making them available. TTAC is still banned from Honda, BMW, all eight brands of GM and Subaru press cars. I'm sure there are a few more that have us on their shit list (my mother's expression). But again, I'm so damn busy tapping these keys on your behalf that I don't have the time to chase PR people for "free" cars. Of course, they're not free, even when they are. Journos who accept a press car are testing a carefully prepared, non-representational vehicle. We've mentioned this before, but it was brought home to me again when Chrysler PR called me– and Chrysler PR never calls me– to find out where Michael Karesh got the leaky Dodge Journey to review. Reading between the lines, someone high up at Chrysler was pissed that we got a hold of a duff press vehicle. Which is why TTAC will continue our [originally unintentional] policy of testing production vehicles rather than press cars. This further separates our reviews from every other media outlet save Consumer Reports. Just to let you know.

I'm old enough to remember when the Cadillac name was a synonym for quality. That said, the brand's glory days were already behind it; the expression "the Cadillac of…" was already becoming quaint. I came of age as GM's brand managers trampled any remaining brand equity underfoot. Even as I marveled at BMWs and Mercedes, I wanted Caddy to triumph. Why should the Germans build the world's best sedans? When Lexus launched the LS, I abandoned hope. If the Japanese– masters of the economy car– could build a better Cadillac than Cadillac, well, forget it. Even though Cadillac has enjoyed something of a renaissance with the Escalade (puh-lease) and the CTS, I refuse to get my hopes up. And for good reason. Cadillac's brand manager is still talking about an "entry level" baby Caddy sedan. "I was first kind of consistent that we didn't need one — it would need to be $25,000 to $30,000, which is a pretty cheap Cadillac," Jim Taylor told Automotive News [sub]. "But as the CTS moves up to be $30,000 to $40,000, you are creating space for a smaller Cadillac. So it is starting to be emerging on the list as more viable to me." Note to Jim: the more viable a $25k Cadillac, the less viable the brand. If that's even possible.

TTAC welcomes 20k daily unique visitors. No wonder. At the risk of e-tooting our cyber-horn, we have superb writers and incisive commentators. So now, we evolve. To keep us au courant with 1997-era web development, we're adding forums. Every article will show a page of comments, and then offer a link to more comments, which will take the reader to the article/comments within the forum. Readers can access these posts from within the forum and, of course, add threads. (We will police ALL posts just as rigorously for flamers as we do now.) We're also looking to change the home page, to make that bad boy POP (in a discreet sort of way). We're about to announce a deal that will give (selected, trusted, insured) TTAC reviewers access to the latest test vehicles– cars that are outside the manufacturer's press fleets. And we've started a new, non-TTAC site (no brand extensions here) with Steven Lang. We'll link to newcarconsultant.com to provide our readers with a first-class, nationwide (U.S.) new car buying service– which will generate some much-needed income for our journalistic efforts. As Detroit is learning, everything either grows or dies. With your help, we're planting some seeds for our future.  

After three columns, The Truth About Cars and former Car and Driver columnist Brock Yates have decided to call it a day. I emerge from our agreement with my respect for Mr. Yates' enormous talent, insight, charm and perspicacity intact. Brock's reputation is, was and will be well-deserved. TTAC hopes that he finds a suitable electronic forum for his work soon, so that his many fans can continue to enjoy his wit and wisdom. It's been an honor.

Have a look at the comments on the bottom of the Intellichoice blog post. The Editor/Publisher of the sham scam org (codenamed Flujo) signs-in to defend his employer's methodology. Apparently, the VW R32 did deserve "Best Value Award" for "Base Sport." So then, tell us how you came to that preposterous conclusion? "IC is completely above board and that point is not up for review." That got me thinking about marketing maven Al Reis' magnificent tome "Positioning." Specifically, his advice that sometimes it's best to position a brand against the competition, rather than for anything. "Avis. We're Number Two. We Try Harder." While The Truth About Cars says what we're for, using Al's strategy… "We're number 12,958 on Alexa's U.S. web ratings. But we annoy more industry blowhards than the other guys." Not the pithiest of straplines. I did favor "Vincit Omnia Veritas" for a while. These days, that line strikes me as something you'd see sewn into the slippers of an English aristocrat (who are generally coke-crazed scumbags, but that's another story). Anyway, whilst fumbling for my Ambien CR in the dead of night, the above declaration popped into my head. Pretentious moi? Your suggestions?