Whenever TTAC publishes a less than flattering review of a domestic nameplate, fans of the brand (or model) accuse us of being "import bigots" or "biased." So I went through our rated reviews and broke them down by nameplate (regardless of country of origin). The average rating (rounded to two decimals) for domestic brands: 3.17 stars. So-called imports: 3.43 stars. Three five-star imports are out of the reach of mere mortals (Gallardo, 911 Turbo and AMG CL63), so I took those out and re-calculated the import score; it dropped to 3.35. If you round any of these scores to star ratings, domestics average three stars and imports average, you guessed it, three stars. Taking it one step further (I gotta get a life!), 23 percent of the imports reviewed received ratings lower than three stars; only 17 percent of the domestics fell into that category.

I didn't crunch the numbers for editorials. Suffice it to say, TTAC's been critical of The Big 2.8, Toyota, Lexus, Porsche, Jaguar and the entire Chinese auto industry. If someone in this industry is doing something dumb, we're going to point it out. Period. As for our Detroit Death Watches, they cover the most important automotive story of our time; a story that's been largely ignored or improperly analyzed by the majority of the mainstream media. If that makes us "import bigots" or "anti-whatever," then so be it. TTAC's going to continue exposing the truth, wherever we find it. [NB: you are free to discuss TTAC's editorial stance or style in this post without restriction, within reason. If you know what I mean…] 

Over the years, I've noticed that TTAC flamers arrive in groups. Usually, it's down to a reader posting a particularly blunt TTAC editorial or negative review in a fanboy forum. While these single-minded venues usually prefer to kick the snot out of TTAC in the psychological safety of their own website, an emotionally charged individual or two (or three) often feels compelled to vent their home site's collective ire in the forum that gave rise to it. Needless to say, I gently remind them of our policy, issue a warning and invite them to write an 800-word rebuttal– which is WAY too much work for most. Recently, as The Big 2.8's blunders have escalated from dumb moves to farce, the flamers have reappeared in force. I take it as yet another sign that the domestics are facing "the end of days." Later today, I'll pen a Death Watch on Rick Wagoner's pronouncement that his turnaround plan is working. Meanwhile, I noticed that USA Today published a review of a plug-in electric hybrid Toyota Prius– some two years ahead of GM's now we say it, now we don't launch date for the Chevrolet Volt. Yes, it's different technology. But surely we can conclude that it's all over bar the shouting. Which is, of course, our job.

Buried in a report on the plug-in hybrid electric hybrid (PHEV) spinstorm about to descend on the Washington, D.C. auto show, USA Today reports that the U.S. Energy Department will fork-out up to $30m for PHEV projects. Apparently, the money is headed for boffins bent on building cars that "deliver up to 40 miles of electric range without recharging." Companies dedicated to created plug-ins that are "cost-competitive by 2014 and ready for commercialization by 2016." So who gets the dough? GM, Toyota, small start-ups? USA Today ain't sayin'. But they do have a killer quote from Ford's chief engineer for plug-in and fuel-cell vehicles. "If we can't decide within five years whether we can do this, something is wrong," Greg Frenette pronounced. Question: when did/does that five-year time frame start?

Now that Toyota's co-opted the Camry to make the ES, hijacked the Highlander to make the RX, fine-tuned the 4Runner to make the GX and liberated the Land Cruiser to make the LX, Lexus is planning to pimp a Prius. Bloomberg reports that Lexus wants to add "something different, and that's highly-efficiency" to their current hybrid offerings, which currently emphasize performance over fuel economy. Market research has revealed that more than a third of the people who bought a Prius last year have a family income over $100k. Half of those top $150k. (Previously blogged by TTAC here.) Not surprisingly, Lexus sees gold in them thar' demographics! That said, I guess they've never heard of "reverse snob appeal" (a.k.a. slumming). And you gotta wonder how you can add upmarket appeal without adding weight. The Japanese manufacturers didn't release any details about the new hybrid– other than the fact it'll be added to the Lexus lineup next year.

The press preview for the 2008 North American International Auto Show is finally over. TTAC’s Texas twosome– Sajeev Mehta and I– did our level best to catch the major reveals, grill some suits and get a feel for the temper of the times. On the plane back to the Lone Star State, I collected my thoughts on the show’s winners and losers. Were the carmakers fiddling while Rome burns, or preparing to rise Phoenix-like from the ashes ahead?

BIG WINNERS: GM and FoMoCo. Call it a home field advantage, but The General’s troops and The Blue Oval Boyz did the most to impress, launching the drop-dead gorgeous, thundering Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 ; the luxe yet yeoman-like new Ford F-150 full-size pickup and the AMG-alike Cadillac CTS-V. Hail Mary passes they may be, but connect they did. (Yoda am I.)

BIG LOSERS: Chrysler and Toyota. Dodge launched their new Ram pickup amidst a gen-you-ine cattle drive outside the convention center. Indoors, the automaker’s displays were equally unfinished and disorganized. Toyota, the masters of organization, revealed nothing more exciting than a station-wagon-on-stilts. While the Camry-based Venza will sell in [non-cattle] droves, it oozed nothing in particular from every pore. 

BEST SHOW TREND: diesel. Honda announced its plans to put a four-cylinder clean diesel engine into their [unintentionally] stealthy Acura passenger cars, as of next year. GM took the wraps off a new low-compression clean-burning 2.9-liter oil burner— a potential game changer in a Cadillac CTS coupe, no less. Mercedes, BMW and Audi all announced upmarket oil burners. And Chrysler promised to put a V6 Cummins turbo diesel into their half-ton Ram pickups, after 2009.

WORST SHOW TREND: alternative propulsion. The 2008 North American International Auto Show was the latest venue for the world automotive ecology Olympics. Unfortunately, all the athletes were pumped-up on PR puffery, and no events were actually run. Like the engine-less Cadillac Provoq “hydrogen” concept car, the hype surrounding the efficacy and practicality of a range of alternative propulsion powerplants has obscured the truth of reasonable expectations and anything like a practical timeframe.

CUTTING-EDGE WINNER: Former Aston designer Henrik Fisker’s mob made a major impact with their oh-so-sexy Karma all-electric sports car. Fisker execs say they’ll beat Tesla Motors to market with the first all-electric production sports car. Words are cheap, although neither car is. In theory.

CUTTING-EDGE LOSER: Tesla. Tesla’s no-show at the North American International Auto Show is a major miscalculation; with TTAC-fed doubts about the company’s viability, Tesla needed to fly the flag for their Lotus Elise-based all-electric Roadster. Either the silicon start-up couldn’t afford to lease the COBO real estate, or they didn’t want to face uncomfortable questions from an increasingly impatient press corps and public, or, sensibly enough, they’re conserving dwindling financial resources for more profitable endeavors. Anyway you look at this, they lose.

MEDIA WINNER: Autoblog, Jalopnik et al. The so-called new media continued their rise to prominence. Web slingers wrote stories, edited photos and transmitted the results for near-immediate posting on the Web. With Wi-fi, they didn’t even have to leave the show floor to do so. When The Old e-Gray Lady (the New York Times online) broke multiple photo embargos the night before the first press day, it was abundantly clear that print was dead.  

MEDIA LOSER: buff books. The reports and photos from the North American International Auto Show hit the blogosphere within minutes. The buff books’ reports won’t show up in tin mailboxes for at least a month, more likely two. The old tech publications are clamoring to morph themselves into something more relevant by utilizing video and feeding their own web sites. One ink-stained Hungarian-looking scribe called “Chubba” trailed around behind me with a film crew. He pretended not to know who I was but followed me everywhere. Creepy.

SHORT TAKE WINNERS:
• Audi – Major buzz around the R8, and deservedly so.
• Ford Verve – IF only…
• Nissan – The GT-R is gonna be a HUGE hit

SHORT TAKE LOSERS:
• Chinese automakers – Relegated to the COBO basement, where they belong
• Buick – Their only inspiration came from China. How great is that?
• Mercury – Who? What? Where? No one. Nothing. Nowhere.
• Jaguar – Jag needs a homerun. The XF ain’t it.
• Pontiac – Why would anyone buy a G8 over a CTS?

Taken as a whole, the 2008 North American International Auto Show did little to suggest that major manufacturers have busted any moves to meet the twin challenges of recession and regulation. Those that are ready, are. Those that aren’t, aren’t. I read somewhere that Nero was a pretty good fiddle player. So is Detroit.

[For full TTAC Auto Show coverage, click here.] 

What happens when you put one of the founders of Tesla and GM's Bob Lutz (is there another one?) in the same room and let them talk? It becomes a mutual admiration society. In his apostrophe-challenged Tesla Founders Blog, Martin Eberhard recounts his meeting in the Car Czar's "palatial office." Eberhard says the two execs "spent a good couple of hours talking about battery-electric vehicles." (He didn't say how many bad hours they spent talking.) And then Bob dropped the bombshell: "He started the Volt program in direct response to the Tesla Roadster." Wow! And here we were thinking the Toyota Prius had something to do with it. Anyway, after a few hours with Maximum Bob, Minimum Mark came away impressed "and willing to believe that the Volt might be a real program." After schmoozing with a few other people on the Volt program, Eberhard concluded that "the Volt Program is real." So the co-founder of Tesla is sold on the Volt. I guess that means we should now have equal faith in both.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy made a pronouncement that made a lot of people think he'd lost his mind: "We choose to go to the moon in this decade." According to GM's Vice Chairman of Global Product Development, Chevrolet's gas-electric plug-in electric hybrid is GM's moon shot. Wired magazine recently sat down with Bob Lutz and asked the Car Czar what would happen if the Volt doesn't succeed. "What if Kennedy hadn't pulled off the moon shot?" Bob wondered aloud. "If it doesn't work, it's not fatal. But if it does work, it will be sensational and it will have the same sort of symbolism." The U.S. put a man on the moon by the end of the decade, as promised. What are the chances the Volt will appear in a Chevy showroom by 2010?

Ever since the Chevy Volt burst forth from the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, "Maximum Bob" has been feeding an adoring press a steady diet of sound bites on the Volt's technology and timetable. The statements are frequently contradictory, usually unrealistic and subject to frequent change.

It began in March of last year, when Lutz promised a running Volt prototype by the end of 2007. A test mule with the Volt drivetrain crammed into an existing model would have provided reasons to be cheerful, part one. But it wasn't to be. In November, Bob revised his estimate: "Let's wait for the Easter Bunny."

In January, GM revealed the Volt's development team was having problems getting the mission critical, new technology batteries for testing from one of their suppliers. Recently, GM said that they'll have appropriate lithium-ion batteries "ready to demonstrate" by June (of this year). The reason for the new date? "Acceleration issues." We now learn that a Volt equipped with the current state-of-the-art batteries would require a full minute to amble from zero to sixty miles per hour.  

And that's just the technology. When Bob first mooted Chevy's Plug-in Electric Hybrid (PHEV), he pegged the PHEV's price point at a Prius-competitive $30k. As soon as the Volt team realized what a suitable lithium-ion battery pack might cost, GM announced that they were considering leasing the battery packs for around $100/month– to keep the "total" price within reason. Easter Bunny or not, GM hasn't said whether or not they're still pursuing that particular hair-brained scheme.

Now the $30K selling price seems to be going the way of Jamie Lynn Spears' virginity. Speaking to Wired, Backpedalin' Bob stated "it doesn't look like that's going to be possible." The Volt's price "might get there on the second generation, and they say if they had a lot more time they might be able to cost-optimize it [but] I don't want to wait for cost optimization. I'd rather come out in 2010, and if it costs closer to 40 than 30, well, that's too bad." Too bad for the customer…

No matter what the final price, we still don't know when we might finally see a Volt on the road. At the beginning of this saga, Lutz claimed the Volt would be humming along in 2010. Then, at last year's Los Angeles Auto Show, Lutz said the Volt would hit the streets by November of '08. Now it's 2010. Or not. Apparently, November 2010 has become GM's "internal target." "You don't know what you don't know," Lutz told Wired. "Could it go later than 2010? Yes."

Deadline, schmeadline. Maximum Bob's still pumped on the Volt. He crows that it's "symbolic of a renaissance in the American auto industry… If we pull it off successfully, it can really put us back at the top of the heap of automotive technology instead of being called laggards that are being left behind by the Germans and the Japanese." That is, unless a Japanese manufacturer doesn't quietly introduce a fully-realized plug-in electric hybrid first, as Toyota's CEO has just promised to do. 

Even IF GM rolls out a Volt by 2010, even IF it offers better performance than the next generation PHEV Prius, even IF it can compete with the segment leader on price, even IF it sells well, even IF it proves to be a reliable automobile, even IF it continues to sell, GM's Car Czar has already destroyed the Detroit automaker's credibility. And here's the real problem: the Volt probably won't do any of these things. 

John F. Kennedy entered the space race saying a moon shot "will be done in the decade." GM has refused to fully  commit itself to any deadline for the Volt, making the Hail Mary PHEV's appearance a moving target. Why? To avoid responsibility. And it is that difference– the difference between a culture of genuine accountability and GM's culture of endless streams of false, unrealized promises– that hobbles the Volt, and has brought GM to its knees. 

“In a nutshell we would disagree with the assessment that Acura would fall that low in any survey,” an unnamed Acura company spokesman told Ward’s Automotive re: Consumer Reports recent brand perception survey. “Our research shows Acura is ranking high in technology aspects and brand awareness and those types of things.” Those type of things? Ed Farrell, associate director for Consumer Reports' survey team, defended the mag's methodology. He told Ward's that they interrupted 1,720 U.S. adults' family dinner to ask brand-related questions, like “When you think of performance, what car best typifies to you performance?” Typifies to you? On an aggregate basis, top place finishers Toyota and Honda earned scores of 189 and 146. Acura garnered just eight points, finishing below Audi (14 points), Mitsubishi (21 points) and Mercury (22 points). According to the unnamed Acura spokesman, "That may be one of those snapshots that’s blurry when it comes to Acura’s real image.” May? Looks like Acura joins another well-known automotive brand at the top of the charts for obfuscation, petulance, arrogance and denial.

GM Global Product Maven Maximum Bob Lutz claims that satisfying new U.S. federal fuel economy regulations will cost the consumer an additional $6k per car, on average. That seems a bit of a strange statement, as there are already plenty of cars capable of besting the freshly-minted mandate. From Japan to Jerusalem, from Mumbai to Milan, the world is filled, and filling, with suitably fuel efficient passenger cars. The real question is whether or not America is ready– make that “willing”– to buy the same sort of frugal machines that the rest of the world has been driving for years. Take the Fiat Grande Punto. Please.

The North American International Auto Show is winding down to it's inevitable conclusion, as journalists and auto execs alike stumble into Detroit's winter gloom, wondering what the New Year will bring, knowing that it won't bring half the weird-ass shit they just saw inside the Cobo convention center. As TTAC celebrates the conclusion of this PR bragfest in the only way we know how (watching Top Gear's Hamster almost kill himself in a jet-powered car on BBC America), we invite you to have a look at the pictures Mr. Montgomery snapped that didn't make it into blog posts. We'll have more show-related news tomorrow. But for now, a big thank you from me to Sajeev Mehta, William C. Montgomery and Frank Williams for keeping it real. You should be proud. Never in the course of the internet have so few done so much for so few. Or something like that.

Those of you who were hoping (and hoping and hoping) that Chrysler would lead America into a Euro-style clean diesel high mileage BIG torque paradise, fuhgeddaboutit. TTAC reporter Bill Montgomery caught-up with ex-Toyota exec and current Chrysler Prez Jim Press and asked him wither oil burners? Yup. "In the face of the new federal fuel economy standards, being a responsible corporate citizen means very soon everything will be hybrid." When pressed, Press went further, hinting that there's been a massive strategy shift within the Crisis Corporation. "As a privately owned company, we're quicker than the competition at reallocating resources." Does this new focus explain the hard stop to Getrag's $530m Chrysler transmission factory? Press' PR handler whisked the exec away before Bill could get the inside dope. So to speak. 

Click here for more TTAC pictures of Jim Press' meet the press

[Reported by William C. Montgomery] 

If you got it, flaunt it. Or, in the case of Toyota, rub GM's nose in it. While Rick Wagoner and his minions have been talking about their sooner-or-later plug-in electric hybrid vehicle (aka "Volt") at the Detroit Auto Show, Toyota is putting their money where Rick's mouth is. They're providing several honest-to-God here-they-are-right-now Prius plug-ins for "executive shuttle service" during the show (you can guess which company's executives won't be shuttling in them). The cars are "are early-development prototypes" used for "evaluation of real-world customer use and acceptance, ride-and-drives by regulatory officials and NGOs, and technical research and development." Oh, and also for firing a preemptive shot across GM's bow.

The heat is on the Chevrolet Volt's yes/no/yes/no/maybe 2010 timeline. Bloomberg reports that Toyota has reversed course, set aside their publicly declared antipathy to lithium-ion batteries and announced their intention to have a plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) by, coincidentally enough, the Volt's 2010 deadline. "The company will provide a significant number of plug-in hybrids to global fleet customers," Bloomberg revealed. "With a large percentage coming to the U.S., President Katsuaki Watanabe said at the Detroit auto show yesterday, without elaborating. The cars will help Toyota meet new U.S. fuel-economy rules early, he said." Uh, isn't that second bit considered elaboration? Still, point taken. While GM execs Luzt and Wagoner have been shooting their mouths off about the Volt in a consistently contradictory fashion, Watanabe simply says "we're going to do it" and then, if past history is a guide, does it. "You combine Toyota's experience with nickel metal, the lithium expertise for Panasonic and lithium research from Toyota, definitely they are the strongest player,'' said Menahem Anderman, president of the Advanced Automotive Batteries consulting firm.

Our [non Dodge] intrepid reporters at the North American International Auto Show– Mssrs. Montgomery and Mehta– are calling it a day. It's been a historic moment for The Truth About Cars; Frank and I are proud of our electronic collaboration. We didn't offer the breadth of coverage that other, better equipped and more experienced members of the media swarm have produced. And our technology could use a bit of an upgrade. But it's been a Hell of a start, well in keeping with TTAC's tone and no-holds-barred traditions. Tomorrow is the big day, when our warmed-up journalists mobilize their mojo, and TTAC's MIA big gun commentators return to their cubicles, loaded for bear. I certainly hope you'll join us for the festivities. Meanwhile, if you want to see today's scalps, click on the links below. Thanks for being there.

2009 Honda Pilot

BMW ActiveHybrid

BMW Advanced Diesel

BMW Hydrogen7

BMW M3

BMW M6

BMW X6

Ford

Ford Explorer America Concept

Ford F-150

Ford Flex

Ford Mustang

Ford Verve Concept

Honda Accord

Lexus

Lexus LF-A Roadster

Lexus LX570

Mazda

MINI Clubman

MINI Cooper

MINI Cooper S

Nissan GT-R

smart fortwo

Subaru Forester

Toyota Corolla XRS

Chevrolet's much-hyped hybrid Volt depends entirely on cutting edge lithium-ion batteries– which is kinda weird as the car has one of the shortest development times in modern automotive history. Any delay in battery testing and development and GM's 2010 launch date will pass quicker than bad curry. Kudos to Autobloggreen for staying on top of the Volt's progress– not to mention understanding battery technology enough to ask the Volt folk intelligent questions. In fact, the discussion is so damn intelligent I'm depending on Wired to interpret the answers. And the high tech industry mag says GM hasn't received the latest A123 batteries it was "supposed to be testing last month." Uh oh. On the positive side, perhaps, "Denise Gray, the company's director of energy storage systems, uses the phrase 'so far, so good' four times while discussing the test results." Fingers crossed? "GM still has to strike a balance between power, energy storage and performance during extremely hot or cold weather." Not to mention "normal" weather. While the Volt is the one part of GM that seems to operating with what industry analyst Mary-Ann Keller called for many moons ago– a sense or urgency– there's a long, long way between final prototype and working production model. And an even wider gap between initial production model and successful product. Just look at the first Toyota Prius. Or, if you really want a clear picture of the mountain the Volt has to climb, the next Prius.