by  TCC Team

(2006-12-11)

Blue Devil debacle

It is not a good sign when the Corvette development team is unsure what side of the road to drive on. I expect the laws in Michigan are the same as they are the rest of North America with respect to which side of the road one should drive one. (BTW, the photo is not flipped either as the plate is shown correctly). Thanks for the (likely unintentional!) laugh.

Brian Murphy

Here's the story of the Blue Devil: while a real super Corvette is expected at the Detroit auto show, and real spy pictures have been taken, TCC was taken on a set we published a few weeks back. The jackals at another unnamed publication faked a Blue Devil Corvette with tape and dreams, and a reader of ours snapped pictures, believing it to be the Blue Devil. Our photos have been taken off the site - and while some folks were entertained by the whole fiasco, we think it's a punk move that unfortunately, AutoWeek and Motor Trend were caught by as well.

Giugiaro dreams

2006 Ford Mustang by Giugiaro Concept  |  

Jim Glass

Solara sayonara?

I am writing to you regarding information published on the 2007 Camry Solara on thecarconnection.com. There are a couple of errors that were stated on the write-up. The errors have been highlighted and italicized. The first error is regarding the Optitron gauges. Optitron gauges were never available as an option on the 2004-06 Solaras. The second error is the statement of a redesign for 2008. The Solara is being discontinued after its production run, which goes through 2008. A four-seat crossover vehicle is the 'replacement' for the Solara, and will go on sale for model-year 2009.

I thank you for your attention.

G35 double take

It is amazing how closely the G35 looks like the new Altima. I tend to notice similarities like that quite easily, but did not make the connection on these two until you showed pics of the two cars close to one another in today's email.

Craig Texter

On Honda's payroll

Regarding your choices for the Ford Edge poll...."credit the Honda Pilot?" It wishes it looked as good as the Edge. Honda has boring down to a science. You all work for Honda?
Gary G.

Yes, in fact we do work for Honda. Our paycheck just came in all the way from California . But it seems to be short a few figures…and hey, where's my company NSX? Guys?

Final "anti-American" letters, we swear

First let me say it is disappointing that you published this letter from Jim Wald. It was irresponsible. By putting this garbage online where people can read it, the uninformed may just believe it. The American automakers produce great cars and their hard-working employees and the families they support don't deserve to be put down like this by someone who has an chip on his shoulder. To begin with, most Ford products are not made in Mexico, but most Japanese cars are made in Japan. More importantly all Ford products sold in American are designed and engineered by Americans. And that "corporate welfare" built this friggin' country. As long as you guys are acting so irresponsible, put this out there: most Toyotas are infected with the bird flu. You won't have the balls to use this.

Please forward my e-mail address to Mr. Wald. I know some proud Detroiters who would like to meet him in a dark alley with a sack of quarters.

Shawn Wehrly
Hater of Jim Wald

In response to Mr. Jim Wald's letter to the Editor "More Patriotism Explain'd":

I'm tired of "Americans" like Mr. Wald spewing misinformation as justification of their dislike of American cars. Ford does not build "most" of its cars in Mexico , as Mr. Ward may think, but rather only three (Fusion, Milan , MKZ) at one plant. Ford builds 23 models right here in the U.S.A. (plus three Mazda models) at 12 plants. Ford's other Mexican plant does not export to the U.S.

Honda has one Mexican plant and three in the U.S. , while Toyota has one Mexican plant and four U.S. plants.

As for "superior" Japanese automotive technology, why does a Prius (ULEV) actually have higher emissions than a Focus (PZEV)?

Yes, Ford (and GM) have operational cost issues to work out. But those companies still have more employees here in the U.S. and contribute more to our GDP than do Toyota and Honda. Ford, GM, and their employees support the U.S. economy, while asking only for Americans to return the favor, and they get minimal help from the government (if it weren't for tariffs on imported trucks, Toyota would only have two plants in the U.S.)

In Japan , the government provides Honda and Toyota  with healthcare, retirement, import restrictions against their competitors, and a false devaluation of their currency to prop up their margins.

The Japanese want their corporations to succeed. Why don't Americans want the same for Ford and GM?

My Ford salary stays in the U.S. - who knows, maybe I even spend that money at Mr. Wald's business (provided that he doesn't work for Toyota or Honda).

T.K.

Dearborn, Mich.

Taurus moron-a-thon

I'd thought the moron-a-thon was over. Really. After pointing out of auto boards everywhere how the Taurus had been long dead and its decaying soul had been relegated to fleet-queen status, and how its Duratec motor had gotten slapped around in comparos since the fish-eyed monstrosity of 1996...I thought everyone had finally learned a few things!

1. The Taurus died back on Alex Trotman's watch, and continued decomposing on Nasser's. The current management is nice enough to give it a final burial.

2. In the last ten years, the car made less and less profit as its sales were increasingly to fleets...so those "huge numbers" were more a jobs program than anything else. Again, this isn't new news....

3. Ford's current management is very different from a few years ago, but some people insist on hacking on them for mistakes made by their forbears...is a small amount of research such a problem? While the current management shepherds in winners like the Fusion, they get the abuse due to goons like Alex Trotman and Jac Nasser that were both responsible for setting Ford's car programs back.

If it's "like watching the Redskins," you'd be blaming Gibbs for something Schottenheimer put in place...and that'd be dumb, right?

DRL divergence

As a driver of 58, I have found DRLs to be annoying at the least and the headlight DRLs dangerous in the glare they produce. My belief is that if you can't see a one-ton-plus metal object coming at you in broad daylight then you shouldn't be driving.

The studies I have seen show no benefit at all to DRLs and, if fact, the majority of the states had laws regulating daytime use of headlights when USDOT mandated their legality with no approval by Congress (at the behest of GM which reaped enormous profits off replacing the high cost headlights of today's cars). The driving public, in general, hates them and this has contributed to the fall of GM (good riddance). Now GM is pushing USDOT to MANDATE DRLs so they won't be at a competitive disadvantage. What a bunch of great guys (good riddance again!). DRLs may be help in the northern latitudes where there are many hills and harsh shadows but make no sense for the rest of the world.

In my view God's light is more than good enough. If lights are necessary in the daytime, then we should mandate them inside houses and for outdoors all the time also. Doesn't make a lot of sense or cents. See lightsout.org for more info.

Note that neither the raised rear brake lights nor the ABS systems have proven to reduce accidents, despite all kind of studies that said they would.

My group (National Motorists Association) and I also oppose mandatory seatbelts use and airbag equipment on the basis that there are risks involved and it should be your choice and freedom to decide whether to wear (or buy) that equipment. You may recall how the government was so scared about all the injuries and deaths from airbags that they changed the accounting methods for this data to ensure that the public would not see the truth. Sad, isn't it?

Mike McGuire

Ghosn, that hottie

How can I get in touch with Mr. Ghosn? I have been looking for a man who is attractive and successful. If he is still looking for a partner *wink* I would like to meet him.

Bruno Schuler