Happy Australia Day!

There's an old and apt observation that a Frenchman must have no-one above him, while an Englishman must have someone beneath him.

I will extend this to offer the observation that the Frenchman will posture and pose until his status is shown, while the Englishman will drag down and belittle until his status is secured.

The Australian must have the pair of them downwind until they learn the basics of personal hygiene.

And he'll keep bloody telling them so until they get a bloody clue about other people and life in the real world.

Happy Australia Day!

Toyota Hi-CT Concept

How can you not love the Tokyo Auto Show? This Toyota number is wild! Do you see Futurliner in the front end? Empowering this specimen is a 1.5-liter engine mated to a hybrid motor with plug-in capability.

Mmmm...Applebee's

Your six years old, jonesing for Applebee's and grandma says no. What to do? Well how about you move your booster seat to the driver's seat, start the car and put it in reverse. After 49 feet you hit a curb then another 30 feet hit an electrical box. Well that's what did happen in Broomfield, Colorado.

The kid got of hook with the police, even accused of being adorable. Awww.

GM / OnStar announced plans to introduce a new service called Stolen Vehicle Slowdown where police could, after establishing a line of site with a stolen vehicle, request that OnStar send a remote signal to the vehicle that interacts with the Powertrain system to reduce engine power which will slow the vehicle down gradually.

Here's the full procedure for SVS:

• Once the vehicle has been reported stolen to law enforcement, the subscriber can call OnStar and request Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance. OnStar will confirm the subscriber has not opted out of the Stolen Vehicle Slowdown service.


• OnStar will use real-time GPS technology to attempt to pinpoint the exact location of the stolen vehicle and provide this information to law enforcement to help them recover the vehicle.


• When law enforcement has established a clear line of sight of the stolen vehicle, law enforcement may request OnStar to slow it down remotely.


• Safeguards will be in place to ensure that the correct vehicle is slowed down.


• OnStar then sends a remote signal to the vehicle that interacts with the Powertrain system to reduce engine power which will slow the vehicle down gradually.

With turn by turn directions, SVS and OnStar's traditional offerings it sounds like some serious value is being added to the service. I received OnStar free for a year on my 2002 Viggen and I have to say I didn't find much to commend the product. When I tried to use the directions & connections feature the operator had a hard time figuring out where I was. Restaurant reservations and the like didn't go that smoothly either. My version of OnStar was analog so the calls were always scratchy and had a lot of static.

SVS will be available on roughly 1.7 million Model Year 2009 vehicles. Current pricing for OnStar is $18.95/mo $199/yr for basic service that does not feature directions and $28.90/mo $299/yr for the full boat service. You might be able to recoup some of that expense with an insurance discount.

2009 Pontiac Vibe

We'll see the full unveiling for the Vibe at the LA Auto Show but until then we have this image of the GT model. The Vibe's sister, the Matrix, will be making its debut at the SEMA show.

The Vibe looks nicely puffed out around the wheels and I like the look. That slanted roofline is going to take away cargo room but definitely gives it a sporty flair.

Looking at the rear pillar's styling don't you see Jeep Compass? I'm not trying to compare that dog with the much better looking Vibe, but it is one of the first things I thought of.

Massive props to the Vibe for keeping the hatch/wagon dream alive. The Vibe was also one of the first cars that had a 120V outlet, a feature that I like to see in all cars. Now let's see that interior!

Honda CR-Z

Looking around on the other blogs and forums this morning it would appear that talking about the CR-Z involves a lot of "Look like x" comparisons. "Looks like an Audi from the front" "Looks like a Beluga whale" "Looks like a Maserati" "Looks like Mazda" Well, you get the idea.

CR-Z is supposed to stand for 'Compact Renaissance Zero'. Whatever Honda wants to call it, we'll all think CRX. The CR-Z is equipped with equipped with Honda's original gas-electric hybrid system which "Achieves both clean performance and a high level of torque."

I'm on the fence about this design. It certainly doesn't make me want to rush down to my Honda dealer and drop a deposit. Perhaps when there are more pictures of this car released, preferably with something other than a stark white background, my opinion might change.

BMW Dealer to Lessee: No Soup For You

Consumerist has a shining example of customer service by the folks at Brecht BMW. Apparently the woman was told that she could not turn in her leased BMW to the dealership even though technically she should have been able to. However the case is somewhat murky. Firstly, she was told by Chase that she could return the car to any authorized dealership. However, it seems from the story that she never called the dealership in advance before making the 45 mile trip to the showroom. I don't know about you, but whenever I return a lease I call at least several times to confirm that I have all the details right. I like to get a name and setup an appointment. It's an important transaction and I want to make sure it goes smoothly. Also, unlike the letter writer, I don't wait until the absolute last day to return a car for the very reason that she experienced: some sort of trouble with the return.

Given all that, however, it still seems like the dealership responded in an inappropriate manner:

Next the manager came out and said, you need to leave or I am going to call the police. I asked for his name. He took out his business card and threw it at me. I said that I had better treatment from VW when I owned my BMW. He told me to go back to VW, because 'I don't deserve to own a BMW.' He again said to leave or he was going to call the police. By this time my children were in tears because he was yelling at me and threatening me. We left without them ever assisting us.

We weren't there, we don't know what she was saying to them or how she was acting. However, customer service should still take the high road. Something that apparently failed in this case.

Mini out of it, it won't even b

While I can see why Mini wants this car, this is a HOT segment, this car seems to be an odd duck. To further take the Mini out of it, it won't even be built in England. Will that matter to most buyers? Probably not. I'd just like to see something a bit more creative.

Magna to Build Mini SAV

The forthcoming Mini SAV (artist rendering above) looks to be manufactured by Magna Steyr at its Graz, Austria facility. This works out really well for Magna as the X3 contract runs out in 2010.

I hope this rendering is way off. I just don't feel the Moke spirit.

2008 Chevrolet Malibu

Edmunds has a first drive posted on their website. According to the review the Malibu shakes down as a very competent entry. It's worse sin? It's the heaviest of the group and that in turn effects mileage. GM is aware that some of its platforms that have been upgraded over time carry weight penalties. The Vue is another example of a vehicle could lose a few pounds. On a previous Autoline Detroit program a GM rep pledged to pare down the weight on future clean sheet vehicles.

It's a rare day when any "first look" preview has many conclusive findings, so not that much can be gleaned from the review. But there are worst ways to spend your time than reading about cars, right? Since the car is a close relative to the Aura, I'll ask the same questions: available dual climate control? sunglass holder? rear center armrest? I haven't had a close look at the exact specs on the '08 Malibu, so those answers will be forthcoming.

California's Bay Area Gas Tax Increase?

Officials are once again looking at upping the gasoline tax in the Bay Area by as much as 10 cents. The idea is to market the increase as a way to fight global warming, something that according to one think tank official "People will kill their puppies" for. Nice. Sometimes you really have to wonder about what people are thinking (or not thinking) when they put their mouth into drive. Anyways, the increase would pile on top of the state's 18 cent tax, the Fed's 18.4 cents and sales tax.

It has been shown in Europe that high taxes will change people's buying habits. However is ten cents going to dissuade anyone? Let's say you drive 15,000 miles and you get 2o miles per gallon. That's a whopping $75 a year, not even $10 a month. Not really a big motivator, is it?

I'm not opposed to slowly increasing the gasoline tax to increase conservation and fund programs to help us find alternatives. However, from what I've seen of this proposal it's far too vague about where the funds raised (up to $300 million per year) will go.

Eurocopter: Hermès Edition

Eurocopter: Hermès Edition

For that someone special who really does have everything, Eurocopter introduces a partnership with fashion design house Hermès. The goal of the partnership is to "Restore the passenger to a position of pre-eminence" because really, if anything needed restoring it was the stature of helicopter passengers.

Sliding doors open to reveal an interior configuration that is aesthetic light-filled and unexpectedly spacious. The cabin, completely redesigned by Hermès to maximise available space, reflects the quality and finesse of Hermès’ craftsmen, offering passengers a pleasing blend of functionality, refinement and comfort. Surfaces from floor to ceiling have been covered in ‘Toile H’, a signature Hermès canvas used to manufacture the firm’s travelware since the nineteen-twenties. Seats and banquette are handcrafted for exceptional comfort, and upholstered in calf leathers, naturally grained and highly resistant.

Perfect! Just what I was looking for. Some of you looking at the pictures above might be saying "Hey, that's just a Eurocopter EC 135 like the one sitting on my helipad!" and you would be correct. I could not find any pictures of the Hermès edition.

AE Ranks Mazda 3, Opel Astra, Subaru Impreza

AE Ranks Mazda 3, Opel Astra, Subaru Impreza

It's not an auspicious beginning for the Impreza hatch. Many have question the looks and the decision to switch from wagon to hatch. I'm fine with a hatchback, but the nose (as has afflicated many scoobies) is just atrocious.

Auto Express recently drove the Mazda 3 1.6 TS, Vauxhall Astra 1.6 Life and the Subaru Impreza 1.5 R. The troubling news for Subaru is that the all-new Impreza placed last. The winner? Who else could it be? The Mazda 3. Every time I drive a Mazda 3 I always walk away impressed, the car is just plain fun to drive. The Astra is no slouch. I've only had limited exposure to the car in Europe, but I love the styling and interior appointments. It will be great to have the Astra here and I think it will have a lot of appeal as being "something different" yet quite capable in its own right.

But back to the Impreza. Why did it finish last? Besides objecting to the exterior styling, AE thought that the interior didn't match up either:

The materials feel cheap and the vast expanse of grey plastics is unappealing. Everything seems rather dated, and this isn’t helped by the old-fashioned column stalks and standard instrument dials.

What I'm excited about is that soon we'll be able to do a similar comparo here in the states! It will be interesting to see how the trio in US spec shake down.

A rider on San Franciso's L-Line was nearly dragged to his death when his arm became trapped in the door. What happened was a calamity of apparent fai

A rider on San Franciso's L-Line was nearly dragged to his death when his arm became trapped in the door. What happened was a calamity of apparent failures in the safety systems designed to prevent such an occurrence. The first failure was the fact that the door didn't automatically bounce open and start screeching.

"As the train began to move, people began to scream in panic as the man ran alongside the train with his hand trapped inside the car. As the train sped up, the man stumbled and was dragged along the platform."

The passengers did everything they could to stop the car: they pushed the emergency call button, pulled the cord used to request a stop, and tried unsuccessfully to pull the emergency release for the door that had trapped the man's hand. Finally a rider triggered the emergency release for another door on the train, bringing the car to an immediate halt. The rider reportedly refused medical treatment.

Muni's official line is that they are investigating the incident and....what was it?...umm...oh yeah....DON'T STICK YOU HAND INTO A CLOSING DOOR.

Think About It: Hyundai Tiburon Coupe Spy Shots

Think About It: Hyundai Tiburon Coupe Spy Shots

The new Tiburon looks very promising. RWD and undoubtedly some power to back that up will make a strong statement for the brand. However the continuing turmoil of Hyundai USA managers has me a little bit worried. Hyundai's top dog Steve Wilhite left for destinations unknown (some say Ford) and before him it was Robert Cosmai. Over on Kia's side it was Peter Butterfield abruptly getting the ax. With so many people sitting in the king's throne there's bound to be some confusion in the rank and file. With aggressive goals in place, Hyundai/Kia need to have leaders with a steady hand at the wheel. It would be a shame to see great products get the short end of the stick.