Rush Limbaugh Gets Owned By Motor Trend

Motor Trend recently announced the Chevrolet Volt as its Car of the Year winner for 2011 and it apparently has generated lots of controversy.

Not least of which is from the king of controversy himself, extreme right wing asshole radio host, Rush Limbaugh. Recently on air, Rush said this of Motor Trend’s decision to crown the Volt Car of the Year:

I don’t know if words can express the amount of rage I have towards this man. He is so ignorant and unaware of anything that it makes my blood boil. One of my gripes is when people form an opinion on cars (or anything) without knowing anything about the subject. Limbaugh is a classic case of willful ignorance towards the automobile industry.

Hey Rush, the Car of the Year IS NOT BASED ON HOW MANY CAR’S ARE SOLD. It doesn’t matter if GM hasn’t sold any yet, it’s an evaluation of the car itself.

Also, how the HELL can you criticize a car that you’ve never driven or even seen before? The people at Motor Trend are professional automotive journalists – they’ve driven hundreds, maybe even thousands, of cars. They know the ins and outs of what makes a good car way more than you do. You criticizing an automotive magazine’s choice for Car of the Year is like you criticizing… well, anything. Because as far as I can tell, you have no expertise in any subject.

Believe me, I could go on, but Motor Trend has done a pretty good job in defending themselves in a rebuttal to Racist Rush.

Read it here.

[Motor Trend]

GM’s Been Lying About Chevy Volt For Years?

GM’s supposed savior, the Chevrolet Volt, is very nearly ready to hit the production lines and dealer lots – as early as next month in the States in fact. But a new revelation has Volt enthusiasts and auto journalists alike fuming.

Since the announcement of the Volt about three year’s ago, GM marketed it as a full on electric vehicle that had a gasoline engine meant to be used as a range extender. In other words, the gas engine did not power the wheels at all, it just generated power for the electric motor in the event it ran out of juice before you were able to plug it in. GM was asked time and time again whether the gas engine powered the wheels at all, and while GM didn’t outright say no, the typical non-answers and PR language for years made it seem like indeed it was just a range extender.

Well, now comes official word that the GM’s gas engine does in fact power the rear wheels. A lot of people feel quite miffed. Why? Well as mentioned, this was supposed to be GM’s halo car – a car that used a unique technology that no one had attempted in any production vehicle for the main purpose of ultimate efficiency. One of the main downsides of electric vehicles (EV’s) after all, is “range anxiety”. Meaning the driver always has a fear of running out of juice before they are able to make it back home or to a charging station. GM made it seems like it came up with a solution to that problem by having the gasoline engine act as a generator of sorts. Since that is no longer true, the Volt is not, by definition, a full electric vehicle anymore. It is a plug-in hybrid. Those interested in the Volt and those reporting on it, understandably, feel led on or lied to even. Chevy’s response is that they couldn’t reveal information about the Volt’s power train for patent publishing reasons, but now that they have it, they revealed the true nature of the power train.

My personal point of view is not quite as animated as other car blogs. Apparently Inside Line feels lied to, frustrated and have strong feelings of disbelief while Jalopnik went and photoshopped the Volt to look like the devil. However, as a fellow car enthusiast and automotive journalist, I must agree, this really is quite the disappointment. It’s not because it’s wrong for the Volt to be a plug-in hybrid, it’s because it has been force fed to us as a full on EV for years. It’s almost like having a friend who brags about working at the White House, but then you find out he’s just the janitor. Not a lie per se, but definitely misleading.

I have defended the Chevy Volt in the past against fools like Rush Limbaugh, but I’ve also been quite critical as well. This new revelation has me feeling a bit let down. I wanted the Chevy Volt to succeed and I wanted it to offer a breakthrough in power train technology. Turns out it’s just using technology that Toyota, Volvo, and Honda have been working on for years. It’s not so much the fact that the Volt isn’t a full on EV with a range extender, it’s the fact that it has apparently come to light that no one is working on such a feat when we thought GM was the whole time. Quite the let down GM. Here’s hoping the Volt will still save you as much as you think it will.

[General Motors]

American Cars Are Apparently Appealing

You know you’re a car nut when the first thing you notice about a celebrity sighting is the car they’re driving and not the celebrity themselves.

Case in point, this particular photo caught my eye. The driver is David Beckham known for having a ridiculous $250 million contract to play soccer in the US and also for having a wife that used to be part of the biggest girl groups of all time (aka Victoria Beckham).

Anyway, I don’t really care about David or his kid, but I do care about what he drives and that apparently is a Jeep Wrangler. Isn’t that a bit odd? You have $250 million to your name and you choose a Wrangler? I’m not knocking the Wrangler, it’s actually a capable vehicle and one of the VERY few American vehicles I like. I just don’t understant why anyone with oodles of money would want one.

But apparently American cars are appealing to people who aren’t American. Richard Hammond has an unusual fascination with muscle cars afterall (which Jeremy Clarkson endlessly makes fun of him for..and rightfully so) and Richard Brand apparently is quite fond of American cars as well. Wait, I see a trend here. They’re all British!

Actually this isn’t the first filthy rich person to buy a Wrangler. Jay-Z actually has one as well. No doubt it’s just one of many vehicles he owns. I suspect it’s the same deal with fancy soccer pants boy too.

I just realized that this post was kind of pointless but I already wrote it, so whatever.

[X17Online.com]

Rush Limbaugh Knows Nothing About Cars, Has Opinion Anyway

If there’s one thing that drives me mad it’s when people who know nothing about a topic try to form an opinion on it anyway and then try to convince others that their opinion is right. This accurately describes Rush Limbaugh’s entire life.

If you don’t know who Limbaugh is, consider yourself lucky. If you are curious, well, let’s just say that he is an extreme right winged so-called political pundit who, for some reason, has his own radio show. As you can see by his picture, it’s obvious why no one wants to give him a  TV show.

Oh, and he’s also severely addicted to various pills. Nice.

On his radio show Limbaugh likes to talk about current events, of which he clearly does not follow or understand. Racist Rush, as I like to call him, decided to have a go at another topic that he is clearly ignorant about: Cars.

Specifically, Limbaugh decided to lay into the upcoming Chevrolet Volt. Limbaugh claimed that the Volt is stupid because it costs too much. I will admit, the $41,000 US starting price is about five grand more than anticipated, but since Rush’s hates the environment and will find any excuse in the book to slam efficient technology, he almost purposely failed to mention that the Volt can also be leased for a very reasonable $350/month.

He then declares that since there are government incentives on cars like the Volt of up to $7,500 off ($10,000 off in Ontario), there clearly must be no demand for cars like these.  Because it’s not like America was hit hard by the recession thanks to fools like your beloved George W. Bush and people need stimulus in order to buy new cars again, right Rush? Besides, as Autoblog pointed out, there were tax write -offs for Hummers and other huge gas guzzling SUV’s just a few years ago. How come you didn’t speak up against that then, eh Rush?

And to top it all off, and to showcase just how ignorant he is, Rush then decided to misinform all his listeners by proclaiming that the Volt is only capable of 40 miles (65 kms) then it runs out of juice. A little research goes a long way and if Limbaugh had the inclination or the wit to do so, he would’ve found out that the Volt can go an additional 300 miles on a regular gas engine when the electric motor runs out of power.

Now, I’ve been a bit critical of the Volt myself in the past, but I know cars. They are one of my few topics of expertise. And with that said, despite my minor criticisms, I still like the Volt. And I want it to succeed. I’m very eager to try one out for myself, mostly because I understand how it works and it’s intriguing. I would never claim to hate something without first understanding it. But that’s how Rush rolls and he is exactly what is wrong with society today.

You don’t like the Volt, Rush? Just pop a few more of those pills and the Volt won’t seem so bad, will it?

[Detroit Free Press]

Get A Life: Supercars in Halifax Pulled Over by Police After Complaints

This past weekend, if you were in Halifax, you may have been lucky enough to notice a lot of supercars around, which isn’t really a regular occurrence down here. About a dozen supercars were in and around the Halifax area, turning heads and showing off those lovely exhaust notes to the public. Everything from Ferrarris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis and even a Saleen was spotted.

They were apparently in town to tour the Maritimes thanks to sponsorship from ZR Autos in Calgary.

Unfortunately they didn’t receive the warmest welcome here since some people down here apparently have a permanent stick up their asses and can’t stand one ounce of fun or change in their lives.

The supercars were driving down Highway 103 to Halifax. People traveling the same highway definitely noticed them and instead of thanking their lucky souls that they were able to experience such and event, they decided to call the RCMP and complain that they were driving at a ‘high rate of speed’.

While I can understand safety concerns of speed, the last thing on my mind would be to call the cops. Chances are the people driving the cars are highly skilled professional drivers who are used to high rates of speed and know the limits of their cars. In my opinion, it’s no big deal for them to open up the taps of the cars if there is minimal traffic and are trained professionals.

The RCMP did indeed respond to the complaints and pulled over one of the cars. The rest of the supercars pulled over as well as a sign of a good gesture. In fact, when the police pulled over the supercars, they were all traveling at the speed limit, so I believe it was a case of just pushing the supercars to their limit with no one really around then slowing to the speed limit once traffic picked up.

Anyway, do you think after all that, these supercars are going to return? I sure hope so. And I hope in the meantime people can get a life instead of calling the cops.

[The Chronicle Herald]

Told Ya: Lupe Fiasco Jumps Aboard Camaro Infatuation

I really should be some sort of marketing guru because I predicted that the new Chevrolet Camaro will be the new Cadillac Escalade among rappers. And you know it’s true if Lupe Fiasco is doing it. Lupe tends to not care so much about materialism or fame, in fact he has gone on record as saying he never wants to be famous (even though he kinda is already). Thing is, he still has a love for all things traditionally popular, he just doesn’t let it all cloud his judgment.

The traditionally anti-traditional rapper posted this pic of him and a Camaroo SS on his blog and I must admit, I was a little taken aback by Lupe’s choice of ride, despite all the hoopla surrounding the Camaro in the hip hop world. I expected him to be in some sort of Japanese rocket like a Nissan GT-R. Lupe claims he’s “American mentally with Japanese tendencies” so I guess this is just his inner American coming out. I suppose there’s nothing wrong with that.

But what makes it even more forgivable than that is he is using the Camaro for a charity run called ‘Run to the sun’ where he and Caleb Garrett will drive from Chicago to Los Angles in order to raise money for homeless shelters.

Oh, and Lupe already named his Camaro. It’s called ‘Skull Leader Zero’. I kinda thought that was a stupid name at first, but for some reason it’s growing on me. I totally admire him for keeping the Camaro stock and resisting the temptation to put ridiculously massive rims on it like some people.

[Lupe Fiasco]

Audi Plays the Stereotype Game With…Everyone

Audi and BMW have long been German rivals as they have both taken pretty funny shots and jabs at each other from time to time. This time, Audi has decided to take a few additional shots at two other rivals: Mercedes-Benz and Lexus.

The 3 minute spot is called “Meet the Beckers” and although it’s an oldie, it’s a goodie. The whole point of the spot is that Audi is for normal people and its rivals are for walking stereotypes.

First Audi naturally takes aim at BMW. We see a blue E46 M3 convertible speeding down the road. It is driven by a stereotypical (in Audi’s mind anyway) BMW driver which is a douchebag wearing a blutooth headset, blasting European techno music with a rather dim witted female in the passenger seat. Driving very aggressively, they catch up to a slow moving Toyota Prius which angers the BMW driver so he lays on the horn, passes on the right, cuts off the Prius without signalling all while giving the Prius driver the middle finger. Basically Audi is showcasing the stereotype that BMW drivers are inconsiderate, aggressive driving pricks who show off to girls and blast loud questionable European techno.

Then Audi picks on Mercedes owners where we see an old man who is obviously not with the times and seemingly has lots of money. He has a gold digging wife much younger than he and has trouble operating all the gadgets and gizmos in the Benz as he leaves his parking spot with the wipers on and the right turn signal on…as he turns left. We also see them splash puddle water into a homeless man begging for money as they make a turn. So basically Audi’s stereotype in this case is that all Mercedes-Benz owners are old rich white guys who have young trophy wives and don’t know how to operate their cars (insinuating they only have a Benz for the badge).

Then Audi turns its eye to Lexus owners as we see a preppy family who seemingly is happy, normal and wholesome, but really they are a bunch of freaks. The daughters aren’t quite what you’d call normal with a gothic heavy metal tendency. Meanwhile the father is clearly a neurotic nerd who may or may not be a hypochondriac. So basically Audi sees Lexus owners as boring, nerdy people who are freaks deep down inside.

Of course, Audi sees their drivers as completely normal level headed people.

Do you think all the stereotypes are accurate? Check out the video above and sound off in the comments.

FAIL: This is Why I Park Like A Jack-Ass

My friends usually make fun of me for where and how I park my car. I refuse to park next to anyone anywhere. Therefore, I park way at the other end of the lot where no one bothers to park because it’s too far from the doors of the store. Because you know, it’s not like North American’s could use the exercise that the extra walk from the car to the door provides. Anyway, even then I only park in corner spaces because there is always some cock bag who will park next to me regardless of how much out of my way I go to ensure that very situation does not happen. And then I park on the line closest to the corner of the space to ensure no dings can ever occur from people who apparently have enough sense to pass a driving test but not enough sense to know how to open a car door properly. People usually call me a jack-ass for purposely parking on the line, but whatever. I figure if I park far enough away, it doesn’t really affect anybody anyhow.

Now, the picture above is a perfect example of why I do this. I don’t think I could describe in words the amount of rage that would consume my body and soul if I was the owner of the Nissan 370Z (40th anniversary edition too!) pictured above while coming back to my car. I would likely bludgeon the owner of the white Honda Accord along their family with an axe. There’s no way the clot who owns the Honda Accord Hybrid didn’t notice how close they had parked to the 370Z. There’s no way there wasn’t any scraping. Judging by the condition of the Accord, the owner obviously doesn’t care about the car to begin with. If there were a car equivalent of child services, I would be tempted to call to save this poor Accord from its reckless owner.

In any event, FAIL FAIL FAIL to the Accord Hybrid owner. I’m going to print this picture and show it to the next person who makes fun of me for parking the way I do.

It’s the Car’s Fault, Officer

Full disclosure: I have been pulled over for speeding before. Three times, if I’m honest, but I only managed to get a ticket for one of those times.

Now, a lot of times, I am aware of my lead foot. So when I get caught, I don’t usually put up a fuss.

But there are certain times when you really are not aware of how fast you’re going. Some cars in particular are very difficult to drive slowly. My personal vehicle for instance is one of them (full disclosure again, I drive a 2008 BMW 128i).

A friend of mine just purchased a 2006 Mini Cooper S, and after some time behind the wheel, I have decided that his car is also a difficult car to drive slowly. The BMW 550i GT that I tested is also hard to tame, and now comes word from the folks at European Car Magazine that the 335d is hard to drive slowly as well.

See the pattern? All those cars mentioned are BMW’s (or made by BMW).

European Car was pulled over for going 93 mph in a 70 zone and the reviewer tried to explain the characteristic that is seemingly a trait with all BMW’s.

“It’s not my fault, this car wants to go 120 mph all the time… it’s the car’s fault.”

Needless to say, that didn’t work. The reviewer got a ticket anyway. But it’s good to know that I’m not the only one who seems to have a hard time driving BMW’s slowly. Their engines are so smooth and responsive

It’s also worth mentioning that European Car was able to get 6 l/100 kms out of the 335d despite the inability to drive the speed limit. It’s one of the reasons why we chose it for Canadian Car of the Year for 2010.

In any event, our tip of the day is: if you ever find yourself behind the wheel of a BMW, mostly any BMW,  make sure you keep a close eye on your speedometer.

BMW M3 vs. Lexus IS-F

After just writing the post below, we thought we would share this with you…. in case there was ever any doubt in your mind as to who is still king.

(Oh, and Jeremy Clarkson for President of the World)

World Car of the Year 2010: Top Ten Entries Revealed

What is the best car in the world? It’s all relative and subjective and thus, impossible to determine. But that doesn’t stop automotive journalists from trying.

52 automotive journalists representing each continent in the world (except Antarctica – Penguins can’t legally drive yet) have gotten together and submitted their top ten choices for World Car of the Year in two categories: Car of the Year and Performance Car of the Year. There will then be three finalists chosen for both categories.

Find out what car made the top ten and what our pics are for the finalists after the jump!

Read the rest of this entry »

Canadian Car of the Year Finalists Revealed! We Make Our Picks!

Those lucky ducks that have coveted AJAC (Automobile Journalists Association of Canada) memberships all recently got together to rate the best new car of the year from the Canadian perspective for 2010. They tested them, rated them, and broke down the finalists into five categories.

Since Car Driven is literally only hours old as we write this, it seems a bit premature to have our own COTY awards. So instead, we’ll just use AJAC’s finalists and make our own picks.

Find out the finalists and our picks after the jump!

Read the rest of this entry »