We decided to turn the tables on Max the Beetle, star of Volkswagen's "Das Auto" ads, and interview him to see what he thinks of the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

Ze Das Auto campaign has been a big success, how has this changed things?
It's really saved my life. Ask anyone at Chrysler, it's a tough industry and I'd worked so hard for so long and was thinking about quitting when I got this job.

How was it to work with Bobby Knight?
Here's ze funny thing about that. He had no idea we were taping an advertisement. He just showed up and got angry. It was great. He threw a turkey BLT at a production assistant.

We're going to go quick-fire style: favorite auto show food
Denso's all-meat buffet with the bacon-wrapped shrimp.

Favorite booth babe?
Press girls at BYD

Favorite automaker bar?
The Ford Flex lounge

Favorite English word?
Chattanooga, but it's hard to spell.

Favorite reveal other than a VW
The Lincoln C, it's cute and small like me.

Is Brooke Shields as cute in person?
Ja

And as annoying?
Ja

Will they build the Volkswagen Bluesport?
Jeea.....wait a minute. I see what you're doing. Tricky Americans...

What's with the smell in your booth? We've heard lots of behind-the-scenes kvetching about the stench coming from VW.
Avoiding ze obvious sauerkraut joke, we think ze smell from the downstairs track is coming up to ze booth. We'll have our revenge, though, as we've run our A/C non stop so that ze water floods ze track.

Thanks for the talk, any advice for your troubled friends at the Not-So-Big Three
To quote Friedrich Nietzsche: "Work like you don't need money, Love like you've never been hurt, And dance like no one's watching."

Send an email to Matt Hardigree, the author of this post, at matt@jalopnik.com.