Jalopnik: Blogging The Auto Bloggers

Porsche Thinks The Press Is Way Worse Than Bloggers

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 09:30:00 EST

If you signed yourself up for updates on the development of the Porsche Panamera at the automaker's minisite, you may have already received a packet of super secret advertising containing expensive ultra-glossy "first official images" of the new Panamera. It also contains what we assume is an unintentional backhand at the press corps.

Printed right on the thin black sleeve holding the photographs is the following:

Spies would risk life and limb for them.
Bloggers would lie, cheat and steal for them.
The press would kill for them.
And you happened to have them in your hands right now.

The vague "them" they're referring to is of course the images contained therein, which would have been pretty clever marketing if we hadn't already seen the complete reveal of the car. The part about this we enjoy though is we bloggers would only lie, cheat and steal for them if they had been anything important, but the press, well they would kill for them! Clearly, Porsche holds bloggers in much higher esteem than our dead tree brethren.

Truck Trend, Sport Compact Car, Other Titles Axed By Source Interlink

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST

We've been able to confirm that both Truck Trend and Sport Compact Car magazines, august titles from the the sprawling Source Interlink automedia empire, have been killed by their publisher. Word is up to 115 employees were notified yesterday that their services would no longer be required. A former employee tells us that, if this is true, it would mean multiple titles were also canned. We've heard that many of these publications were profitable in recent years, but in a down economy it may be hard for one company to justify publishing 4Wheel Drive & Sport Utility, 4Wheel & Off-Road Four Wheeler and Off Road magazines simultaneously. No one at Source Interlink has returned our calls, so we're currently in the dark as to exactly which titles were cut. (UPDATE: We hear that Modified Luxury & Exotics also got the axe) Anyone who knows, perhaps a former employee, should feel free to drop us an anonymous comment or a tip to tips at jalopnik dot com. How does this impact Motor Trend, the jewel in Source Interlink's crown?

We're not sure, though up until recently we've heard that Angus Mackenzie, Editor-in-Chief of Motor Trend, has proclaimed that the magazine is awash in cash, allowing him to spend money on more writers and more features. Perhaps with the reduction in operating expenses Motor Trend will have some money to spend on their website.

ForbesAutos.com Staff Laid Off, I Start Saying Nicer Things To Ray Wert, Nick Denton

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:20:00 EST

Rumors have flown all week about Forbes planning to axe their Forbes Autos division. Those rumors look to be confirmed by Alley Insider, though a spokesperson refused to confirm or deny those rumors to us. Though the Forbes auto site has never been a major player in the automotive news business, it illustrates a reality: less automaker revenue means less ad revenue means less automotive outlets. This is especially true for an operation like Forbes.com, which sought to squeeze out more luxo-advertising bucks by creating their own custom content channels and putting themselves in a bad position come a down cycle. Oh, yeah, and it also serves as a reminder of how the Financiapocalypse could affect me, personally. Therefore, I've decided to say some nice things about my employers before I end up getting canned or made to feed the hamsters in our server farm for a salary of wooden nickels and all the sawdust I can eat.

Nice things about Ray Wert
1. You have nice hair.
2. The Burberry accessories do a great job of hiding your otherwise cheap wardrobe.
3. You're not the worst driver in the world, just the worst driver I've ever met.

Nice things about Nick Denton
1. I've never met you but I hear you smell like freshly minted silver dollars.
2. You publish Deadspin and this site, two places I spend a lot of my time.
3. You make wonderful charts.

Oh, and for the record, Ben badmouths both of you all the time.

[via Alley Insider]

Cars.com Ignores Financiapocalypse, Plans New Super Bowl Ad

Ray Wert — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST

Thanks to the Financiapocalypse, we're expecting pickings to be slim in this year's Super Bowl Auto Ad Watch. Thankfully, despite the economic turmoil, Cars.com, the #2 player in the "mega-car-selling-conglomerate" game, is again looking to spend some mad cash on a commercial in February's Super Bowl. Last year's commercials weren't too shabby, so we're interested to see what the plucky little site with the automotive industry's most basic name is able to do this year. We're hoping it involves Cars.com's Kicking Tires blog editor Dave Thomas fighting Glondor in the stone circle death match. Hit the jump for the full release.

Cars.com Set to Kick Off 2009 Marketing Campaign With New Super Bowl Spot

CHICAGO — Nov. 10, 2008 — Cars.com, a leading online automotive shopping destination, today announced plans to kick off its 2009 marketing campaign by once again advertising during the Super Bowl. This is the second year that Cars.com will advertise in the Big Game. Super Bowl XLIII will air on NBC on February 1, 2009.

“We made significant strides in moving our brand forward through our Super Bowl ads and our overall marketing campaign in 2008,” said Mitch Golub, president of Cars.com. “We want to keep that momentum moving forward in 2009, and advertising on the Super Bowl - which was seen by a record 97.5 million viewers - gives Cars.com a way to kick off that campaign in a big way."

Cars.com will have one 60-second commercial that will air during the second quarter. The spot will feature a new twist on its successful 2008 “Confidence Comes Standard” campaign. The campaign features car shoppers who are confident in their new car purchase because of the preparation they did on Cars.com. Their preparation keeps them from resorting to an outrageous “Plan B” scenario they initially thought they would need to get the deal they wanted from the dealer.

The Cars.com 2009 plan will be a national, integrated media campaign that will run throughout the year and will be backed by the local promotional power of Cars.com's affiliate network, which includes hundreds of leading newspapers, TV stations and their websites.

Since Cars.com launched its first national media campaign in May 2004, the company has continued to set records in the number of monthly unique visitors to the site. Today, more than 10 million people visit Cars.com each month.

"Cars.com’s media campaigns have always been about reaching high-quality, ready-to-buy customers and delivering them, ultimately, to our dealer partners," Golub said. “As we roll out our national media campaign for 2009, we will continue to drive recognition of the Cars.com brand and further establish the site as a leading car shopping destination so, as consumers begin looking for a new car, Cars.com is top of mind.”
About Cars.com
Cars.com is the leading destination for online car shoppers, offering credible, easy-to-understand information from consumers and experts to help buyers formulate opinions on what to buy, where to buy and how much to pay for a car. With comprehensive pricing information, side-by-side comparison tools, photo galleries, videos, unbiased editorial content and a large selection of new- and used-car inventory, Cars.com puts millions of car buyers in control of their shopping process with the information they need to make confident buying decisions.

Launched in June 1998, Cars.com is a division of Classified Ventures, LLC, which is owned by leading media companies, including Belo (NYSE: BLC), Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI), Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO).

Atlanta Journal-Constitution Pits Kia Amanti Against...The Pontiac G8?!

Andrew Stoy — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:20:00 EDT

Since the Atlanta Journal-Constitution isn't exactly known for its automotive coverage, we shouldn't have been surprised to find this apples-to-mangoes comparison between the Kia Amanti and the Pontiac G8 gracing its pages. We probably also shouldn't have been surprised to discover the AJC called the competition in favor of the, ahem, uniquely styled Korean sedan. The sparse, Consumer Reports-style review (except without, you know, anything of real use) appears to glance at most of the facets of vehicle performance without actually looking in-depth at any of them, and was written by someone who seems completely bored with the assignment. The result is a car with styling "reminiscent of the Soviet bloc" winning the competition while the G8 takes second place. Maybe stick with reporting on the Dawgs, water shortages and gas lines, guys. [AJC]

Bob Lutz On Colbert Report, Claims Chevy Volt Will Get You Laid

Ray Wert — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 02:58:45 EDT

GM product czar and vice-chairman "Maximum" Bob Lutz took his battle for the General to The Colbert Report this evening, and he took some serious hits from the man all about the truthiness. Despite the knocking, he managed to give a couple right back. But of all the instant classic moments of this interview, it's the point in which Lutz tells Stephen Colbert the just-revealed Chevy Volt can get you laid when we officially moved GM's #2 man from the position of "hero" up to the position of "father of our children" on our man-love chart. We won't spoil anything else — click the image up top to play the video.

GM Fires Next Salvo In PR Wars With "GM Facts And Fiction" Website

Andrew Stoy — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:20:00 EDT

General Motors, taking a page from the Bush administration's "Setting The Record Straight" communications, has gone live with a website called "GM Facts And Fiction" designed to directly address criticism levied against the company. A quick glance at the site, located at gmfactsandfiction.com, indicates that the main topic of PR concern for the General right now is whether they're asking for a government bailout or not. That's not all, though: The site doesn't pull punches, incorporating "myth" topics with titles like "GM Still Doesn't Make Cars People Want To Buy" and "GM's Biggest Problem In North America Is Its Union Contracts." Some of our favorite facts and fiction after the jump.

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: We love us some pushback, even if it is filtered through the mind-numbing, creativity-sapping lenses of corporate PR and legal departments. It reads sort of like a GM Fastlane blog for the general public; if the folks in charge can answer real questions with straight answers, and not dumb them down to meaninglessness in order to appease every possible visitor, we applaud GM's move. If they make it another "We value your opinion. Here are 12 sentences of vaguely related marketingspeak that are mainly bullshit but somehow made it through legal," then it could do more harm than good. Either way, we'll be watching closely.

The Volt Is Vaporware
There are dozens of companies around the world promising a practical electric vehicle in the near future. While we can’t comment on the efforts of others, we can assure you, the Volt is for real.

On June 3, GM announced that production funding for the Volt had been approved, and that GM’s Detroit Hamtramck plant has been selected as the assembly plant, pending government approvals.

Meanwhile, development of both the car and its lithium-ion batteries continues apace. For the latest information, please see our Volt website.

The Chevy Volt is a revolutionary product, and as such, it demands maximum effort from everyone involved. But we are on target to start production toward the end of 2010, and excited about the potential for the Volt.

GM Can't Compete
GM competes head to head with the best global carmakers in every major market except Japan, which is effectively closed to non-Japanese companies. And we do quite well, thank you. We are on track to sell more than 9 million vehicles globally for the fourth year running, and we are setting sales records in our three regions outside of North America.

In North America, our new vehicles have been consistent award winners, and they continue to win over customers in a very tough market.

GM is one of a handful of companies with the resources to truly reinvent the automobile. Whether it is advanced internal combustion engines, biofuels, hybrids, fuel cells, or electrically driven vehicles like the Chevy Volt, GM is committed to being a global leader in advanced propulsion, which will reshape the auto industry during its second century.

[gmfactsandfiction.com via Detroit News; Photo Credit: TTAC]

Vanity Fair Introduces "Stick Shift: The Gay Car Blog"

Andrew Stoy — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:00:00 EDT

New to the annals of automotive blogging comes "Stick Shift," a weekly column at Vanity Fair's online world dedicated to the unique needs of gay car enthusiasts. Lest you think the subject matter will consist solely of New Beetles and Miatas, writer Brett Berk assures us he's a genuine Motor City native intent on moving away from the cliche and exploring the bigger car questions still unresolved for the LBGT community.

You know, like:

"we'll focus on the obscure and the ambiguous: cars that emit the subtle semiotic signals that register on my GayCarDar. In addition to ID-ing individual Homotivators, we'll run comparison features ("Which Car is Gayer"), perform outings ("Closet Case Cars") or answer burning questions ("How Do Gay Guys Keep Their Cars So Clean?"). And while we will, by necessity, trade in stereotypes, we wish to remind readers that it's all meant in fun."

His words folks, not ours...not that there's anything wrong with them. [Vanity Fair]

Toyota Corporate Blog Urges You To Buy A Toyota, Then Ride Your Bike

Andrew Stoy — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:40:00 EDT

Toyota is taking an unusual step on their Open Road corporate blog by promoting the idea of driving less. At first glance, this would seem oxymoronic, but Toyota is careful not to say "don't buy a Tundra." They're just saying that once you do buy a Tundra, you should leave it parked in your driveway for special occasions and hoof it everywhere else. The PR folks at Open Road also offer some suggestions in case you actually have to drive your new Toyota, like avoiding drive-throughs (Prius owners with engine shut-off are excepted of course) and turning off the engine at red lights. After all, "Idling is bad." Umkay. So what to make of this unconventional strategy?

We sort of actually admire what Toyota is trying to do here, and we don't disagree with some of their suggestions. But the whole exercise reeks of marketing. The thing is, in this age where "going green" is the flavor of the day, they're marketing better than the competition.

Consider it like this: Toyota is promoting conservation strategies in a direct, forthright manner on its corporate blog at the same time Chrysler is offering to subsidize your conspicuous gasoline consumption. This, despite the fact that equivalently-equipped current Toyota Tundra and Dodge Ram pickups get almost identical mileage (16 MPG combined vs. 15 MPG combined — although we hear the new 2009 Dodge Ram supposedly blows those numbers out of the water). But who's going to win the perception game in the era of $4-and-up gas? After all, perception is everything. [Open Road Blog]

GM's "Maximum" Bob Lutz Using Twitter, Giving Random Shout-Outs to Auto Journalists?

Ray Wert — Tue, 20 May 2008 07:35:00 EDT

GM's product czar Bob Lutz is now not only "Twittering", he's giving shout-outs to minor automotive journalists. Seriously. What do we think — inappropriate attempt at currying favor with low-hanging fruit or just something silly that shouldn't be happening? Either way, we're not sure someone like "Maximum" Bob should be doing anything called a "tweet." Ever. But hey, feel free to check out the Jalopnik Twitter account where we'll randomly give shout-outs to automotive executives. Also, we'll never call anything a "tweet." [GMBlogs on Twitter]

Brock Yates Leaves TTAC, Again

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 10:40:00 EST

We seriously like Brock Yates and we seriously like the idea of serious writers with a long history coming over to the digital side of automotive journalism. We're just waiting for someone to make the transition that will actually keep a job long enough for us to see how it works out. As you'll remember, Yates was fired from Car und Driver, then went to work for TTAC, then left TTAC, then was hired by TTAC, again. So what's happened next in the ongoing W2 saga? After just three columns, Yates is Fara-gone. The statement from the big boss man at the site all about the truth apparently Yates couldn't handle (or maybe the truth couldn't handle Yates?) below the jump.

After three columns, The Truth About Cars and former Car and Driver columnist Brock Yates have decided to call it a day. I emerge from our agreement with my respect for Mr. Yates' enormous talent, insight, charm and perspicacity intact. Brock's reputation is, was and will be well-deserved. TTAC hopes that he finds a suitable electronic forum for his work soon, so that his many fans can continue to enjoy his wit and wisdom. It's been an honor.

Cool, whatever that means. [TTAC]

Brock Yates Joins TTAC Full-Time, Welcome To The Interwebs

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST

Though it's been a while since Brock Yates was fully canned from Car & Driver, and there was talk of him joining the interwebs many moons ago, nothing ever materialized. But now we're happy to say that Brock Yates will officially be joining the League of Extraordinary Automotive Bloggers at The Truth About Cars.

Yates starts off with a bang, tackling the issues of congestion, the environment, urban sprawl and Csabe Scere letting him go. It's worth a read and, hopefully, is just the beginning. [The Truth About Cars]

Truck Trend Admits to Hummer H3T Embargo Screw-Up

Ray Wert — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:00:00 EST

One of the big buff mag boys over at the House of Trend is showing some remorse over the Motor Trend empire's embargo-breaking for fun and profit. Mark Williams, chief truck-lover over at Truck Trend, is manning up to "accidentally" publishing their latest issue ten days early and revealing the new Hummer H3T a week and a half early (though curiously forgetting to apologize to Suzuki over the new Suzuki Equator embargo blunder). Mark says "...it looks like we were the ones who screwed up the whole thing...and no doubt the subject of a few heated conversations at General Motors..."

Curiously, Mark forgets his magazine landed not only in subscribers hands, but also on newsstands ten days early. But his warm and folksy explanation for it (something about two people giving it to two people who gave it to two people who had nothing to do with two people buying it at newsstands on diametrically opposite sides of the country) leaves us feeling like he's just a simple country boy who doesn't understand the series of tubes that are the interwebs. But that lack-of-understanding falls as flat as his attempt to pivot Truck Trend into the populist position of "little guy" to the blogosphere's "big boys" (Dude, you're a magazine — printed on paper with ink. Your tagline is "The Pickup and SUV Authority" and we bet you've got an office with a desk and a door and a real chair! Have we mentioned how much our backs hurt?).

But we'll not quibble with such trivial details. Instead, we're just happy we've been officially vindicated as the "embargo breakers" of automotive media. But one thing's certain for us after reading Mark's commentary — this buff mag addiction to embargoes is in dire need of a 12-step program. Luckily, Motor Trend has a long-haired leader with more journalistic integrity in his little finger than we've got in our entire bodies. We're sure he'll be the first to man up and make a call to action for his magazine going cold turkey. Remember, the first step is admitting you have a problem. In fact, we're already refreshing Motor Trend's blog, anxiously awaiting an opus from Angus Mackenzie following in lock-step with our arguments we've already made on the embargo issue and the anti-embargo comments made by AutoWeek's Dutch Mandel. Yup, any minute now — click, click, click, click... [Truck Trend]

Edmunds Inside Line joins the anti-embargo ...

Ray Wert — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:50:00 EST

Edmunds Inside Line joins the anti-embargo fight on the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8. Go Line on the Inside! [Edmunds Inside Line]

The Post Whereby We Welcome AutoWeek to the "Embargoes Suck" Bandwagon

Ray Wert — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 15:30:00 EST

Yes, it's official, Auto Week hates embargoes as much as those of us here in the automotive blogosphere despise them. In an editorial written in the wake of the silliness that was Chrysler's embargo strategy on the 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 reveal for the Chicago Auto Show, Dutch Mandel, the hard-charging editor of AutoWeek, echoes our pleas from last week. Quick summary: The auto industry needs to let the embargoes go and bring the "show" back to auto shows. We welcome Dutch & Co. to the trenches — they've got themselves a seat here next to us. Heck, we've even got room for guys like Marty Padgett over at The Car Connection. We're still waiting for others with the necessary intestinal fortitude to join the fight — but we think Motor Trend may not have the thick skin we once thought they had. Pity. [AutoWeek]

Motor Trend Gaming Google on the 2009 Corvette ZR1?

Ray Wert — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:45:00 EST

While covering the Barrett-Jackson auction this weekend, specifically the $1 million purchase of the first "retailable" 2009 Corvette ZR1, we did a quick Google search for the 2009 Corvette ZR1 in order to pull up our old story on the new super-Vette from the General. When the results came up, we noticed something rather odd. No, not Motor Trend being the first result — we mean, come on, they're Motor fuckin' Trend — the fact that Jalopnik is merely a step behind them says little about us and more about Motor Trend's inability to leverage their brand name on the internet — and about how low they've let their brand name go. But we digress. What was weird was that they've got their "exclusive" "scoop" on the ZR1 set up in the "roadtest" section of their site. What? Do they know something we don't? Was there some super-secret drive of the new ZR1 they partook in with Chevy? Our sources at Chevy say no. So what's the reason?

Perhaps the magazine all about the Trend in all-things Motor was merely trying to game the Google system. Basically, if someone does a search for something like "2009 corvette zr1 road test," in order to figure out if they want to buy a super car like the new 2009 Corvette ZR1, and to read about what an actual road test in Zee Really fast 1 would be like, they'd end up with Motor Trend right on top of the search results. This despite not actually having a road test for the prospective reader to read on the new 'vette. Not to smack them for it — just stating what we're seeing — or are we missing something here? [Google Search]

CNET Covers GM... Favorably?

Ben Wojdyla — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:45:00 EST

Looks like Rick Wagoner making nice at CES ended up being a smart move. The trip to the geekfest by GM's top man has led to gadget industry stalwart CNET giving GM some free press, and it's mostly favorable. CNET Executive Editor Charles Cooper comes close to damning GM with feint praise, but his article comes off as hopeful the General is actually turning the corner on tech and environmentalism. Pretty soon we'll be hearing how more companies should be like GM. Before you know it, exurbanites will be gushing about how environmentally friendly their Cadillac Escalade Hybid is (snicker). [CNET.com]

A Titan of a Giveaway: PickupTruck.com Wants You to Help Customize, Win Nissan Pickup

Ray Wert — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST

Our friends over at PickupTruck.com have one heck of a big giveaway. One could even say it's a Titan-ic giveaway if one was predisposed to puns. Luckily we're not. But, whether punny or not, they're giving away a 2008 Nissan Titan PRO-4X Crew Cab. Only if you're the winner then it's a little bit more than just a stock truck you'll be driving away with. The readers of the site will help by voting on a custom job for the Titan and the PickupTruck.com folks'll be doing a series of videos of the build. Once they're done ~~total screwing up a perfectly good truck~~ customizing the Titan from top to bottom, they'll give it away to one lucky reader. Want to be that reader? Then head on over and drop your name in the hat. [PickupTruck.com]

Scott Burgess of the Detroit News Wants to Have it All

bwojdyla — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 14:30:00 EST

Scott Burgess, the most cuddly of auto critics over at the Detroit News has come up with an interesting, one-man-focus-group pseudo-review of the best parts of cars this year. Deftly sidestepping the realities of engineering, Burgess asks for somebody, anybody to put parts of some of the most dissimilar cars around into a Frankenstein's monster of platform prostitution. Take the brain from Ford's Sync System and put it into an Audi R8 body, bring in a heart from GM (what?!) and eyes from Mercedes... okay that's where our body parts/car parts metaphor runs out, but it's still madness, madness we say! Mwah ha ha ha ha! We're totally loving the diabolicalness of it all.[detnews.com]

Random Blogger Explains Why PT Cruisers Should Be Purged From World

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 18:00:00 EST

While we're not quite so disinclined towards the little faux-retro econoboxes ourselves, a writer over at BrooWaha makes a fairly convincing case for the theory that the "PT Cruiser has murdered taste and massacred better judgement, all the while asphyxiating our culture's collective memory." Strong words for a car with such an uncertain future.

The author goes on to say:

Back to the problem. I promised I'd explain why the PT Cruiser is the mobile of death, and I intend to keep that solemn oath. So what do we have here? A car that was designed based on the subconscious desires of American rejects, that was marketed as a masterpiece of precision engineering, that was passed off as a retro-dreammachine by a naive past-its-prime automaker and that made a lot of people feel happy and young again. What's the big deal? Well I'd like to suggest that the big deal is the fact that the design of this car, and the level to which its target audience (intended or accidental) embraced its fantastically offensive appearance and ravenously gobbled up each and every one off of every lot in the first year after it was released, speaks to a general softening of our collective perception of aesthetics.

It's a fairly interesting argument, even if you don't fear the Merchants of Cool consumer sanitized future. [BrooWaha]

We were disappointed — we totally thought ...

Ray Wert — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 09:45:00 EST

We were disappointed — we totally thought Jerry Garrett of the New York Times would mention the potential for blizzards in Detroit during the LA Auto Show. [NYT]

Top Ten "Green" Automotive Sites

Ray Wert — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:45:00 EDT

In case anyone is interested, some ~~hack~~ writer wrote up a piece in today's copy of the New York Times listing the top ten "green" automotive sites. Jalopnik for some strange reason, wasn't listed. To this very moment, we still can't figure out why. OK, that's a lie — we know why. But we swear we had nothing to do with the headline — mostly because we all already know how I feel about one hypegasmic site after a particular transgression occurring after the piece had already been submitted. Oh, the graphic? What can we say — a couple of us here happen to be Spartans. [New York Times]

Congrats to the Detroit News for finally ...

Ray Wert — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 09:30:00 EDT

Congrats to the Detroit News for finally bringing their web site up to date — now we'll get to see Danny Howes and the whole Auto Insiders team in something approaching current html standards. Who are we kidding — have you seen what our code looks like? [Detroit News]

Climb Into A Lamborghini "Road Rocket" With CNBC's Phil LeBeau

Ray Wert — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:00:00 EDT

What with UAW negotiations, sales numbers and the boardroom-stocking going on over at "The New Chrysler," I feel like it's getting to be rare for us to see CNBC's auto blogging on-air talent Phil LeBeau actually get the chance to sit down and do some ride n' drives with one of the products he covers. So, when he gets the chance to play with a high-powered Italian stallion, we like to highlight the lovable LeBeau lovin' the seat time. So sit back and watch as LeBeau ~~takes a junket~~ spends some time in Italy driving a Lambo and touring the Lamborghini factory as he learns all about the bullish brand and where it has its fiery and angry eyes set on next. Hint: it's not just the upper-upper class of 'merica anymore — now it's the middle-upper class. Also, try not to point out how LeBeau's lazily handling the steering wheel like he's driving a Lincoln.

Scott Burgess Of The Detroit News Is A Complete D***

Ray Wert — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 15:45:00 EDT

So we were sitting at home a few weeks ago when we got a phone call from Scott Burgess of the Detroit News. We figured that he, as the auto critic for the paper, was calling to let us know he had some sweet auto action he was currently testing and wanted to rub our face in it from afar. Nope, that wasn't at all the case — he was actually calling to rub my blogger nose in it from a-close. Turns out he was standing right outside the apartment building in downtown Royal Oak where the Jalopnik Detroit bureau's located — happily showing off his "get" from the bull-headed auto gods to anyone passing by. Apparently they'll let anyone with ink on their fingers get seat time in a Lamborghini Murcielago. Despite the fact he's a punk for the nose-thumbin' — please head over there and check out his review — he worked really hard on it. Seriously, we think he worked all of thirty minutes on it and come on, he mentions Paris Hilton in the first line. [Detroit News] Attention: The following post was sarcasm. Scott is a good writer. Read his reviews. Seriously.

Who knew the only goal in life for Autoblog's ...

Ray Wert — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:00:00 EDT

Who knew the only goal in life for Autoblog's John Neff was to be "the web's premiere auto blogging ninja?" We're wondering whether there's blogging in mediums other than the web that maybe we could be the "premiere auto blogging ninja" in. [Autoblog]

The General's looking for your thoughts on ...

Ray Wert — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 07:50:00 EDT

The General's looking for your thoughts on a "blog strategy" — anyone have any ideas for the folks in the Detroit phallic tower o' power that is the RenCen? [GM Fastlane Blog]

There's a site that's "a hipper, more flippant ...

Ray Wert — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 10:01:00 EDT

There's a site that's "a hipper, more flippant approach to the auto industry" than Sweet Peet's AutoExtremist? Who knew? [NPR]

A Jalopnik Field Trip: Every Day Is A Winding Road, We Get A Little Claustrophobic

Ray Wert — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 16:49:14 EDT

Well, one of us here in the Great Lakes State is in the midst of a quick two day jaunt out to Ann Arbor, the far left of center automotive universe. Since we were out here, we decided we'd check in on a fellow auto blogger and see how he's doing in his new digs at the Road which endlessly is Winding. Chris Paukert, formerly of the autoblog which must not be named, has been beknighted by David E. Davis as the new blogmaster (which sounds even more dorky than dungeonmaster or even the newer webmaster) over at David E. Davis' online-only magazine of motor vehicles. We met up with the boys (and girl) who work it hard in the bullpen over at the ever-Winding Road-way at the Ann Arbor campus-side eatery by the name of "Jerk Pit" (whoever thought of naming a restaurant after our favorite sport gets a jerky smelling right-handed thumbs up from us) and then...

...from there we followed them over to their offices (who woulda thunk it, blogging from an office — we shudder, but whatevs). Lucky for us, everyone's so nice and friendly over here at Winding Road — it almost makes us forget the horrible claustrophobic feeling we felt seeing those Steelcase-like cubicle walls. Fear not, we'll be leaving shortly — before we start to want to ask folks for TPS reports or snatch someone's red stapler, and inadvertantly causing a conflagaration of epic proportions.

The Winding Road Blog

Related:
More Blogging The Auto Bloggers [internal]

Blogging The Auto Bloggers: With Wiley Gone Like A Coyote, What Will Become Of GM's Blog Empire?

Ray Wert — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 12:46:06 EDT

All the attention from the quote on blogging in the Detroit News yesterday must have gotten to Mike Wiley, GM's Director of New Media — word is, he's departing the General, mommy-blogging wifey and kids in tow, and leaving the wilds of Toledo, Ohio to work for big-time PR firm Edelman in Chicago. So that's interesting — where does that leave the General's two misbegotten blog step-children, the FYI and FastLane blogs?

Well, we've heard that...

...Troy and Ann Arbor-based PR firm Hass MS&L staff, who've already been doing the majority of the work on the two sites will be continuing in that capacity — but as for who they'll be reporting to, we hear for the time being it's Bill Betts, the General's communications web services manager. Long-term, we've no clue — and we're guessing the General doesn't know either. But we're hoping it'll be someone who can beat the rather anemic performance of the Fastlane so far — "daily readership of 4,000 to 5,000 per day" - please...in GM's wet dreams!

Secondly, we've always kind of been concerned about the General's strategy in the blogosphere — starting with the creation of the FastLane and then a blog all about Chevy small-block heritage (what?), then the cancellation of the small-block blog and most recently the creation of the FYI blog. WTF! Can we get some kind of an explanation of what the strategy is here? We're starting to feel like GM can't get their shit together in the new media space because they're all too busy arguing with each other in the back rooms of the RenCen.

Which is why whoever next has Wiley's job has to not only talk adventurous about the interwebs, as we hear Wiley was all about, but be adventurous on the interwebs (to snag the traffic, baby). And that means content and it means speed (as one of the area's top PR pros said earlier today, "they succeed or fail based on their ability to get information faster than the big guys"). But that's not the only thing. While they're doing all that, at the same time they've got to be working out some kind of long-term strategy that doesn't involve creating a new site every other day and saying to hell with posting for weeks on end because one guy takes a vacation.

Blogger nation [Detroit News]

GM's FastLane Blog, We Knew You Well?

Ray Wert — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 13:27:02 EDT

Has anyone been over to GM's FastLane blog recently? Yeah, we haven't either. So we took a quick little jog over there today and lo' an' behold — it looks like Maximum Bob Lutz hasn't been either — the last posts were podcasts from June 27th and 28th . So that's 15 days since the last post, and there was a nine day gap since the ones before that. We feel like they're like kids on MySpace, and just losing interest in their blog. Anyone know what Maximum Bob's been up to recently? Just as importantly — what's going on in the FastLane?

Fastlane Blog [GM]

Related:
More on life in the FastLane [internal]

FYI: GM's Expansive Blog Empire

Ray Wert — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 09:03:34 EDT

GM's added a new site to their growing blog-empire. The new site, FYI, joins the Fastlane blog and the now-defunct Smallblock blog. Rather than do it ourselves, we'll let Mike Wiley, GM's Director of New Media, describe why this new entry into the blogosphere is necessary — then just for fun, find out how we've translated his "PR-speak" after the jump:

"Welcome to our new blog! For those of you familiar with the FastLane Blog, the FYI Blog is a slight departure. While we are certainly happy with the conversation that the FastLane has created, for the most part, it has been the exclusive domain of some of our most senior executives, particularly Bob Lutz (most of us even call it Bob's Blog). Over the last few months...

...we decided that we could add another blog to our portfolio; and that it could be even more grassroots, providing an opportunity for all GM employees to contribute in one way or another.Our hope is that this will be an effective way to spread the conversation about GM; that we can continue to get better at listening and maintaining the dialogue, and ultimately, create products and services that not only meet your needs but are truly the best.
The FYI Blog will highlight the positive developments that occur at GM on a daily basis, though we won't shy away from controversy. Things that most of us would otherwise never hear about. Whereas the FastLane Blog usually gets new entries once or twice a week, the FYI blog aspires to be much more active. Expect to see at least a daily post, written by people throughout the organization. Here are the categories of information that the blog will feature:

* Cool Stuff - Stories about innovations; product, technology, facilities and manufacturing
* Our People - Profiles of GM employees and their unique jobs, careers, etc.
* News - Good News stories, including items that you may otherwise never hear about
* Opinions - GM op/ed pieces intended to shed light on issues in the news
* Guest Voices - Blog entries written by third parties who are not GM employees

We hope you enjoy participating in this new blog and we look forward to hearing from you."

Our Translation:

"Can't...shut...Lutz...up. Need...new...alt...media...outlet..."

For Your Information [FYI Blog]

Blogging The Auto Bloggers: Chrysler's Firehouse Corplog

Ray Wert — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 23:50:57 EST

In the first of our series on "Blogging The Auto Bloggers," Wert's live and on fire from the 12th floor of the DaimlerChrysler tech center in Auburn Hills. He's talkin' to Ed Garsten, Editorial Director of TheFireHouse.biz, The Chrysler Group Media Blog, about corporate blogging and the relationship between independent blogs and automakers' press offices.

The Firehouse (sub. req.) [DaimlerChrysler]

Related:
Adventures in Peoplemoving [internal]