What we find particularly amusing about this clip is the question "Would you pay $3,000 for better fuel economy?" Well, that answer has been proven over and over again as yes, with the Prius, Insight, Civic hybrid, etc. You most certainly pay a premium for those hybrids in order to get higher fuel economy. However, there's a level of status from the eco-green movement that comes with buying those badged bi-powered cars.

The better question is: are people willing to pay for better fuel economy in the rip-snorting 300-plus HP range without the pretty hybrid badging? Will the public buy into a turbo V6 replacing a V8, getting the same power and better fuel economy? Questions like those are, apparently, best answered by looking at the cupholders.

That aux-in jack that can be found in every GM product is the same aux-in jack you'll find in every Toyota product. But more to the point of supposed technological superiority — find me a Toyota or Honda-branded vehicle with a plug-in-play system that works as effortlessly as Ford's Sync system.

Tell you what — Kneale can send us an e-mail (ray-at-jalopnik-dot-com) and we'll stop by Englewood Cliffs in a fully-optioned Toyota Camry hybrid and a similarly-equipped Ford Fusion hybrid and you can tell me which one is more technologically advanced. Hell, we could show up in a Sync-equipped Ford Focus and it'd kick the Camry's ass in techie goodness. So until Kneale learns a bit more about what equipment comes in what model, we'd suggest he stick to doing what he does best — blathering on about things that aren't cars. We'd suggest perhaps maybe class warfare. See the full clip below:

This isn't the last time we'll see the E7 on the news, as they tell us it's coming to a disaster near you in 2012. But, they do make mention of some of the neat trick equipment on-board and show why we really hope (or maybe don't hope, depending on how we look at it), this police cruiser makes it into production.

Ray claims the reason he shouted out Kudlow's last name in the segment was to subtly remind Larry of his first name. All we know is we'd like to note Wert is the chillest person on CNBC today — and he even made two strong points:

1.) At sub-$2 per share, the market's already priced in the news.

2.) The Obama Administration needs to decide whether having a homegrown auto industry is important and if it is, they're going to need to pay through the nose to have it.

Well, whatever, the video's below:

[via CNBC]

First, check out the clip from the documentary here (sorry, the Hulu embed wasn't working right), then come back to read through our sequential ordering of how the sub-prime mortgage crisis and the Carpocalypse actually occurred to see the link:

• Daniel Sadek owned Quick Loan Funding, a company providing mortgages to un-creditworthy buyers, exploding the sub-prime mortgage market to epic proportions.
• Sadek's company makes a lot of money through something called "Asset Securitization," whereby sub-primes are bundled up, repackaged and sold at credit ratings higher than the underlying mortgage credit worthiness as either "Mortgage Backed Securities" (MBS) or "Collateralized Debt Obligations" (CDOs).
• Sadek sinks profits into Redline movie, even letting Griffin crash Sadek's Enzo to promote it.
• Major banks and financial institutions that had borrowed and invested heavily in MBS and CDOs to re-purpose Sadek's mortgages face liquidity and solvency issues due to defaults of underlying mortgages within the securities.
• Banks stop loaning people money for buying cars because they're afraid they'll face a liquidity crisis.
• No loans means a "credit crunch" and thus, the Carpocalypse.

What do you mean our internal link scenario is highly dubious? It's so obvious. Just use the Commutative Property of mathematics and we swear it works — it's all Eddie Griffin's fault.

[CNBC via Hulu]

Time to enjoy the Official Car Pundit Drinking Game.

LeBeau, and most industry pundits claim we'll see the following from the General:

• The automaker is seeking $1 billion in cost cuts on the salary side (including blue and white collar cuts).
• There could be up to four plant closings.
• As we've already reported, Saturn probably will see its throat cut. Expect Hummer and Saab to follow Saturn into the light without another long-term solution.

And from Chrysler:

• Two plans are being prepared.
• The first plan would be a "stand-alone" plan making the case for another $3 billion in federal funding.
• The second plan is an "alliance" plan with Fiat. This plan will probably also make the case for another $3 billion in federal funding.

So basically, Chrysler will again be showing a coloring book-like "plan" from their take-home homework. [via CNBC]