High on our list would be the Chevy Volt, because we're curious how far along it is. We'd also like to try our hands at a Phaeton, which was designed to take the worst kind of punishment imaginable for a road car. We'd want to drive, but we'd definitely invite the Lutz along for some Aussie-style hooning in the Pontiac G8 ST. And just for Lutz Lolz, we'd like to see how long it would take to rip apart the new Fiesta on the road surface course adjacent to the high speed ring.

Maybe if you impress "Maximum" Bob with your choice and he's reading, he'll take you for a romantic ride in his plane. So hop to it — what would you like to send around his ring?

There's also a variation of this, the My Mother The Car-paradigm, which involves a car becoming possessed with the soul of another. Here are two of our ideas to get you started:

Slices
Tom Cruise has a Chevy Cobalt and delivers pizza by day, but by night he's a courier for a secret government agency

Picking Up
Tina Fey is a liberal congresswoman who inherits a Ford F-350 from her great uncle. His soul is trapped in the truck and he teaches her about Southern culture.

We're sure all of you, with your devious and creative minds, can come up with something better.

The ad certainly fits the company - a secondhand BMW would have had a few pricks inside.

For the social driver, a 2+2 offers the chance to kindly offer a ride to two more friends, though the lack of space means they'll almost certainly not take you up on it. Examples range from the cute MGB-GT to the sexy Lamborghini Urraco.

Some would include the Maserati Gran Turismo S, but we think that's on the GT side of the 2+2/GT divide. If an adult can survive more than one hour in the backseat it's probably a GT. It goes without saying that it'll be hard to top the Subaru Brat, which is the only Camino-ized 2+2. But what's the best?

[Photo: Lambo Blog]

The 2009 Skoda Superb could be a good option — offering style, space and that great twin-door storage system. Although we've still some concerns on the quality of the crash protection it affords. Ford is considering the Transit Connect for cab service, and with good reason — like the Element, it's got a spray-and-wash interior and provides the ultimate in modular ability.

Of course, maybe no car quite matches up to your specific needs. Maybe you need to make your own. Though the Signature Manhattan Taxi may never see service as a yellow and checkered chariot, it's hard not to respect the functionality of it. So we repeat, what car is your ideal cab? The corollary of course being that if there isn't one, how would you design an ideal cab?

Ray's orange Challenger looks pretty sharp, but it's not exactly a "new" design. We have a theory about this. In between big automotive design revolutions companies have to come out with "new" models so they get "new" upgrades, which is some variation of changing the shape of the fog lights and adding a new crease somewhere. In this case, there are so many lines on the cars already that adding more just makes them look stranger. Or maybe we're taking the narrow view. Maybe cars in general are getting better and we're just picking out a few. Maybe you think they are better looking. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder so, what do you behold? Are cars getting uglier?

With the Plymouth brand dead, there's totally an opportunity for a Chrysler version of the Challenger. Chrysler Road Runner anyone? The Pontiac Firebird is an obvious choice and, given that Pontiac still exists, a RWD V8-powered muscle car seems like a good fit for the brand. There are so many muscle cars and muscle car variations from back in the day, which one should rise like a Phoenix from the ashes to burn rubber?

Given the stories some of you have told about your current and former rides, it's clear safety isn't the primary concern, but it's up there somewhere. Some of you have families. Some of you have dreams. Some of you still haven't seen Paris. What's the tipping point? How much straw before the camel's back is broken and you're afraid you're going to follow its example?

Some of you may have already adjusted your driving habits to save dino juice. Some of you may not care. What about a graduated speed limit that would allow more efficient vehicles to travel faster than vehicles that don't perform as well? Is this the evil federal gubment interfering in our bidness? Is this a step in the right direction? Weigh in below.

Not to mention, American cars are unpretentious, affordable and come with at least 15,000 cupholders per car. You can live in an American car. And not to get all jingoistic, but American cars are also American. Who else can say that? The big three aren't always the brightest three, but there's no substitute for American ingenuity. What makes you proud to buy American cars, assuming that you are proud? And if you're not proud, we guess you can go play soccer and drink tea with milk in it or some crap.

Should it be Chrysler? GM? Toyota? Porsche? You decide. Which automaker would you vote off the island?

So let's see 'em ladies and gentleman. How fast were you going when you got your fastest speeding ticket?

Apparently less than seven bucks. But, searching for it helped me to come up with today's question of the day. What's your favorite dealer brochure? Better than just answering the question — give us a link to a scan or an eBay auction for it. We may take the best responses and create one of our Jalopnik patent-pending top ten lists out of them.

But what about Denzel Washington's Monte Carlo in Training Day? That is one fly office. What are the important factors in a car-based office? Technology? Space? Speed? Look? A seriously teched-out Phaeton is both sleek, powerful, roomy and professional. Hey, it worked in Spook Country. What car is your ideal office and what would you do to it?

We're obviously big fans of the Sultan of Brunei's garage, with the Aston Martin wagons, Ferrari wagons... Bentley wagons. But since there are so many ways to be obnoxiously wealthy, what would you do?

Certainly, the oil companies and speculators are the ones who have benefited in this scenario, and are the ones painted as the villains. The heroes are vehicles like the F-150 besting Civic, which sips gas and, therefore, sells well. In the Die Hard universe, owners of fuel efficient beaters would have gotten together with oil companies to drive up the price of the Metro XFi. That's probably not the case. But with news of Toyota missing targets the question must be asked: who, if anyone, will come out on top because of this?

The article poses a few reasons, including things we've reported like supply-chain problems and the fact that the Aveo Sucks, but what of the Pontiac G5? Is it merely marketing, as AutoNews posits, or is something more insidious at work here? Are most small cars just too lame? Is the Civic just too good and the lure of SYNC-equipped Foci so great that other small cars are off-the-table in comparison? [Automotive News, Sub. Req.]

Certainly, contractors and those who spend significant time towing will want a sturdier vehicle for their hauling and work. Right? What about SUV's? People seem to be more inclined to buy the Ford Edge, something being reflected in Ford's decision to reconfigure production for higher CUV capacities. Will the Ford Expedition be profitable enough to build in the future? Be the prognosticators. What will happen in 2012?

We got to talking 'round here in the Detroit office about what kind of other "delete options" automakers should be offering. Ben wants a stripper model available of like every car imaginable. Andy has a penchant for family-hauling death traps — you know, like a short-wheelbase Town & Country without ABS brakes. And me? I wished that I'd had the option of deleting the trunk CD changer from every Jeep product I ever spent time behind the wheel of. But what about you? What's your one check box you wish you could have dropped a mark on? Fair warning — we may take the best responses and put them together in one of our "award-winning" top-whatever lists.

The average Jalopnik reader/commenter/lurker tends to want a diesel-powered Kei car or a veggie-powered matte black El Camino. As much as we'd like a wagon version of the Lotus Exige GT3, we're probably not going to see one anytime soon. But that's not all we want. Sometimes we just want a little less weight, or a little more power. Is a manual transmission too much to ask for?

Though, maybe we're looking at it wrong. Maybe we're the tastemakers. We're finally getting a C1-based Focus and el Fiesta from Ford after years of pleading. We're getting the Pontiac G8 Sport Truck of our dreams. We've been unimpressed by the glut of SUVs, CUVs and Whatever-UVs on the market for years and now their sales are slumping. Sure, you could explain that away with gas prices, but maybe America is just coming around to our way of thinking? Or is following our suggestions a path to inevitable destruction?

And what about modified vehicles? If you could boost the output of the Nano to just 40 horsepower you'd be looking at just $63 per horsepower. These are all our quick calculations based on what comes to mind. What's the best deal in production cars? What's the best deal in modified vehicles? Go forth and multiply (well, divide). The more proof for your proof, the better, as we may feature the ten best finds in a later post.

See, we have high hopes for the show, given that the current BBC version is pretty much the best broadcast anywhere in the world. We also have grave concerns, given American networks' history of eviscerating imported program ideas in an effort to tweak them for "our unique tastes." So, what say you: Will Top Gear USA succeed?

Obviously, a show's hosts and the related chemistry are a huge part of success or failure. To that end, the announcement of Adam Carolla and Eric Stromer as co-hosts makes us even more wary. On the other hand, stunt driver Tanner Foust, the third host, sounds like a potential winner. If the three can play off each other just right, and they're able to work in enough killer car footage despite our litigious society, Top Gear USA could be a winner. Or not.

Personally, we like what Ford is doing with EcoBoost by combining turbocharging and direct-injection to get more power out of smaller engines. While we wait for those cars to start arriving at dealerships, it's worth asking if every vehicle in the garage needs to be the fastest. We're not saying trade down to a fuel-efficient beater, but maybe four cylinders instead of six? Or is that blasphemy?

But there are some cars that are perhaps worse, though less known. You wouldn't want to get rear-ended in a certain generation of Ford Police Interceptor, and you wouldn't want to be the passenger in a beaten-up Hertz Mustang in the hands of the inexperienced. What car do you consider to be the quickest path to cashing in your life insurance?

What would you part with to save fuel? What have you parted with to save on fuel? Conversely, what would you never hit the road without? Be creative, maybe there's something we've all been driving around with we don't need.

What about the Volvo Tandem Car, strange or just strangely practical? Or the Rinspeed Glass Car? It's hard to top the Firebird XP-21 and other derivatives as they feature both rocket power and rocket ship design. This all just off the top of our heads, though. What do you consider to be the strangest concept car of all time?

This begs the question: Are current gas prices starting to seriously alter your driving habits? Worse, is fuel starting to cut into your regular income in a way that means balancing the checkbook now requires a graphing calculator, grad student and Ouija Board?

Do you like to watch? Do you like to play? Better from home or better from the side of the road? What makes you feel cool when it starts to feel hot?

This follows Consumer Reports noting Ford improving and Toyota declining in reliability, and we'll have more news today about American companies catching up with the Japanese.

So this leads to the obvious question: who is moving? Are American cars merely catching up with the Japanese? Are the Japanese getting worse? Are both getting better but American cars are getting better faster? Or is it just that our expectations for American cars are a little low? [Photo: StangBangers]

Or maybe rather than killing Buick, you like Buick as it is? We can't imagine why — although who knows, maybe you get excited at the thought of an Enclave? Or do you want to relive the magic with a Buick Riviera Gran Sport that's actually... you know... sporty? Where does the future lie? What platforms? What style? You are the product planner. Are you a bad enough dude to save Ronny Lutz? (Hat tip to Sean!)

Given all that's happening, are we entering a new Malaise Era? Ford is planning to downsize its engines and replace them with EcoBoost technology. Is this the beginning of the end of the horsepower wars? Will fast cars only be for the wealthy? Is the new Mustang going to be the Mustang II? Someone talk us down.

Wrong. At least that's what we think. We're the country that turned our wagons into drag strippers and ghost busters. Clearly we can complete with the likes of Benzies and Bimmers. With gas prices going up, maybe the days of the luxury SUV are numbered and the luxowagon will take it place. Or are we just dreaming?

We're also partial to the Mustang II. A Pinto-based Mustang? Great idea. And don't forget about all the non-car products that Travis follows in the Auto Branding Adventures. There are countless examples but our question is, what's the worst?

Got my rearview attached with some duct tape/ Keep yo' knee right there! I'm tryinta keep that glove compartment closed playa/ The seatbelt don't work just tie it round your waist/ If you crash through the window, just cover your face/The radio gets one station on AM/it's Chinese but if you listen you could catch what they sayin

Specifically, an old friend and his array of trashed out beaters, which were always so covered in fast food wrappers, slime and cigarette ashes that passengers were encouraged to bring their own towels with them for long drives. How no one ever died in one of those cars is beyond me, but we're happy that he's living in New York where he can travel in the relatively sanitary subway cars. Anyone ride in the vagina bike taxi? It looks clean, but you can't be sure without running a blacklight over it. What's the most disgusting car you've ever driven in or, bonus points, currently own?

I tend to think that the inverse is more intuitive for those used to driving a manual, but I may be in the minority there. We could agree, however, that transmissions that include the paddles/buttons on the steering wheel should be oriented laterally (left/right) as opposed to forward/back. Wes ran into this problem with the 2009 BMW X6, which required pushing or pulling with no regard for horizontal layout, causing much confusion. Which is right? Why is Wes wrong? Why am I wrong? Why, why, why, why, why!?!

When we asked you if Ford's sister-brand Merucry should be spared the axe it was a common refrain that, like Pontiac, it should be a place for European/Australian Fords. Though we're generally in the "bring'em over" camp, our Canadian friend Acidic makes a good point:

As far as bringing all the Euro product over and selling it as Mercury; sounds great on paper (or blog I guess in this case) but when it really comes down to it Ford is 'I am Dave' and Lincoln is 'I am Dave's more successful brother, Phil.' I honestly don't like bringing in 'I am Dave's flamboyant middle-aged cousin Alexander' is going to do to much to help out the family that is FoMoCo.

Bring the Euro Fords over as Fords. Let Mercury either die or turn it into a mid-market performance brand. Let Lincoln take on the likes of Cadillac, Lexus, Infiniti, and a couple of the others. But, re-badging a Ford S-MAX to a Mercury Upscale Soccer Mom is, in my opinion, a disgrace to the Euro product.

Ford's plan to make Mercury the Ford for younger, successful women doesn't seem to be panning out. The last somewhat unique model the brand had was the Mercury Marauder which, you know, wasn't quite for the ladies and was really just a Crown Vic. Fellas, ladies, what do you think?