Straightline

You know something is up when the CEO of a Big Three or Big Two-and-a-half or Big whatever-we-call-it-now goes out and actually spends time on a dealer's showroom floor moving the metal, so let's saddle up and head out on this week's drive around the auto blog block.

The CEO was Ford's Alan Mullaly who, according to Automotive News, helped sell three or four cars at Village Ford in Dearborn. I just wonder if the UPS were confused when Mullaly told them they could equip their new Fusion with either Pratt & Whitney or Rolls Royce turbofans producing 40,000 lbs of thrust .... oops,  wrong industry. Automotive News requires a subscription, but Autoblog has the link.

It's Martinsville weekend for NASCAR and Full Throttle predicts a win by ..... Ken Schrader. Well, at least  if it happens it'll be the funniest victory lane scene seen in a long time.

E.L. Eversman at AutoMuse recommends AutoRepairLegal.com should you have a question about the repair laws in your state. Hey, ole E.L. is no slouch when it comes to the law.

Over at Kicking Tires, copy editor Beth Palmer was less than impressed with the Dodge Nitro: "I’ve never driven a car that was so ill-suited for my 5-foot-3 frame. The high beltline translated into abysmal sightlines ..." Sounds like Beth got the short end of that deal.

You will either laugh or cry when you read Jackie's tale of woe over at My Honest Mechanic. Somebody saw poor Jackie coming.

Don't know about you but I could play this Shell commercial over and over and over .... nothing sounds so good as a mid/late-60s Ferrari F1. Top Speed's Joseph DeLucca says his favorite is when the open wheeler blows by the 612 and sets off the alarm. What is it about the sound of a V-12 at 10,000 rpm that is so incredibly exhilirating?

Mullaly may have helped sell some cars but then his troops come up with a name like Flex. I'm as flummoxed by that name as is Peter DeLorenzo at Auto Extremist.

My man Robert Farago at The Truth About Cars said this about the Caddy XLR-V: "The XLR-V’s creased fiberglass strikes the perfect balance between edgy
aggression and proportional elegance. The model-specific hood strakes
and wire mesh grill add welcome wickedness to a minimalist masterpiece." Unfortunately for Caddy, it was downhill the rest of the way.

When Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit.com fame really likes something he's linked to, he says "just keep scrolling." Well, go to Joe Sherlock's The View Through the Windshield for this week and just keep scrolling.

Then there's the 540 horsepower Shelby Mustang GT500KR, the "King of the Road." Serious Wheels has some great shots. Like I always say, too much horsepower is just about enough.

It's not strictly about cars but, hey, you know what's coming in two weeks and Kay Bell at Don't Mess With Taxes has 10 tips that may save you some bucks. Besides, when Kay does talk about cars, it's always interesting.
 
See ya next week!