This Just In: New on the Net

Rental cars companies know that most people get a kick out of abusing their cars, and since it’s probably not good to preemptively scold customers, they just try to stick it to us in other ways. So if you want to save a little money next time you have to rent a car, check out the 6 Secrets Rental Cars Don’t Want You to Know. I found it pretty informative—or maybe I just like sticking it to the man. Anyway, here’s the news:

• The General says that it will be able to keep up with demand for the its award-winning and popular Malibu, despite the strike at American Axle. Good news for Chevy dealers, bad news for AA. Auto Observer
• Remember when all those Explorers were flipping in the early ’90s? Even those owners that didn’t wind up topsy-turvy took a financial hit, as their vehicle’s resale value tanked. Now a California judge has ordered Ford to compensate them. Automotive News
• Will we see a "people’s bike" in the next few years? The idea might not be that far-fetched, as VW honcho Ferdinand Piech says the company might buy a motorcycle manufacturer. Stay tuned. AutoWeek
• Remember how popular Vanilla Ice was before he went back to being Robbie Van Winkle? That’s what this review of the new GTR—which says it’s more fluffy kitten than Godzilla—reminds me of. Looks like Mr. Angry isn’t the only one underwhelmed by Nissan’s halo car. LA Times
• Everybody likes taxes. Everybody hates paying more for gas. That’s stuff nobody likes. But is suspending the gas tax—as John McCain has suggested—a good idea? Probably not. Wired