Well, the holidays are over, so I’m back pretending to work. My break was long enough that I thought I might forget where the CarDomain offices are, but no such luck. Anyway, here’s the news:

• GM has canceled plans to build a new V-8 for their luxury cars. But don’t worry, remember how well the Cimarron and the Catera came out? Oh wait: Automotive News
• Mazda has released pics of the 2012 RX-9, and it looks sexy as hell. Hopefully I’ll get to drive one before the world ends: Winding Road
• A new study says that people on cell phones slow down traffic. The study also went on to point out that cigarettes are bad for you: LA Times
• The good news is that Chevy’s redesigned Malibu has garnered reams of praise from the automotive press, and dealers can’t keep them on the lot. The bad news is there might not be enough to meet demand: Detroit News

Getting your driver’s license yanked for a month seems like it would hurt off-season preparation work if you’re an F1 driver. Does anyone else think that some enterprising cop will camp out at McLaren’s test track?

• Some of the folks here bike to work. I don’t get it, but I’d miss them if they weren’t here. That’s why the Danish solution to bikes and cars not playing well together sounds like a good idea: Jalopnik
• As more jobs are created or moved to non-union companies and industries, the UAW is giving its image a facelift to show its relevance in the 21st century—and they’re doing it on the internet! DetNews
• It looks like BMW is going to get a "C" on it’s report card for "Plays Well with Others." Leftlane News
• In defense of wussy scooter [Full disclosure: My other "car" is a scooter]: NY Times 

It’s almost Christmas, and you know what that means. I have to dump my girlfriend in such a way which insures I don’t have to buy her a present and allows us to get back together in time for New Year’s Eve. No wonder this time of year is so stressful. Here’s the news:

• In tow truck school, they apparently don’t teach not to tow police cars. Maybe the should: NBC
• For the first time in decades, the government is going to raise CAFE standards, and automakers aren’t happy about it: Detroit News
• This isn’t particularly surprising. The dude who drove his Taurus off the roof of a parking garage was wasted at the time: Jalopnik

The temperature is dropping, but I’m prepared. The gluttony of Thanksgiving left me with a nice layer of insulation for the winter:

• A fuel cell car for only $80! That’s too good to be true! Oh, that makes sense now: Autoblog Green
• A bill to increase fuel efficiency standards stalled in the Senate. Fortunately, I’ve still got a few years to get in bike-riding shape before all the oil runs out: DetNews
• This article is pretty dry, but it includes a fun fact near the end—Mexico is the biggest market for armored cars in the world: Market Watch
• There are more cars in India than ever and they are going faster than ever. Unfortunately, this means that more of these cars are running into people at high speeds: Wheels

My anti-robot paranoia was given another boost this morning. You can read about it below, I’m going to get back to work on my subterranean shelter:

• I may be crazy, but I think the idea of a scooter made out of garbage is awesome. Not as awesome as a DeLorean time machine that runs on garbage, but close…and, well, real: Winding Road
• The ad sales guys here gave me a hot tip: Don’t tell someone you’re trying to sell them something because you’re involved in a murder: Jalopnik
• It’s pretty clear  how far the new management group at Chrysler has to go. They’re going to lose $1.6 BEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLION dollars this year. And I got upset because I lost a coupon for a free Frosty at Wendy’s (I was going to give it to my girlfriend for Christmas): Leftlane News
• You heard it here first: Toyota’s robot-based growth plan will lead to our eventual enslavement at the hands of very reliable Toyota-bots: DetNews

Solar Electric Vehicles is a company offering solar-power conversion kits for Toyota Prius hybrids. The kit, which consists of 146 solar cells embedded in the hybrid’s curved roof, increases gas mileage by up to 29% by extending the range of the Prius’s battery, using auxiliary motorcycle batteries charged by the sun. Cost for the conversion is around $4500, including labor. Though it seems steep, there are at least some green-friendly businesses that consider the solar Prius worth the investment: SEV has already filled a fleet order from an organic pizza delivery business. See the article at Detroit News.

After stalling major overhauls of fuel-economy standards for over two decades, and being dragged kicking and screaming into an agreement on new mileage requirements, the auto industry seems content that the compromise reached Saturday is basically a fair deal. Under this agreement, automakers will be required to increase average fleet mileage to 35 mpg by 2020, representing a 40% increase over the current standards of 27.5 for cars and 22.2 for trucks. General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner said that while the new standard would "pose a significant technical and economic challenge to the industry," GM was up to the task. Toyota took it a step further, claiming it would beat the government to the punch instead of waiting for the standards to take effect. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the hike will reduce oil imports by 1.1 million barrels a day, "or roughly half of the daily U.S. daily oil gulp from the Persian Gulf." More details at freep and Detroit News.

As a person with little regard for my own safety, I was saddened by the news that Evel Knievel died. Now for the news:

• I’m not sure I could see myself commuting in this solar powered car: Winding Road
• WRC rally car racing may be returning to the U.S. of A! FIA wants to run a regional competition in North America next year: Autoweek
• I can’t  wait to see what Lewis Hamilton does on the Top Gear track in the reasonably priced car challenge: BBC 
• GM is set to lose $1 BEEEELLLLION this year, but says it will break even next year and show a profit in 2009: DetNews

The California Fuel Cell Partnership welcomed Chrysler into the fold, giving it a total of 34 organizations and nine car makers. It looks like things are going well for fuel cell technology, in Cali at least. Now for the news:

• Bad news hits GM again. The new K.I.T.T is going to be a Ford: Winding Road
• On the brighter side, the General is still doing big things in India, opening its first design shop there: DetNews
• OnStar is coming to China. Does that mean the government doesn’t think enough of the technology behind it to slap an export restriction on it? Jalopnik
• Tesla looks to be focused on getting their stuff together, begining with a new CEO: Motor Authority

Ailing Malaysian car manufacturer Proton is partnering with companies in Turkey and Iran to develop an "Islamic" car for Muslim consomers, according to Detroit News. The vehicle will include some practical additions for those who observe the faith, including special compartments for religious paraphernilia such as the Quran and prayer mats, and a compass indicating the direction of Mecca. If faith-based motoring is the wave of the future, that’s all cool I guess. But if the trend ever catches on in the West, you’d kind of have to wonder what the Christian equivalent might look like—possibly not everyone’s idea of pretty.