By David Clarke

highspeedhijinks

In the grand scheme of things, Jay Leno is probably the luckiest car guy I can think of. He’s used a career in stand-up comedy to finance a collection of over 150 cars and motorcycles, most of which get driven on a regualr basis. All of us here at CarDomain have been bitten by the car bug at some point. While some people’s bugs arrive in the form of a ’69 Camaro, a ’67 Mustang, or in my case a ’70 Buick LeSabre, Jay Leno’s bug bit him in the spring of 1959 in the shape of a 1954 Jaguar XK120. I’ve been fortunate enough that the car that started my addiction still sits in my garage at home, but Jay hadn’t seen his dream car in 49 years. As luck would have it, not only was the car exactly where he last saw it, but the man who owned it then still owns it now–so Jay was able to arrange to see it one more time. So my question to you is this: What car started you on the path to automotive fanaticism… and where is it now? If you want to know more about Jay’s dream car reunion check out the full story over at Motor Trend.

I caught up with Jay Leno at the 2008 Concorso Italiano on the Monterey Peninsula, and above the noise of the show, we discussed what attracts him to Italian cars and why he doesn’t own a Ferrari… yet!

Last night, Morgan Freeman was seriously injured after his car went off the road and flipped somewhere in Mississippi. He was lucid and joking when rescuers arrived, but the hospital has him listed in critical condition. Hopefully he makes a quick recovery—there doesn’t need to be any more tragedy associated with the Dark Knight. Anyway, here’s the news:

• Want to know how topsy-turvy the US automotive industry is? The General and Ford are actually talking about joint engine development. What’s next, Coke and Pepsi coming together to make some kind of super-cola? Detroit News
• It really seems like the nannies over at Nissan have way, way, too much time on their hands. Seriously, do we really need a gas pedal that pushes back because it thinks we’re accelerating too fast? Lame, lame, lame. Automotive News
• If you can’t manage to get your hands on an actual GT-R, then you might want to check out this toy version from Takara. Sure, it won’t let you turn wicked times at your local track—but it will turn into a robot. Let’s see the real Godzilla do that! CarScoop
• Think Jay Leno has a lot of rides? Well, he’s got nothing on good old Uncle Sam, who owns 642,233 cars. The cost of operating all that iron adds up to 3.4 billion bucks, but when you think about it, that number makes sense. After all, the 15,000 mile service on a Ferrari is just stupid expensive. Freep

To be honest, I’d never even heard of Tatra before I saw this video on Jay Leno’s Garage. Along with its super aerodynamic sheet metal, the Czech car had a rear-mounted V8, and got 20 miles a gallon at 60MPH. That’s pretty impressive for a car built in 1937. You know what else is impressive? After the Nazi army invaded Czechoslovakia, the T87 became popular with its officers, who loved the speed and handling of the car. Fortunately, many couldn’t handle the performance, and enough were killed behind the wheel that Hitler eventually forbade his officers from driving them. Way to go Tatra!   

Last night, Rob, Jen and I went to dinner with Bob Lutz and some honchos from GM. He’s genuinely fun to talk to, and it was a blast. During the conversation, I took the opportunity to tell the folks from the General that they should use "Brand New Cadillac" by the Clash for the CTS-V campaign. Unfortunately, none of them new who the Clash was, but they did seem intrigued. Let’s hope they take my advice. Anyway, here’s the news:

• Edmunds just sold its long-term Ferrari 308 tester on eBay for 30 grand. With all the work they had done it to it over the last year, that seems like a pretty good deal. Makes me wish I had the money to buy it. Edmunds
• Jay Leno has gone and picked up his Challenger, and of course, there was a camera crew there to document the event. Given the choice, I’d rather have the car he rolled up in, but hey, what do I know. World Car Fans
• Turns out breaking up is hard to do. While the General was going to air an ad that was essentially a "Dear John" letter to Big Oil, plans aren’t so certain now. Hey, a love this strong doesn’t just go away overnight. Automotive News
• Rental car companies have always soaked customers who return cars with less than a full tank, but with fuel prices at a record high, they’re really turning up the heat. Seriously, how does $8 a gallon sound. Freep

Our economy’s heading into a rough patch, and one of the things that would help it is if more people consistently bought from American companies, particularly when purchasing big-ticket items like cars. Problem is, not everyone wants to. In this article he wrote for msnbc, Jay Leno has what he feels is some very compelling advice for the US auto industry on how to get Americans buying American again, and it comes down to quality control, economy, and style. Do you agree with him?

Tesla is too nervous to bring their car out to Buttonwillow in June, but they were ok with Jay Leno doing this little video review.

Jay Leno seems to think so, and turned down a chance to host. So instead they’re gonna have Adam Carolla? Do you think he’ll do better than he did on Dancing With the Stars? Drift king Tanner Faust is gonna be on the show, which should be cool. Not sure who will land the number three spot. Their casting people called me a few weeks back and I recommended they talk to Mr. Angry and Brian Fox, but Mike and Brian never got called back after sending in tapes. According to The Truth About Cars, L.A. Times auto writer Dan Neil got yanked after the producers viewed his audition tape, despite a signed contract:

Neil says he’s “very disappointed” with the network’s decision, but understands their motivation. “They couldn’t handle my heat,” he joked. “Seriously. It’s probably because I’m not very good on TV.” Neil also reveals that NBC and the BBC are aware that aping the original Top Gear’s no-holds-barred reviewing style could piss off the media company’s automotive advertisers — and devised a solution. “They’re writing around the problem, by not doing car reviews unless they really love the car.”

The guys over at VWVortex aren’t too thrilled. What do you think?

Noticing a 2008 Bugatti Veyron in the number-one spot on CarDomain’s Top Rides last night, I kind knew what I was in for. And yep, here it comes: Dayyan’s profile hosts a collection of rare and superexpensive exotics that could put even Jay Leno’s stable to shame. It seems we have a reclusive child billionaire hiding out up in Brampton, Ontario, effortlessly hoarding the most sought-after supercars. But wait: as is usually the case with (to put it kindly) "dreamers," there’s no solid individual details on any of the vehicles, no stories of their acquisition, no photographs of the member interacting with them, no nothing. Often, the make and model is the only text on the whole page, and the pics are generic shots that could’ve come from anywhere. And yeah, we realize that the wealthy aren’t always smartest folks, but someone who can afford three Murcielagos and a handmade Pagani Zonda is likely to be able to write something a tad more literate about his second Veyron than, "This is not mines,this belongs to my cuzin."  Still, we at CarDomain understand that no one can excel in every area, so we’re willing to give Dayyan the benefit of the doubt. Hey kiddo, if you can post a pic of yourself with each of your cars on your ride pages by the end of the week, our admins won’t have to delete you.

I’m still marveling about this crazy V8-powered Festiva I found on CarDomain earlier this week. But it turns out that Theon isn’t the first person to throw a powerful engine in the trunk of a Festiva. Back in the late 80s Rick Titus and Chuck Beck built seven crazy Festivas inspired by the Renault R5. Power came from a 220 hp 3.0 liter SHO V6, and these little cars were wicked fast. Jay Leno has Shogun #3, and he added a nitrous system for some extra fun. Go to jaylenosgarage.com for the full story and a cool video.