Well it’s officially October, and it looks like the weather in Seattle has noticed. It’s cold, drizzly and gray, and it’s likely to stay that way for a while. That’s the Emerald City for you. Anyway, here’s the news:

• Want a plug-in electric car, but don’t feel like waiting for the Volt to drop? Well, if your don’t mind hacking up a new Prius, there are plenty of kits available to help you make it fully electric. Of course, none of them are cheap. Wired
• When I heard that Ford wasn’t going to bring the Ka to the States, I was more than a little curious as to why. After all, doesn’t it seem like a really good time to launch a small, gas-sipping car? But after seeing the success of the Fit and the Yaris, it looks like the Blue Oval might be reconsidering. Freep
• Jeremy Clarkson hates the Chrysler Sebring. And whether or not you agree with him—personally, I have a hard time believing that the Sebring is actually "the worst car in the entire world"—this review is a pretty funny read. Times Online
• Audi has admitted that it won’t be able to hit its US sales goals for 2008. The company was looking to move 100,000 cars this year, but with Wall Street’s meltdown hanging like a black cloud over North America, it’s not going to happen. Auto Observer
• CarDomain has partnered with CR4, a site where engineers discuss the latest news. Some of our blog posts are appearing there, and since you know those are bound to be awesome, head over and check out the rest of their content! CR4 

Some of the guys around the office weren’t all that impressed with the new Quantum of Solace trailer, but I thought it was pretty sweet. Of course, I’m a James Bond super-fan, so my opinion is hardly objective. The action doesn’t start until about three-quarters of the way through, but in my opinion, it’s worth the wait. I particularly like the footage of 007′s Aston Martin DBS ripping down a dirt road, as it reminds me of taking the Apache Trail during the Bullrun. What do you think about this clip? Hot or not?

This week’s Showroom Showdown ended up being pretty close, but the Fiat 500 managed to edge out the Ford Ka by a few votes. There was also a fair amount of hate for these micro rides, which I don’t really get. I like small cars–they leave more room for my big old Mopar. And I’d really love to have an Abarth version of the 500, like the one below.

Ok, so we’re not getting either of these cool little econoboxes in the States. But we can dream, can’t we? These rides share the same platform, but the Fiat 500 is decidedly retro, whereas the new Ford Ka is thoroughly modern. So for this week’s Showroom Showdown it’s Fix It Again Tony vs. Found On Road Dead. Which would you choose?

This week brought news that the US will get the European Focus, the Kuga, and possibly the Mondeo. But we didn’t hear anything concrete about the Ford Ka. The Ka, for the uninitiated, is Ford’s very successful microcar everywhere but here in the US. I spent some time in a first generation one some years back in Italy, and it was perfect for the AutoStrada. With fishbowl-visibility and great ergonomics, it was no surprise to me that it was a hit with my European coworkers. The cute factor (which the Ka has in abundance) is mitigated in the SportKa, a hopped up version made famous in some spec ads that demonstrated the Ka’s aggressive side. The aftermarket and factory partsbin for these cars is outstanding due to their decade-plus on the market. If you’re not already sold on the Ka like I am, check out marsone619′s tricked out example, sueg1′s SportKa and 1800KA’s multiple engine swap version for some ideas.