THE HISTORY CHANNEL MUTILATES THE LEGENDARY “TOP GEAR” FRANCHISE WITH “TOP GEAR AMERICA” NEXT FALL

Comment: “Supercars Exposed” drifter Tanner Foust, internet comedian Adam Ferrara, and the hopelessly annoying “NASCAR TV” weirdo Rutledge Wood could not hope to carry the helmet bags of Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond.

Mr. Clarkson is right: Americans (at least at the History Channel) don’t understand “Top Gear.” If there was any truth in labeling, the History Channel would name this emerging mess “Stripped Gear America.”

“Top Gear America” is likely to make the History Channel’s atrocious “Full Throttle” (which starred “Twins Turbo” dweebs Marc and Eric Kozeluh) look like Emmy Award-winning fare.

(Get the latest "Truth With Speedzzter" here)

“GOVERNMENT MOTORS” PAYS BACK TAXPAYER-FUNDED LOANS FIVE YEARS EARLY

“[S]ales of newer models have improved GM's cash flow and allowed it to make the remaining $5.8 billion in payments early.”

Comment: Whether this is simply election-year politics or “Dial Tone” Ed Whitacre ripping a page from Lee Iacocca’s dusty 1980s “New Chrysler” playbook remains to be seen. But considering the taxpayers still own more than half of the “New” GM, any repayment of the billions borrowed to fix that mostly government-caused mess is good news.

Speaking of Chrysler, the unwanted assets that Fiat didn’t buy were left in the old company, now called Old Carco, L.L.C. The bankruptcy court has approved their liquidation in a plan that reportedly will recover little for the taxpayers.

GEICO VOICE ACTOR FIRED AFTER INSULTING TEA PARTIES
Comment: It’s apparently not the guy who does the gekko or the caveman. And we’re still angry with GEICO for opposing repeal of the 55 m.p.h. national speed limit and its alleged past refusal to insure high-performance cars. But this story is mildly interesting as a barometer of how unhinged some liberals are becoming about the Tea Party movement.

JOE OLDHAM ON THE 2011 MUSTANG: SAVE YOUR MONEY FOR THE V8

Comment: Legendary journalist Joe “Muscle Car Confidential” Oldham knows muscle. After all he was once the original owner of a 1969 427 Motion Phase III Camaro. And he’s smoked the tires on nearly every OEM muscle car of the past four decades. So when he says that serious revheads will bypass the “hype” and pay extra for the Coyote V8, you’d better believe him.

EDMUNDS INSIDE LINE: SUPERCREW SVT RAPTOR COMING!

Comment: Another brilliant move by FoMoCo! Just be sure to get your SVT Raptor before 2016 Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards kill all high-performance fun. By the way, Mr. Mulally, where is the DOHC version of the 6.2 Boss?

AUTOWEEK: 2011 SMS 302 MUSTANG: STEVE SALEEN’S BACK (BUT HOW MANY WILL CARE?)

Comment: 440 hp and 400 ft-lb of torque “all motor” and “more than” 535 hp and 450 lbs/ft of torque supercharged is serious Coyote V8 power. But will SMS Mustangs, starting at $54,990 (unsupercharged) be price-competitive with Ford’s revised Shelby GT500 and a host of other tuner ‘Stangs? And some old Saleen customers will probably wonder where all of the “wretched excess” vents and “cheese grater” scoops have gone.

Here’s a photo montage of the SMS 302:


CHINA AUTO SHOW: DID MERCEDES-BENZ MISSPELL “SHOOTING BREAK” ON A CONCEPT CAR

Comment: A “shooting brake” in “Queen’s English” is often viewed as the same as a station wagon or SUV in America. (However, purists cringe when “Shooting Brake” is applied to wagons with more than two doors). Some question Mercedes-Benz’s use of the term “Shooting Break” on its new Chinese Auto Show concept car. But the etymology of the “Shooting break/brake” moniker is far more tortured than it first appears. We say: Give ‘em a break . . .

TASCA’S 2010 FORD COBRA JET MUSTANG RUNS 8.97 AT153 M.P.H.

Comment: Another milestone for the Tasca family and Ford Racing. But when (if ever) is Ford going to “take it to the streets” with a “blue collar” supercharged or EcoBoost (tm) Coyote V8?

Of course, TASCA doesn’t have the only Cobra Jet Mustang. Here’s new video of some Cobra Jets rocking Milan in testing:

And earlier this year, John Rains ripped the inaugural Mojave Mile event with a 182.9 M.P.H. pass in FR500CJ Mustang.

Also at the Mojave Mile event, Jim Hahn made a proud (and oversized) display of Ford’s blue oval on his 1968 Mustang race car.


ROUSH FENWAY AND RICHARD PETTY MOTORSPORTS TO RUN FR9 ENGINES AT TALLADEGA
Comment: We can’t get too excited about the idea of non-production “stock car” engines (or common-template “car of tomorrow” “stock cars” for that matter). But as long as everybody else has them, Ford must have them too. The slow FR9 roll-out continues at Talladega in the Aaron’s 499, with a “majority” of Fords in the field scheduled to use the new NASCAR-only mill. Maybe it will improve Ford’s results.


CARS SPEEDZZTER LIKES (SORT OF): CHUCKLES GARAGE "STRANGE BIRD" 1962 FORD FALCON FUTURA GASSER
Comment: While we can’t approve of a GM powerplant (Buick Nailhead) in a Ford, this video of the under-construction “Strange Bird” gasser shows promise. Of course it’d be better with a wicked FE or Cammer recessed into the firewall and a bit more wheelbase alteration. Still this video shows that McNamara’s Falcon can be built into a wild hot rod.