@Walter Pavlik II: Excellent point. Still surprised they wouldn't offer the 2.oT.

@FodderTheSane: They created a hatchback? Now I'm interested.

@vicariousrider: The Elise has a similar side intake, but aside from that I'm not seeing the design similarities. The air intakes are a little bit F430, and the taillights are a little VAG (Audi, Lambo). If anything, we should criticize Porsche for being lazy and once again cribbing the curves of MR racers from the…

@slowcarfast: Never realized they tried selling DKWs in the states. Very cool. Dunno if I remember correctly, but the Saab 2-stroke may have been a warmed-over DKW motor. Saab's pattern was always to "improve" someone else's engine design.

I don't get it. The American interior looks far more inviting than that the depressing black/silver montage that wouldn't look out of place in a Kia Rio.

Wow, Chevy has almost managed to hide it's signature (hideous) crossbar. A little busy in the schnozz, but not a bad looking car.

@Bumblebee: It's the new T300 platform, but it's hard to say what's changed from the T200 platform of the Aveo/Kalos. Seems to be an entirely new design, though, to accommodate the bigger Ecotec. It's starting production in Michigan, but it's still an "Aveo" as it will sold under that name in other markets.

I don't know if this helps, but I found a photo of the employee.

@fhrblig: They can have both. They're super.

I've heard the Ecotec/slushbox combo is pretty dull in the Regal. I'd either wait for the 2-liter turbo to show up, or try the Kizashi with a manual for what probably would be a cheaper price.

The W140 was the ultimate sleeper, spending most days at the dealer, awaiting repair.

@Xander Crews: Plausible, but the way I read it your wanton consumption of candy as a child is to blame. You sure you haven't binged on jujubies in St. Louis recently?

@tonyola: Wow, that is an odd duck. What's the deal with the rectangular lamps? I'm partial to the Karmann Ghia TC.

Really? This is not what the middle America audience wants to see. They want a new two-door convertible hardtop Cayenne hybrid with twin backup cameras and extra-large "endurance" snack bin. They are looking for true innovation, like built-in "evacuation systems" driven by a 1,000 W vacuum that is in turn powered by a…

@∞Gïmmï∞Mørgäikkøŋëŋ∞: Lucky you! Someday I'd love to drive one...I'd be perfectly happy briefly driving a one of the smaller 4-cylinder cars from Maserati or ERA.

@Bluecold: You are right, he probably did 100% of the original design, and was crucial to the development of the car, at least through the Type D, which I think was largely attributed to another guy, Eberan von Eberhorst. Without Porsche, too, Auto Union probably would never have gotten the racing money from the…

@∞Gïmmï∞Mørgäikkøŋëŋ∞: The only way to turn the understeering pig (Type D excepted perhaps) was to drift it through every tight bend. It helps explain why they picked up former motorcycle riders to do the dirty work.

@Bluecold: Porsche was the lead engineer (for Type A-C, he left before the Type D appeared), but the Auto Union team had a lot of accomplished engineers. For that matter, Porsche also designed the Mercedes 500/540K racers, and they are certainly considered a Mercedes.

The evidence doesn't rule out camino-ization.

Virginia could solve this abuse by charging something more than $10 for a vanity plate. I don't see too many in Connecticut or New Jersey, where it costs at least $50 a year.