The Tahoe Hybrid. From gas friendly to gas-free. FlexFuel. The plug-in electric - gas Chevy Volt. The [entirely theoretical] hydrogen fuel cell Cadillac Provoq. It's clear that General Motors has finally embraced a low-emissions, scarce fossil fuel future. Provided, that is, you're as gullible as a Barry Bonds supporter. While GM is pushing itself as the second coming of Al Gore, The General's CEO sent a very different message to the National Automobile Dealers Association in San Francisco. According to Yahoo! News, Rick Wagoner asked GM's immense network of dealers to aggressively oppose state-specific greenhouse gas legislation that exceeds the restrictions mandated by the U.S. Congress. While Wagoner's influence may be falling in Washington, his dealers still have a lot of pull at the state level. "Dealers are very effective in the political process because we don't have a plant in every state," Wagoner boasted. "We have dealers in every state." Wagoner's biggest fear: California and its copycat states' air quality rules will trump federal regs, as they already do in several areas (including diesel particulate standards). If the need for "50-state compliance" extends into CO2, "We're not going to be able to accomplish everything that we otherwise could," Wagoner noted, vying for TTAC's understatement of the year award.

Yahoo! News »

Source: GM CEO to Dealers: Stonewall State MPG Regs

Hyundai motors has announced plans to show-off a brand new concept at this years’ Geneva Motor Show. Dubbed the HED-5, the 5 has little to do with the number of seats as it will seat six.

Hyundai is calling it a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) with excellent practicality and fuel economy, but from the concept art photos we see here, it looks like a cross between a Mazda CX-7 and an i30.

The Korean company names some high profile players such as Recaro, Bayer and LG as suppliers to the HED-5. We can only assume the car will make do with Recaro seats, newly formulated material built by Bayer and LG supplied LCDs and other gadgets.

There is no word on the engine specifications yet, but with the Geneva motorshow less than a month away (CarAdvice is sending a team over for our own coverage) more details should surface soon.

Source: Hyundai HED-5 concept

John Neff
Motorsports

Regardless of whether or not you're a NASCAR fan, there's no denying that the motorsport is starting off its 2008 season in the best possible way. Early festivities for the season opener Daytona 500 began this past weekend and resulted in Jimmie Johnson, last season's champion, taking the pole position. Next to him on the grid will be a somewhat redeemed Michael Waltrip, who was embroiled in a scandal at last year's Daytona 500 that resulted in the largest ever fine handed down from NASCAR at the time.

That would probably be enough for a great kick off to the season, but the newly minted NASCAR Sprint Cup is swimming in merchandise sales after Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Bud Shootout on Saturday in his first race as a member of Hendrick Motorsports. Driving his new No. 88 Chevy, Earnhardt Jr. came out swinging in this exhibition that nets no points for the winner, but is a good omen for winning the 500 next weekend.

[Source: ESPN, Photo by John Harrelson/Getty]

Source: Daytona 500: Jimmie Johnson wins pole, Earnhardt Jr. takes Bud Shootout