Some guy named Gary Lauder thinks so. He used his appearance at a recent TED conference to introduce the idea of a combined stop/yield sign that he claims would save all sorts of money, gas and time.
Although we don't disagree with Gary on the idea of reducing the number of stop signs to keep traffic flowing, we're not sure this is the best alternative.
And when we say they're spending a grand a month on cars, we mean they're spending a grand a month of your money on their personal vehicles.
The best part of this story being reported by Politico is the fact that most of Congressmen are blaming a rule in the 2007 energy bill that forces them to buy more fuel efficient vehicles. The congressmen also blamed the fact that they must get short leases which raises the cost, an odd argument from people who are essentially professional negotiators.
One congressman is spending $1,279 per month on a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu. That cost includes gas for traveling all over his home state of New Mexico. Sure it's a big,sprawling state, but that's a lot of gas. The article also notes that this congressman is also quite capable of paying for his own vehicle as his own net worth is estimated to be more than $36 million dollars.
Here's the latest Gran Turismo 5 trailer deftly slipped onto the God of War 3 game disc. The big revelation here is night racing, and it of course involves GT5's "cover car," the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG.
Beyond that, this trailer is a sampler. Lots of Ferrari 458 Italia eye candy, plus more evidence of car mortality as an STI gets caught up in traffic. The Nurburgring and Indy are in the trailer, but so are city streets in Rome (right past the Pantheon) and Tokyo.
And the tease goes on.
Here's a little gem we found on the GM media site.
In the lower left, we see the rear quarter of the 2001 Pontiac Aztek. In the upper right, we have one Don Butler. This week he was named vice president of marketing for the Cadillac brand. But 10 years ago, he was launching the Aztek at the 2000 LA Auto Show. And that included surfing the mosh pit (yes, mosh pit) at the official Aztek party.
So take the plunge and enter our Friday Caption Contest. Then, hop on over to the Long-Term Road Test blog contest and try your wit there.
Oh, don't worry, Audi didn't give it six tailpipes or something quite that catastrophic. No, this is a mistake that might be considered minor, but it's worrisome nonetheless.
Look past the monstrous Audi executive and you'll notice that this Audi RS5 is wearing a set of chrome wheels. OK, maybe they're hyper-polished aluminum, but they look as chrome as a set of Cragar SSs.
What's next? A gold package?
You've heard of the Rockford Files, right? 1970s' TV show... James Garner drove a series of gold Pontiac Firebird Esprits of 1974-1978 vintage. Well, David Shore, who created the only funny medical show, House, is working on a remake of Rockford, this time starring Dermot Mulroney. You know, Dermot Mulroney, the object of Julia Roberts' affection in the strangely intriguing My Best Friend's Wedding.
We're sure Mulroney is already hard at work practicing his J-turns in empty parking lots. But what will he drive in the new Rockford Files? There has been no shortage of current-Camaro-turned-Trans-Am creations at SEMA, but we think a Camaro Z28 might hit the spot.
Any other ideas for what Rockford Jr. should drive?
There's precious little footage of the original Rockford Firebirds, but we found a short clip and posted it after the jump. Sadly, there's no 180 in this one, nor even a burnout.
Inside Line has a new mobile site and, yes, you can read our blogs there (and road tests, auto show coverage and news, too). You don't need to enter a special URL. Typing insideline.com into your iPhone's or BlackBerry's browser will take you right to the mobile homepage.
Once there, you'll be able to choose between the Straightline and Long-Term Road Tests blogs. Clicking on either one will take you their homepages. You won't initially see photos with the latest blog entries, but don't worry, just click on an entry and it will load right up, photos and all, just like if you were sitting at your computer.
Please do check out Inside Line Mobile and send us your feedback.
We'll give you a hint: It's not one of those small, fuel efficient cars that were all the rage six months ago. In fact, only three of the top ten vehicles are considered small cars.
Give up? Don't care? Either way, you should click to the next page to find out what's on top as it's sure to be the topic of more than a few misinformed office conversations in the months ahead.
File this one in the "common sense prevails" bin. After Arizona officials installed speed cameras on several sections of the state's highways, motorists revolted. Some challenged the tickets, others didn't even show up at all to contest them. One man resorted to wearing a monkey mask while he sped by the cameras so he could argue that the court couldn't prove it was him.
Normally, politicians might just smugly look past all these antics, but in this case there's a more important reason why they're second guessing their decision. Turns out the speed cameras aren't bringing in enough money. Initial estimates said they might generate as much as $90M, but the actual haul has been closer to $19M. Nothing like a lack of funds to make politicians lose interest.
Now that Sync has made a name for itself in the automotive world, various automakers are attempting to catch up. Kia recently announced its UVO system and now there's Mini Connected.
The new interface will debut in the Mini Countryman and according to Mini it will feature the industry's first web radio system. "Once a MINI is linked to the outside world via MINI Connected, the driver has a choice of radio stations streamed to the vehicle from anywhere in the world, provided the station is available in the extensive station database."
We're not sure how big that database will be, but assume that will include more stations that your current FM selection. Hopefully more than satellite radio too. The rest of Mini Connected appears to be your basic iPod integration system along with a spiffy new graphical interface.
Like many new technologies, the latest automatic transmissions with upwards of six-speeds have been limited to the upper-crust models of the manufacturers who use them. Only Mercedes-Benz has managed to squeeze its seven-speed automatic into every corner of its lineup.
Audi is now looking to one-up its German rival with a little transmission technology sharing of its own. According to sources at Audi, the company is looking to put the new eight-speed automatic that debuted in the 2011 A8 into the majority of its lineup. That may include its entry-level A3 model even when it's equipped with the 2.0T four-cylinder engine.
Yes, four-cylinders in the engine and eight speeds in the gearbox, could make for a pretty nice package eh?
Remember that frenzy of small car buying that occurred about two years ago? It was spurned by spikes in gas prices that sent consumers scrambling for fuel-efficient alternatives to their big SUVs. The mainstream media loved it and conservationists saw it as a vindication of their long-held belief that Americans would buy smaller cars with the right incentives.
Well, turns out that's only partly true. Bengt Halvorson over at TheCarConnection looked at a recent study by AutoPacific that shows just how quickly American buyers forget about fuel efficiency.
It's probably the most recognizable automotive advertising tagline ever and it's taking a vacation. We're referring to BMW's use of the term "Ultimate Driving Machine" to describe its vehicles. Starting today, BMW's latest ad campaign will ditch the famous words in favor of its "Story of Joy" campaign.
"All of our efforts in engineering, design and technology are about one thing, which is creating moments of joy," said Jack Pitney, Vice President, Marketing, BMW of North America. "Given recent trends in consumer mindsets, the campaign refocuses BMW on the joy of driving and sharing those moments in an upbeat, humanized and refreshing fashion."
In other words, times are tough, so emphasizing cool stuff like driving fast might not be the most politically correct message. Will "sharing the joy" get an equally important point across? We'll see soon enough as BMW says it will be the largest luxury automotive spender of the Winter Olympics.
Not sure this ad slated for the Super Bowl is really going to attract the kind of attention Honda is hoping for. Do you?
Hyundai will once again flaunt its recently acquired riches by running not one, but two Super Bowl ads this year.
First up, it's Brett Favre, looking quite fresh and relaxed after throwing away the NFC championship game. Then, it's on to the paint shop. Here Hyundai shows off the paint procedure for the new 2011 Sonata, which it says is better than the Mercedes-Benz CLS. And what constitutes "better" paint? Uh....
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