Steve Parker Motoring / The Car Nut: 'CAR NUT' IN LIVE RADIO DEBATE WITH GM'S ENVIRONMENTAL PR CHIEF

EXCLUSIVE PHOTO ALBUM! 2009 GUMBALL RALLY 3000

See Steve's exclusive Gumball Rally video from NBC-TV's Whipnotic website (copy and paste): http://www.whipnotic.com/videos/viewvideo-558.html Over 120 gas-guzzling super-exotic sports cars, Hummers, Cadillac Escalade SUVs and an occasional interesting older car roared on May 2, 2009, from a California beach-side parking lot directly onto I-10, the Santa Monica Freeway, also known as the Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Highway, for the start of this year's Gumball Rally. The world's most politically-incorrect automotive street event, the Gumball Rally 3000, left Santa Monica (CA) Pier on Saturday, May 2, 2009 and headed toward its ultimate destination of Miami, FL eight days later. Participants reportedly paid $44,000 per car/team to enter the event. Though the Gumball stresses the skills of its drivers (and their cars) there are only two race track "special section" stops scheduled for the 3,000-mile long event, which will be run on public roads with all entrants subject to all highway rules and regulations. All photos (c) 2009 by www.SteveParker.com

December 01, 2006

'CAR NUT' IN LIVE RADIO DEBATE WITH GM'S ENVIRONMENTAL PR CHIEF

'CAR NUT' Steve Parker found himself involved in 16-minute long, live, head-to-head debate with David Barthmuss, chief public relations person for General Motor's environmental activities. It all happened on November 30 on KPCC 89.3FM, the NPR station in Los Angeles.

The day before, GM CEO Rick Wagoner, in a "major address" at the opening-day breakfast for the 100th anniversary LA AUTO SHOW, said GM "intended" to build a plug-in hybrid version of the Saturn VUE SUV. A few of the gathered reporters picked up on the his using the word "intended", rather than Wagoner giving a firm date for production and an approximate price for the vehicle. Steve did this radio interview from the LOS ANGELES AUTO SHOW, where he'd spent the past two days taking-in the world's automakers efforts to break into the 21st century with the latest in environmentally-friendly fuels and powertrains. The debate became heated when Parker questioned how dedicated the domestic carmakers actually are to providing hybrid gas/electric Prius-like vehicles to their customers.

To hear the entire interview, hosted by KNBC/TV4 anchor Ted Chen, click here. Then let us know YOUR comments! (Photo: Cutaway of transmission developed by GM and DaimlerChrysler to fit hybrid powertrains). Do you think GM, FORD and CHRYSLER are truly dedicated to building high-mileage/low-emissions vehicles on a large scale, or will they continue to try and sell large SUVs with V8 engines as long as they can?