General Motors’ new CEO, Daniel Akerson told employees over his first webcast since taking over on September 1st that GM’s newest vehicles have to be better than cars produced by European competitors such as BMW. We’ve heard this before.

Akerson, 61, has just taken over for former CEO Ed Whitacre at the recovering automaker, and says that GM needs to be in “attack mode” rather than simply responding to what other automakers do. GM has been playing catch-up with the Europeans for the last three decades, and, unfortunately, in most cases, losing. We certainly admire Akerson’s position, after all, it’s going to take “attack mode” and much more if GM truly wants to build cars better than Europeans.

They also have to re-define the term “better.” The Cadillac CTS-V is a perfect example. It’s faster around a race track than the BMW M5 and costs $20,000 less. It also gets better fuel economy, and our money says its more reliable, too. But if you asked 100 people which is the better car, we’d bet at least 80 would choose the BMW for two reasons: tactile feel and brand image. GM needs to take the lead when it comes to interior build quality, which they have never, ever done. Sure, the new CTS is a step in the right direction, but the quality of leather is lacking compared to top-tier European cars.

Akerson even commented that for Cadillac it needs to build cars that are better than the BMW 3 Series, 5 Series and 7 Series. To do this, however, they’ll have to get the product lineup sorted out. If you want to “beat” BMW, build a $90,000 flagship car with better features, build quality, driving dynamics, and materials than a 7-series. And make it something that rappers, actors, and kids want to buy, but can’t afford. People buy a 3-series because they can’t afford a 7-series. No one buys a CTS because they can’t afford a DTS.

So far this year, sales of Cadillac models trails BMW significantly with the GM luxury brand managing to move just 47,000 cars compared to 139,236 BMWs.

[Source: Associated Press]

We’ll admit it: We like when cops get a taste of their own medicine. 90% of the time, Cops are there to protect us, whether it’s on the highway or in a local area, but we all know that sometimes power can get to their heads, and they think they are above the law.

One Louisiana State Trooper learned he’s not above the law the hard way, by picking up not one, but two boots on his Dodge Durango after parking in a Fire Zone. For the record, cops can only park their squad cars illegally when responding to an emergency. If not, they have to feed the meter just like the rest of us.

[Source: Jalopnik]

Hale, UK Police seized this yellow Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII after its driver was stopped for “driving erratically” and arrested for DUI. Normal police procedure, in the UK requires the officers wait for a transporter to tow a seized car to impound, but not this time. The two officers decided to drive the car themselves, and, well, the photos show what happened next.

The officer behind the wheel lost control at what appears to be very high speed, and ended up rolling the car on a local man’s lawn. One of the officers suffered minor injuries, and clearly their superiors will be launching an investigation into their behavior. Evo carnage gallery after the jump:

[Source: BBC via Redliners]

[Photo Credit: LancerRegister]

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Porsche enthusiasts are some of the most die-hard brand loyalists out there; many Porsche owners we know wouldn’t even consider owning a sports car built anywhere outside of Stuttgart. And whether you own a fleet of Porsche racing cars, a Boxster, 924, Cayenne, or even just a few posters and a die-cast model or two, you’ve got passion for Porsche as well. After all, no one buys a 911 just because they needed something with four wheels to get to work. Now, Porsche is giving back to its most enthusiastic fans by offering up three free trips to the Porsche Sport Driving School at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama.

Before you go get fitted for a new racing suit, there is, of course, a catch. As part of its 60th anniversary, Porsche wants to hear from enthusiasts about their “Porsche Passion.” And no matter what cars you’ve owned (or just wish you owned), Porsche wants your story. They are seeking entrants’ tales which “exemplify their unique passion for a specific Porsche car, an experience, or the brand as a whole.”

Entries will be accepted through November 1st, 2010, and then the best 20 stories will be published online, so fans can vote on the 3 winners. You can submit your story here.

[Source: Porsche via InsideLine]

Our friend Mike Spinelli of 0-60 Magazine was able to catch this shot of a Nissan GT-R being towed by the NYPD. Normally, a NYPD tow truck is a regular sight in the streets of New York, as hundreds of cars get towed every day. But the GT-R has a very advanced all wheel drive system, and should, under no circumstances, be towed with two wheels on the ground.

An image from the GTR’s owners manual shows us just that: Not that the NYPD cares about damaging a car that’s parked illegally in the first place, but the owner may have some sort of claim against the city if the transmission is damaged as a result of the tow. The kicker to all this? A Fraternal Order of Police shield on the GTR’s window.

[Source: 0-60 and Jalopnik]

See the “how not to tow a GT-R” page of the Nissan GT-R manual after the jump:

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Claus Ettensberger, founder of CEC Wheels, was fortunate enough to have some of the Lexus PR types bring a Lexus LFA around so he could take a little test drive. What these Lexus people didn’t know was that Claus doesn’t just sell wheels, he’s CLAUS, which means he must drive completely crazy all the time.

Claus is a 4-year veteran of the Bullrun Rally, and also participates in the Gumball3000, generally in some type of tuned German exotic. Well, now Claus has a new record to add to his rally trophies: the first person to be caught speeding in the Lexus supercar.

Hit the jump to watch the short video and see just how fast Claus was going. Ouch.

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Back in 2006, Provo, UT resident Richard Lossee crashed his Ferrari Enzo at over 100 mph during a sanctioned road rally. Rather than let the car go to waste, he opted to re-build it. But with its prospective resale value shot, what could really be done with it? Richard, a.k.a. “Our Idol” decided to build a twin-turbo monster with the express purpose of assaulting the Bonneville Salt Flats. Skinny tires? Check. Parachute? Check. Lexan windows? Check. Aerodynamic nose-cone? Check.

At 11-12 lbs of boost, the Enzo is putting down 850 wheel horsepower, but the expected boost pressure will be raised to 18-19 lbs for the Bonneville Run, which should put it well into triple digits. Odds are, the original, 226 mph top speed will be absolutely decimated.

The kicker? The replacement body for Lossee’s Enzo was supplied by none other than Tifosi Extraordinaire Jim Glickenhaus. That’s right, this body was the original, unused Enzo body for the P 4/5. How cool is that?

[Source: Daily Derbi]

We’ve seen quite a few Middle Easterners cruising around London in funny-colored exotics recently, two of which were famously booted a couple of weeks back. Now, London police have impounded a matte-pink Lamborghini Murcielago LP670 SV for revving loudly…. with a cop directly behind him. According to an eyewitness:

“Al-Thani Koenigsegg CCXR and Murcielago LP670-4 SV were just leaving Sloane street to go for a drive, as he pulls away in the SV he started to rev loudly. A few cars behind was the Matt pink LP670-4 SV which also started to rev. Unfortunatly he hadn’t noticed the police car behind! They pulled him over for revving, then asked to see various documents, a couple of which he did not have on him. They then said they would impound the car until the documents were produced, and reg plate changed to a UK spec one as the Qatar plates are illegal!”

Some are arguing that the engine revving is actually a motorcycle that’s right in front of the Lambo, but we know the sound of an unleashed V12 when we hear one, watch the video of the whole incident after the jump, including the officer trying to start up and drive away the SV without much success. Continue Reading…

Seriously, how can we live in a country where this can happen? Last Saturday, Jonathan Schoenakase of Quincy, Illinois was arrested for operating the pictured vehicle, a courtesy shuttle home from local bars to keep drunk drivers off the road. Sounds like a good idea, right? Well, local taxi companies lobbied to make it illegal.

Jonathan’s friend was killed by a drunk driver in 2009, and as a way to keep drunks off the road, he started offering rides home. The rides were free, although he would accept tips. The business soon grew, adding a second car, and then the bus. Taxi companies, thinking Jonathan was taking their money, lobbied that he was operating a Taxi service without a license, and won. The Quincy Government removed the words “for hire” from its definitions of the words “Taxi Service,” thus eliminating the loophole under which Schoenakase was operating.

Schoenakase has applied for a license, but the local cops say he needs to clear up some “legal issues” before he is approved. He has continued to offer the service during this time, and has been arrested a total of three times for his efforts.

We understand the law is the law, but how can one guy, with one bus, driving drunks home as a tribute to his friend and saving countless lives in the process, get arrested repeatedly? How can a politician, or series of politicians, be corrupted so badly by local businesses that charity becomes illegal?

The worst part? A taxi license in Quincy, Illinois costs $10. No, really.

Ah, Ford‘s new 5.0L engine. The savior of the Mustang, and the provider of the thrust behind the cheapest 400+ horsepower car you can buy. It’s got variable valve timing, real headers, a beautifully sculpted intake manifold, and 412 advertised horsepower. Until now, it’s only had one problem: The only way to get one is under the hood of a $30,000 2011 Mustang GT.

That all changes now.

Starting August 15th, Ford Racing Performance Parts (FRPP) will be offering the 5.0L as a crate engine, and you can just go ahead and stuff that bad boy into whatever you’ve got laying around. All it takes is $6,999 plus an alternator, a few accessories, a transmission, and the appropriate RWD architecture.

If you ask us, grab yourself an ’89 Mustang Notchback, LX or 4-banger, drop this bad boy in along with the Tremec 6-speed from the Mustang GT, a set of coilovers, a cage, and some 18″ American Racing wheels, and you’ve got yourself a hell of a hot rod for under $15,000.

Hit the jump for all the vital details about the new crate engine, part number M-6007-M50, directly from Ford:

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