#controversy

Tesla is looking trouble in the face again, this time because the California New Car Dealers Association says its advertising is in violation of various state and federal laws. 

Tesla spokeswoman Shanna Hendriks’ world turned upside down on Monday after CEO Elon Musk issued a stiff rebuke over an article in the New York Times he called fake.

Some might have expected a small riot after news surfaced that Hyundai inflated its mpg claims on more than 1 million recently sold cars, but the media brouhaha was worse than any other backlash — so far.

Bertrand Delanoë, mayor of Paris, is angling to ban cars built before 1997 and motorcycles more than 10 years old.

Left in the wake of Hyundai’s debunked fuel economy claims, brands that vowed to catch up are unexpectedly well-positioned. 

Jeff Gordon was fined $100,000 and 25 points for his deliberate retaliation toward Clint Bowyer during Sunday’s AdvoCare 500 at the Phoenix International Raceway.

As webs meant to catch flies go, the Environmental Protection Agency‘s might soon look tattered and threadbare as its investigation expands to suggest Hyundai and Kia might not be the only brands fudging mpg claims. 

Consumer Reports is, to an extent, corroborating Swedish magazine Teknikens Varld‘s accusations that the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee is a rollover hazard.

Swedish magazine Teknikens Varld’s accusations toward the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee became much harder to dispute with the rag’s latest video. Both the clip and brief article that accompany it end with a pointed message that says: “Don’t buy the Jeep Grand Cherokee, for you and your family’s safety.”

Throwing a curve ball right down the media’s throat, Lotus issued a press release today that aimed to disarm and diffuse the flurry of speculation and jokes.

It did so by writing in completely unacademic, and some might argue, unprofessional style. Above the text, a borrowed copy of Sniff Petrol’s satirical photo (seen above) that portrays CEO Dany Bahar as “Baghdad Bob,” Iraq’s ex-information minister notorious for insisting things were fine.

Here’s a quick recap of what lead into today’s hilarious SNAFU.

At this past weekend’s Barrett-Jackson auction, a Shelby GT500 decked out in American flag livery sold — twice, for a combined total of $950,000, with all proceeds going to the Wounded Warriors Family Support charity (WWFS).

The car was purchased first by Ronnie Rains, a Vietnam veteran, for $500,000. Rains immediately donated the car back to the auction to be sold again, saying that he wanted to show his strong personal support for the WWFS charity. The car was then sold again, this time fetching $450,000 from a Florida man.

The auctioned GT500 participated in a cross-country drive to tour 48 states and be covered in signatures from veterans and others who have been affected by war.

Jeremy Clarkson was invited to the BBC1’s The One Show’ last November where he remarked that the striking public sector workers should be shot. Striking controversy once again, Clarkson’s comment caused more than 30,000 complaints to the BBC and almost 800 to media regulator Ofcom.

Responding to the public reaction, Ofcom held an investigation to decide whether the show had broken any rules on taste and decency. Finally, Ofcom has announced that the program is cleared of breaching broadcasting regulations, defending that viewers should be familiar with Jeremy Clarkson’s “provocative and outspoken nature.”

Ofcom director Christopher Woolard stated in a four-page letter that, “The editorial nature of the program as a whole would have prepared viewers for the type of comments Jeremy Clarkson would be likely to make” and when considering Clarkson’s “well-established public persona,” Clarkson’s comment wasn’t overly offensive.

Woolard also added that, “The audience for this edition of The One Show would have expected Jeremy Clarkson to make potentially controversial or offensive statements… his comments were not an expression of seriously held beliefs or views that should be literally interpreted.”

In the past, Jeremy Clarkson has always been known to make a wide range of brash remarks. By now, victims to Clarkson’s insensitivity will have to accept this is only Clarkson being himself.

Check out Jeremy Clarkson’s controversial segment on The One Show after the jump:

Mercedes-Benz made waves for the wrong reason at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Maybe the staff at Aptera watched the printer-smashing scene in Office Space too many times and felt like taking some frustration out on inanimate objects.