Each week I bring you the top stories in the auto industry along with my commentary or sometimes amusing thoughts about the craziness that goes on in the world of cars.
- Is Nissan going to the dogs?
- From Pebble Beach to the County Jail: Car Week Gets Messy.
- The Eclipse That Blocked Out the Sun.
- VW Owners Push Back—Literally.
Is Nissan going to the dogs? In case you missed it, once-upon-a-time, Nissan unleashed the Rogue Dogue, which sounds like a rapper but is actually a one-off SUV designed entirely around dogs. Apparently, Fido deserves more luxury than your mother-in-law, because this thing is basically a canine Ritz-Carlton on wheels. Unveiled in 2017, the concept had a fold-out ramp for easy boarding, a built-in shower with a dryer so your pup can step out of the mud looking fresher than you do on date night, spill-proof water and food bowls so Rover doesn’t have to slurp in shame, a cargo area hammock that doubles as a throne, a full pet-first-aid kit in case playtime goes sideways, a poop-bag dispenser because Nissan thought of everything except training your dog to actually pick it up himself, and even GoPro-ready cameras so you can livestream your golden retriever’s road trip antics while you eat stale fries in the front seat. To this day, the Rogue Dogue remains just a concept, but it proves dogs officially have better factory options than most humans.
From Pebble Beach to the County Jail: Car Week Gets Messy. Monterey Car Week wrapped up with more police activity than a demolition derby, with 199 citations and 22 arrests handed out to attendees who apparently thought the event was part car show and part audition for “Cops.” Carmel reported 137 traffic stops, 70 citations, seven arrests, 13 tows, one DUI and 320 parking tickets, while Monterey wasn’t far behind with 212 traffic stops, 129 citations and 15 arrests for everything from outstanding warrants and reckless driving to concealed firearms and even sexual battery. Sideshows broke out like they were on the official schedule, with crowds swarming an In-N-Out in Seaside until police broke it up and chased the chaos to Home Depot, then Sand City, where someone described the whole scene as “a zoo,” which was probably the most accurate car review of the week. For an event meant to celebrate elegance, Monterey Car Week ended up more like a traveling circus with Ferraris, proving once again that the real show is always in the ticket line.
The Eclipse That Blocked Out the Sun. Car enthusiasts love to argue about legacy blunders, but few sting as much as Mitsubishi taking the once-beloved Eclipse, a sharp and sporty coupe that defined affordable fun for an entire generation, and recycling the badge onto the Eclipse Cross, a bulbous little crossover with a CVT that has about as much performance DNA as a toaster on wheels. It’s the kind of move that makes enthusiasts scream into their shift knobs, because instead of chasing Celicas and Integras like it once did, the Eclipse name is now forever linked to school-run duty and grocery-store parking lots. Of course, Mitsubishi isn’t alone in playing brand bingo with sacred nameplates—Ford caught flak for turning the legendary Mustang into the Mach-E SUV, Chevy nearly gave us heartburn with a possible Camaro crossover rumor, and Dodge somehow made the Hornet less menacing than its namesake bug—but the Eclipse Cross still takes the crown for turning a once-feared street racer into the automotive equivalent of a Netflix reboot no one asked for.
VW Owners Push Back—Literally. Volkswagen’s experiment with capacitive touch buttons has officially landed in court, as a class-action lawsuit claims the futuristic steering wheel controls are more of a hazard than a convenience. Owners say the buttons are so sensitive that even brushing against them can activate critical features like adaptive cruise control or driver-assist functions without warning. In one case, an ID.4 owner reported the system engaged while parking, sending the vehicle surging forward, causing more than $14,000 in undercarriage damage and leaving the driver with an injured hand. Another driver says the buttons triggered an unexpected acceleration straight into a garage door. The lawsuit argues Volkswagen was well aware of the problem through NHTSA complaints, dealership reports and internal documents, yet failed to provide free repairs or a proper fix. Instead, owners claim they were told to simply be careful, which is not exactly reassuring when your steering wheel doubles as a game of Operation. To make matters worse, VW has already backtracked in newer models by reintroducing physical buttons—something customers had been begging for—essentially admitting the experiment was a flop. That leaves current owners stuck with cars that feel like booby traps on wheels, and a strong case that high-tech doesn’t always mean high-quality.
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