While Pontiac gets ready to take a dirt nap next to Oldsmobile and the folks at Chrysler's Auburn Hills HQ brush up on their Italian, at least one American driver is showing us what might have been if the once-proposed Chrysler/GM merger (remember those days?) had come to be. Consider the perfect storm of hideous product decisions that could have ensued under such a tie-up.

What's that? Your mind's eye can't envision a scenario so horrifying? No worries. Autoblog reader Berto snagged some photos illustrating just how kooky things could have gotten. Imagine one automaker's muscle heritage fused with the base-level front-drive mediocrity of another. Imagine, friends, the Pontiac G6 V6 Super Bee. Thanks, Berto!



[Photos: Berto]

What do you get when you mix Clarkson, May, a Skoda, and the Catholic church? Controversy, of course. During a review of the Skoda Scout, May and Clarkson engaged in a bit of banter that mingled scouts -- as in Boy Scouts -- the church, and inappropriate touching. And when you "have a dig at two organizations that do a lot for the community," formal complaints get filed to the BBC, you get the Scout Association gunning for you, and you make lots of people unhappy... except the 7.5 million people who watched the show. Ah, Top Gear...

[Source: This is London]

Here's a fantastic challenge that the Top Gear team didn't think up: if you walked around London dressed as the Stig, how many strangers would let you drive their cars? Aussie comedy show The Chaser's War on Everything went to London to find out, in an attempt to find a cheaper way to travel. What ensued was a guy in a bad Stig getup poaching transport from a few Brits -- and it only got better from there. Follow the jump to see the vid. Hat tip: Scott

[Source: YouTube]

TBS will be airing The World's Funniest Commercials 2009 tonight (Friday, June 26) at 9/8c. We've joined forces with the team behind finding and collecting the most gut busting television advertisements in the world to share with you some of the funniest car commercials that aired this year.

We'll start with this one from a company called Hydro, the message of which is apparently to encourage young people to enter the field of engineering. Turns out, engineering can be a useful way to keep a group of bored little kids entertained in the summer, all at the expense of Dad and his 5 Series Touring. Follow the jump to watch the commercial and check out more funny adverts at veryfunnyads.com.

[Source: veryfunnyads.com]

A student at North Carolina State University has been arrested and charged with larceny for swiping some of those bright orange construction barrels from the road and creating what has been dubbed the "Barrel Monster". Joseph Carnevale, who also went by the handle "U Live and You Burn" before he was caught and his real name revealed, has made barrel art before (see gallery below), but none were so brash, or so big, as the Barrel Monster. Aside from being an artist, Carnevale also does graffiti and is an "Urban Explorer", which basically means he trespasses in all those cool places that citizens aren't supposed to go like construction sites, sewer drains and abandoned buildings.

He has also chronicled his exploits on a blog at nopromiseofsafety.com where he is currently soliciting compassionate parties to write on his behalf to the prosecutor. Let's hope the DA doesn't browse his blog, as it's filled with evidence of trespassing, vandalism and the like. Though some public property was damaged in the case of Carnevale's Barrel Monster, we do hope they let him off light. Frankly, most highways could use a Barrel Monster. Thanks for the tip, Bryan!



[Source: WRAL.com, TechnicianOnline.com, nopromiseofsafety.com]

Chrysler and General Motors have been on the receiving end of more than a few skits by late show comedians recently, and new Tonight Show host Conan O'Brien took his latest shot at the Pentastar's tie-up with Fiat. O'Brien's latest gag is a mock Fiat-created Chrysler commercial for the Jeep Liberty.

The spot itself features a voice-over of a man with a thick Italian accent talking about how great the Liberty is on- or off-road, or even just driving in a circle. Hit the jump to view the video for yourself. Thanks for the tip, Jacob!

[Source: The Tonight Show]

There's no question that there have been better summers to be the chief executive officer of General Motors. Bankruptcy hearings, plant closings, job cuts and a near certain pay cut will no doubt put a damper on Fritz Henderson's backyard barbecues. The CEO job is so undesirable that it cracked Late Show host David Letterman's Top 10 Worst Summer Jobs list this week. In fact, GM CEO was deemed worse than being the Octomom's babysitter, Susan Boyle's groomer, or even Dick Cheney hunting partner. Ouch. At least it beat out George Bush memoir proof reader.

[Source: CBS Late Show]

On April 8, 50-year-old Charles P. Dimmick died doing what he loved to do: watching his favorite driver, Jeff Gordon, run in the Phoenix round of NASCAR. Dimmick was also the marketing manager at Lund Cadillac Hummer Saab in Phoenix, and if you believe the person who wrote his obituary, he also loved to sell cars.

In the notice itself (after the details of his death and before the details of the wake), was this line: "We are sure he would still want all to know that 0.9% financing is still available on all New 2008 Hummer H2's." It isn't clear who wrote the obituary, but tasking someone with selling H2 inventory even after they die sounds a bit like something Dante might be involved in.

[Source: Yahoo!]

We'll start off by saying that this spoof on General Motors' Re:invention commercial is not exactly fair and not exactly accurate... but it is funny. It comes from an Onion-esque type website with a decidedly sharp take on GM's situation, with story headlines like "GM Kicks Dog, Takes Candy from Baby" and "GM Kills Electric Car, Five Others in Shooting Spree." You can watch the original commercial and the spoof after the jump. Make sure you have your sense of humor switched on.

[Source: GM Retardation]

Last night was the debut of the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien as its new host. The gangly, six-foot-something comedian made the move from late-late night in New York to just late night in Los Angeles, and his first show featured special guests Will Ferrell, Pearl Jam and an old friend that made the trip from NYC: his second-gen 1992 Ford Taurus SHO in a brilliant shade of Jewel Green.

Conan had a whole segment devoted to the SHO and how its inherent coolness works on both coasts. Driving around LA, the SHO clearly impressed the ladies and made Fabio regret his purchase of a Lamborghini Gallardo. Sure, the SHO had to be returned home on a flat bed, but it's all part of the charm. Here's hoping Conan's ride becomes a regular cast member and that the new Tonight Show host celebrates the return of the 2010 Taurus SHO with us when it goes on sale later this year. He may not be as big of a car buff as Jay, but Conan always warms the cockles of our hearts when he brings out his SHO.

Follow the jump to view the clip for yourself and click here to check out a past clip featuring the SHO in New York.