We missed this on Thursday night, because we unfortunately missed the kickoff to the NFL season (I don't want to talk about it), but Nissan ran a one-minute ad for its new electric Leaf that the Autoblog staff called "as subtle as a bag of hammers to the face." Sounds interesting -- let's check it out!

Here's the gist: A polar bear makes the trek from his natural habitat all the way down to Suburban Somewhere, USA, all in order to give a big ol' bear hug (pun intended) to a Nissan Leaf driver. Because he's saving the environment, you see.

Check it out after the jump. 

 

According to Jalopnik, unnamed sources are reporting that the U.S. version of "Top Gear" will have its own masked driver. Details are scarce, and Jalopnik is awaiting a response -- any response -- from the BBC, which has so far been mute.

Of all the contenders, we know who it won't be: un-masked BBC Stig (and Formula 3 and NASCAR racer) Ben Collins.

Actually, if he got back behind the mask on the other side of the pond, that would be pretty funny. 

Toyota has found one software glitch during its ongoing investigation into its unintended-acceleration issues -- though in an unexpected place.

Takeshi Uchiyamada, Toyota's executive vice president for research and development, told interviewers in Detroit on Monday that a bug in the manufacturer's event data recorders caused some of the devices to record vehicle speed incorrectly. The glitch was first noticed when a data recorder from a Toyota Tundra involved in a crash in 2007 reported that the truck was traveling faster than 170 mph. 

Lexus has been steadily marching its way out of the bland, nameless void of Japanese luxury and more toward a performance-oriented vision over the past few years. We felt the first tickle of the company’s performance itch with the introduction of the IS-F a few years ago, complete with 5.0-liter V8 engine, rear-wheel drive and a laundry list of go-fast parts on board. The car was about as far as it could get from the retirement-center image the company had, since its inception, worked to cultivate.

Or at least that’s what we thought at the time. This year saw Lexus unveil the LFA, a limited-edition V10 midengine racer. Talk about uncharted waters. What’s more, the company plans to spread its performance momentum to the rest of its fleet, starting with the upcoming hybrid CT 200h. From what we’ve heard, Lexus is aiming to position the little hatchback against the likes of both the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3 -- two models that prize driving dynamics above all else. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Red Bull, along with Travis Pastrana, are making some exciting, blood-pumping auto sports videos. Here's a video, with some interesting footage of how the team preps, of Pastrana's record setting run up Mount Washington.

Enjoy, after the jump. 

Ah, good old supply and demand. Or call it the circle of car-buying life: As the economy remains in less than full health and lenders remain scarce, car owners are hanging onto their old models longer. Fewer new car sales, in turn, mean fewer late-model trade-ins, which means the supply of used models on the lot is decreased. (Let's not forget that rental agencies, hurting like everyone else, are hanging onto their models for longer, as well.) Of course, with less money floating around, those who do need a vehicle are more likely to turn to a used car -- and with that demand, used-car prices are skyrocketing. USA Today quotes this example:

"[Used car prices are] so high that at Gerald Jones Honda in Augusta, Ga., owner Andy Jones paid $6,000 at auction for a 2004 Buick Century with 70,000 miles that he fixed to sell for $8,500 -- more than three times what a car like that would have been worth before the recession hit, Automotive News reports.

Prices have become so out-of-control that some dealers have stopped buying cars at auction -- and it won't stop there. New car sales are expected to be low again this year, though they are projected to outpace last year, at least.
 

There are many reasons why a mechanic could hate a certain car model, but one reason that's best for consumers: It rarely breaks down and, therefore, rarely requires the driver to fork over his hard-earned cash to the mechanic. Luckily for us, Click and Clack -- otherwise known by their real names, brothers Tom and Ray Magliozzi -- of National Public Radio's "Car Talk" fame, have broken down their top, most hated models for mechanics (as well as a few manufacturers notoriously loved by car fixers). Their full list is included after the jump, though before you take a look, see if you can guess the top two manufacturers overwhelmingly represented on the list. Here's a hint: Despite some recent quality and safety issues experienced by one of the two rivals, they are likely exactly what you'd expect them to be.