I'm hardly the first to point this out, but in light of recent news it bears repeating: Ford alone among Detroit automakers didn’t take any bailout money. Thankfully, Ford has found an old-fashioned way to pry money out of Americans -- by building cars and trucks that people want to buy. Envious gazes from GM and Chrysler turned a deeper shade of green today as Ford announced a third-quarter profit of $1.7 billion. That's up a staggering 68 percent from the same quarter in 2009, an admittedly dismal year for the industry overall.

 

While Ford isn’t fully out of the woods, this was the sixth straight profitable quarter for the Dearborn, Mich., automaker. Market share likewise rose, by two percentage points, bringing it up to 15 percent. But here’s the stat I liked best: Ford buyers paid an average of about $30,600 for every Ford and Lincoln in September, with buyers spending generously on options such as Ford’s Sync-enabled audio and navigation systems. Loading up on options is a sure sign that people like what they’re seeing at dealerships; these are cars that don’t sell on bargain-basement discounts, but on their merits. You only slap leather and a nav system on a car you’re proud to own, not one you’re settling for.

 

In a bold move from performance-oriented​, upscale automaker BMW, fleets of "the ultimate driving machine" will be available for rent by the hour, and renters can even book over the Internet.

At this stage it's simply a pilot program and only in Munich, Germany, though plans call for an expansion to other locales after the 12-month program runs its course.

Still, the entire fleet is on tap for online, telephone or in-person booking. Yes, you can sprint away in an M5. Yes, you can roll up to your potential in-laws' house in a 7-Series. Either one of those marquee vehicles will run you about $44.60 per hour, including insurance, cleaning and servicing. Prices varying by vehicle, a 1-Series would run you only about half that cost. 

Fancy cars and golf sort of go hand-in-hand; just ask a valet at any swanky country club. But when we think "golf enthusiast," we tend to picture badges like Lexus, BMW, Mercedes and Audi, not a primo supercar like Lamborghini.

And yet Lambo and golf-gear manufacturer Callaway have made a literal connection between links and track laps, having collaborated since 2008 on a new carbon-fiber material known as Forged Composite, which boasts nanoscale construction and the strength and light weight that that implies. 

 

Finally, someone put a figure to the whole electric-vehicle thing.

Sadly, talk surrounding electric vehicles tends to be vague and full of qualifiers -- small surprise when you consider it's still an emerging technology with an as-yet undefined, unquantifiable customer base. So it's refreshing to see that Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has done some number-crunching in terms of cold, hard sales, rather than a vehicle's impact on, say, brand perception or technology leadership.

 

High-volume sales are the key to reducing cost for any product; EVs are no exception. Right now, the Nissan Leaf EV sells for $32,780 -- quite a high sticker, considering the Leaf is the size of the Versa subcompact, which starts at less than 10 grand and tops out at less than $17,000. But of course, research and development -- not to mention lithium-ion batteries -- are expensive, and manufacturers look to high initial prices for early adopters as well as to government subsidies -- in this case a federal payback of $7,500, which knocks the Leaf's price down to a more manageable $25,280 -- to move cars while staying profitable. By Ghosn's numbers, he could sell the full electric at the lower price figuring annual sales of -- wait for it -- 1 million Leafs.

 

 

Smart has been given a crash course in gravity this year. Recently, fuel prices in the U.S. have remained at manageable levels, and those shopping for a new vehicle have returned in droves to large crossovers that can carry family members and their cargo in comfort and style. As a result, Smart has seen its sales plummet, made worse by the arrival of much more functional vehicles like the Ford Fiesta that return similar fuel economy at a similar price point. While we have it on good authority that Smart is hard at work on a real solution to its dismal sales, the company has recently tried to make its products more appealing in the most superficial way possible: by offering Hello Kitty-themed vehicle wraps straight from the dealer. 

Chevrolet has two of the most talked-about new models in its stable in the Volt and Cruze, which are helping the media do a lot of free advertising for the brand. But when that coverage runs out, we'll be left with a new slogan to remind us why we want a Chevy. Or, actually, not, as the new slogan will be "Chevy Runs Deep."

According to the ad firm that came up with the tag, it's supposed to be a reference to Chevy's deep roots in American culture. OK, sure -- but if you need to explain it, it's not effective. The phrase is exceptionally bad, considering Chevy's rich history of iconic advertising.