CARNIVAL OF CARS: A Drive Around the Auto Blogs Block for the Week Ending 3/1/13

Technical gremlins grounded the Carnival of Cars last week, but we're back in high gear today, so let's fire this thing up and head on down the road, shall we?

And what do we find at our traditional first stop at The Auto Prophet? Litigation, that's what, against Ford by trial lawyers looking to cash in on what appears to be another CAFE fraud in the making. TAP explains the only way the ambulance chasers can win on this one.

Big doings in the corporate suites at GM where Tim Mahoney breaks from VW to become Chevy's chief marketing guy, for like the whole world. This is VIP news, but the AUTOTREMIST explains why there are no guarantees of success here (and who better to explain that than Peter M. De Lorenzo).

Think this will open enviro eyes to the virtues of fracking for natural gas? Probably not, but the bigger question is if consumers will be receptive to a new Audi A3 g-tron, powered by, you guessed it, natural gas. Actually, maybe "natural" isn't the right word. Green Car Reports explains "Methanation."

Like you need another app on your iPhone, right? Well, you probably do need this one, the updated app from The Car Connection folks. As usual, they fixed the bugs, streamlined the user interface and new-and-improved everything else. Now, when do we get the Android version, folks?

THEY DRIVE/YOU RIDE: Ever been to Montreal and the Circuit Gilles Villeneueve? Even if you have been there to spectate, Motor Authority has a view of the track you've never seen, with Leh Keen behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racer at speed.

Who but Hennessey would figure out how to offer a 2014 Corvette Stingray with 1,000 horsepower - yes, you read that figure correctly! Total Car Score blogger Charles Schiavone has the scoop and predicts the first availability within six to 12 months.

Why race'em when you could play Paint Ball with cars???? You really do gotta watch this video from Jalopnik. And a HT goes to Autoholics' Rob Einaudi for pointing out this wheeled insanity.

What should you call a car that epitomizes "pure American muscle in an Armani suit"? How about "Alfa Romeo Zagato Stradale TZ3"? Car Guy Chronicles' Marty Schorr reports that the last of only nine to be built will be present for the Amelia Island doings March 10.

Let's say you ran into the Car Genie who felt generous and granted you one wish. And let's further say your one wish was to see your 10 favorite cars ever made to reappear. What would those 10 be? Here's CarGurus' answer and you will be surprised by some of their selections. I mean, come on, HSpitzer, the Suzuki Samuri?????

This Timothy Cain fellow at GoodCarBadCar apparently has never met a piece of auto sales data he didn't love at first sight. Like, for instance, the top 30 sellers for February, 2013. That makes him invaluable to those of us who seek enlightenment on the current and future whims of the world's car buyers.

Bet you've never seen Citroens like those offered up by Alex Hamilton at Car Throttle. DO NOT MISS the 256 horesepower DS4. That is one gorgeous automobile, even if it does look like a muscled-up Elantra.

Believe it or not, we're at our last stop for this week: The Truth About Cars' Bertil Schmitt is puzzled how a labor-management negotiation that failed to produce a deal could still be a "successful conclusion." Could this tell us something about why calling Opel a mess is an understatement?

That's it, friends and neighbors, we are at the end of this week's ride. See ya right here next week. Have a good one.