[kaisen]

Originally Posted by Brando

This can only be a political-related article as CAFE is not an independent regulation agency - they are a government agency.

I think the deeper question is who wants these fuel economy standards to be higher, and why?

The topic is political, but the article had a clear political slant:

Originally Posted by from the article

V-8s are going to get scarce. And I mean exotic-scarce. Last go'round, CAFE made it a lot harder for a working class person to own a V-8 powered new car. But if you were comfortably middle class, it was still feasible. There were Crown Vics and Town Cars.

Upper middle class, no problem. $50k would do the trick -- doable for a professional couple.

This time, V-8s will become the exclusive playthings of the very affluent only -- people who can afford to spend $70k-plus for a low-volume (and so, CAFE irrelevant) car. Jaguar, for example, will probably continue to offer a V-8 in the ultra-performance (and ultra-expensive) XF-R version of the XF luxury-sport sedan. Mercedes will still offer V-8s in the E and S Class… for those few who can handle the freight.

What there won't be anymore are cars like the currently available Chrysler 300 C Hemi and the bet-you-it-gets-canceled-soon Chevy SS; that is, cars -- and trucks -- for regular people and intended to be sold in volume.

Of course, Obama -- and the next Dear Leader -- will still get to drive around in cars powered by big V-8s that get far less than 35.5 MPG…with the gas bill paid by taxpayers.

And that's just the way they want it.

POLITICAL OP ED