It's no secret that Rush Limbaugh isn't a fan of "Government Motors" or its Chevy Volt, but when he took aim at Motor Trend magazine's credibility last week in response to the publication naming the Volt its Car of the Year, Rush may have miscalculated how much easier it is to attack a non-sentient automobile than one of the world's top publications specializing in them.
“Folks, of all the cars, no offense, General Motors, please, but of all the cars in the world, the Chevrolet Volt is the Car of the Year? Motor Trend magazine, that’s the end of them," Limbaugh said on his radio show last week. "How in the world do they have any credibility? Not one has been sold. The Volt is the Car of the Year?”
Limbaugh's harsh words didn't go unnoticed at the magazine. Within days of the rant, Motor Trend issued a rebuttal on its blog, calling out Limbaugh for criticizing a car he had never driven and several inaccuracies mentioned in his campaign against GM and the Volt.
"Our credibility, Mr. Limbaugh, comes from actually driving and testing...virtually every new car sold, and from doing this once a year with all the all-new or significantly improved models all at the same time. We test, make judgments and write about things we understand," read the post. "If you can stop shilling for your favorite political party long enough to go for a drive, you might really enjoy the Chevy Volt. I’m sure GM would be happy to lend you one for the weekend. Just remember: driving and Oxycontin don’t mix."
Motor Trend also set the record straight on a right-wing talking point in which the Volt and electric vehicles in general are portrayed as an Obama-devised ploy to steal tax dollars and give them to auto companies. "GM began working on [the Volt] before the November 2006 elections, when the Republican Party had majorities in the House and Senate, before President Bush had signed a single veto," reads the blog post.
As for Rush's charge that the Car of the Year shouldn't be awarded to a car that doesn't yet have any sales, Motor Trend points out that they do have access to new vehicles before they go on sale to the general public.
It would be interesting to see where the overlap between Rush listeners and Motor Trend subscribers comes down on the squabble. Will they trust their favorite right-wing mouthpiece—who likely has never been in the same room with the car he hates so much—or professional automotive reviewers?
Unfortunately, thanks to the politicization of the Volt, there will be people who base their judgments of the car on their opinions about Barack Obama—a reality that probably doesn't sit well with Bob Lutz, the lifelong Republican and former GM executive credited with starting the Volt program.
If guys like Lutz want the demagoguery to end they need to man up and publicly denounce them.