Boston.com’s On Liberty blog reports that the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the right of citizens to video police officers, ruling in part that

changes in technology and society have made the lines between private citizen and journalist exceedingly difficult to draw. The proliferation of electronic devices with video-recording capability means that many of our images of current events come from bystanders with a ready cell phone or digital camera rather than a traditional film crew, and news stories are now just as likely to be broken by a blogger at her computer as a reporter at a major newspaper. Such developments make clear why the news-gathering protections of the First Amendment cannot turn on professional credentials or status.

So great was this victory for First Amendment rights and the New Media, that an Albuquerque police officer celebrated by getting caught in flagrante delicto while in uniform. You know, in case there was any question as to why the courts really ruled this way. And if this whole story smacks of Jalopnik-style only-barely-related-to-cars desperation, we’ve got a “Stump the Best And Brightest” challenge to keep things car-centric: what model of vehicle is the officer “laying down the law” on?

I spotted this Opel Vivaro CDTI on the University of Illinois campus.

How did this apparently-European vehicle end up in Illinois?  Opel’s website suggests that they don’t do business in Canada, but this Vivaro has Quebec license plates, and a stuffed animal in the window that suggests it is a personal vehicle.

Does anyone have any idea how such a vehicle could end up legally touring the American Midwest with Canadian plates?  What say you, readers of TTAC?

In his Detroit News interview, GM CEO Dan Akerson revealed a minor mystery, which I present for your consideration and discussion:

In a recent meeting with engineers, for example, Akerson pressed them to explain the logic behind putting a big 6.2-liter engine in an unspecified car whose competitor has a 4.4-liter turbocharged engine. The engineers replied: “Well, we want to be able to beat the other guy.”

Akerson responded: “I don’t think the average buyer is going to buy an eight-cylinder, 530-horsepower (car).” His point: Decisions must be supported by a solid business case, and not just for bragging rights or as a marketing tool.

The Cadillac ATS-V seems like the most likely candidate, but then there’s also this to consider:

Akerson, who became CEO Sept. 1 and board chairman Jan. 1, already is weighing in on new vehicles. He recently greenlighted the next generation of the compact Chevrolet Cruze, but vetoed a new engine for a sports car set for production in 18 months.

The ATS is a sedan, not a sports car… so is this a different cancelation, or what? Over to you, B&B…

Ben writes

Sorry if this is not the right way to send something, but this car has been bugging me. It is obviously a disguise job because it was on a TV show. But I have not been able to put my finger on what is beneath the modified design. My best guess is a Pontiac G6, but some of the lines just dont match up. THIS IS DRIVING ME NUTS!

Reader Josh sends in this semi-camo’d Explorer from the Mile High city, writing that

The lady who was in the drivethru at Wendy’s was quite frustrated to see us photographing her car (we stalked her for a few blocks to find a “compromising” position) and she jetted without even ordering. While I know this is default behavior among tester-types, in my experience, they really only panic if there is something really special.

But besides the bizarre hand-painted camo on the rear-quarter panel, we’re not seeing anything too different here from a stock Explorer. Is that funny-looking tailpipe exhausting the forthcoming “premium” 2.0 Ecoboost four-cylinder during high-altitude testing? Josh notes

the exhaust seemed tame and quiet – but we were in a v8 excursion

What say you, Best and Brightest?

A tipster sent us these shots of a semi-camouflaged sedan plying Texas’s I-10… can you help identify this mystery machine?

This is the interior of the forthcoming Fiat 500 Sport, built in Mexico for the US market [UPDATE: Fiat's PR team insists that this is not the US-market version... we will revisit the story when real photos come out]. After the jump, you can find a photo of the Italian market Fiat 500′s interior. Spot the differences (there’s one big one we’re thinking of) and win the respect of TTAC’s Best & Brightest. Help us understand why these changes were made, and you’ll be well on your way to becoming the next TTAC comments section superstar.

Read More >

Yes, dear TTAC readers, your humble Editor-in-Chief was unable to fight his impulse, and is the proud owner of a fine automobile. Which means that he is also unable to fight the impulse to spend this federal holiday actually driving the thing rather than sitting in front of a computer all day. So, while I’m out enjoying the fruits of my labor, it falls to you, our most dedicated readers, to guess what kind of car I just blew several paychecks on. Check back tomorrow for a capsule review on the new editorial chariot (as well as the full compliment of TTAC content)… in the meantime, let’s hear your guesses.

TTAC’s readers have rightly gained the reputation for being some of the best vehicle/automobilia identifiers on the planet. We keep you on your toes with several Curbside Classic Clues each week, but now we have an opportunity to flex those skills for something other than just bragging rights. Ontario police are asking for help identifying this piece of body panel which was found at the scene of a fatal hit and run. Identifying this piece of battered material could help police find the vehicle that killed 15 year-old Kyle Peters who was hit by the car in question while riding his bike. Can TTAC’s Best and Brightest identify the car that will help police find whoever robbed young Mr Peters of his future? We certainly hope so.

If you’re reading this article, that means Fuhrer Schmitt has figured out under what moniker this article should be filed under. As far as I’m concerned it should be a “Question Of The Day”, but it could easily slot into “WTF” and “Wild Arse Rumor Of The Day”. So, here we go… Read More >

From our regular Curbside Classic Clues, to a recent headline hunt for This American Life, TTAC’s Best and Brightest have proven again and again that they’re the internet’s go-to resource for crowdsourced identification of the most obscure elements of automotive esoterica. In fact, I’m beginning to wonder if it’s even possible to stump some of you guys. Which is why I sat up and took notice of Hemmings Motor News’s Twitter appeal for help identifying this obscure, coachbuilt baby, posted at Coachbuilt.com. I figure this is as good a shot as I’ll ever have at pushing the limits of your collective automotive knowledge. Or, proverbially, not.