Alex Roy responds to the GT PSP commercial.

By now, you’ve seen the hugely awesome Gran Turismo PSP spot on the air or pretty much everywhere on the internet, including right here on Valetster. Needless to say, nothing says success like a spoof video. Here, famed rally driver and Gumball race-clown Alex Roy plays the part of PSP-toter Tanner Foust, with racing scion Rene Villenueve doing the Rhys Millen duties behind the wheel of a Porsche Cayenne Turbo. By our clock, it took all of one week to post up what we’re sure will be a string of homages and fan-boy recreations. PlayStation, welcome to the meme.

2010 Lexus HS250. Is it just another hybrid or a new direction for the brand?

Lexus has introduced a new hybrid, the HS250, and as we already know without even driving, touching or seeing one in the flesh, it’s incredibly competent and well-made. An interesting thing is already underway in the UK — Lexus is transitioning to a 100% hybrid line-up. With BMW and Mercedes in an ever-increasingly pitched battle for who makes the best cars, Lexus has rightly concluded that those two brands aren’t going away anytime soon, and that Lexus needs a new tack to break into their ranks. Hence, the 100% hybrid positioning. It’s completely unclaimed ground and one that they’ll do well with. The only problem is that it’s completely devoid of driving passion. For those who want the best appliances for tomorrow’s world, then Lexus is and will be their brand. For us, it makes cars like the sorta-ok-for-a-first-effort IS-F more and more of an outlier. It’s now becoming obvious, especially since there are no new F’s on the horizon that this brand is heading to a 100% hybrid position globally.

2010 BMW 760Li. Will the old economy please stand up?

Far be it for Valetster to claim to be immune to the Bavarian charms. One need only scroll down to our older posts to see us mostly sing the praises of the Roundel. X5M with 555-hp? Hells yeah. 420-hp M3? Without a doubt. But the new 7 is leaving us a little cold. It’s design is evolutionary at best, and the front end is a bit heavy. But the CEO folk need to get to work like the rest of us, so if you’re gonna do it, do it in style. But V12, twin-turbo style? Yeesh. This is a complete 180 from the larger meme of less-is-more, hey-i’m-just-glad-to-be-here vibe. I’m sure this engine was being planned sometime after shock and awe and before surge, when the stock market was up and our houses were still worth something. While we marvel at the engineering, we wonder if it’s the right car for the wrong time.

Gran Turismo PSP. 800 cars. 35 tracks. Any questions?

HHHHHHHHHHHHamazing. Loving that Gran Turismo is now on the PSP. The graphics are amazing, and this is more than just a port of the last GT game. This is being sold only as a PSP bundle, but for $149, its worth it. Check out these two videos. One’s a teaser trailer, the other is the :30 TV spot. Awesome.

2012 BMW M1. Now THIS is how to do a supercar.

This is why we love the Bavarians. Even in the new world order of hybrids, diesels and all other much-needed green powertrains, BMW finds a way to make a supercar with the future very much in mind. Witness the please-let-it-be-real 2012 BMW M1, complete with a 1.5-liter turbodiesel mated to a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Zero to sixty in 4.8 seconds which isn’t exactly Mercedes SLS territory, but you know what? We’re down with it. This is the smart, applicable and responsible way to have our sports cars in a world that increasingly wants to demonize the car industry. Yay BMW. You make us want to jump in our time machine and go drive one of these today.

2010 Acura ZDX. Honestly, do we need another BMW X6?

Considering Valetster loves BMW, it was with great surprise that we heralded the arrival of the X6 with a loud, thunderous applause boos. That thing is a hot, expensive, who-the-hell-is-gonna-buy-this mess. Have you seen the sales numbers? I think they’ve sold a grand total of 8. So no wonder, then, that we were a skosh perplexed when Acura went all and introduced their own…. their own… what the hell do you call it? 4-door “expressive” “personal” coupe-UV? This is even more of a mess than the X6, because at least that you can get with the twin-turbo 400 V8, or the momma-said-knock-you-out 555-hp monster X6M. Seriously, words fail. This is horrible. What is this brand?

2010 Buick LaCrosse. Can a good car be killed by a bad website?

By all accounts, Buick has another hit on their hands with the 2010 LaCrosse. This comes on the heels of the tremendous break-out hit, the Enclave. Despite their best efforts with some truly crappy advertising and the use of Tiger Woods (!?!?!), even Buick couldn’t kill the Enclave. Lesson learned, apparently, because the LaCrosse is launching in major metros with smart, clean outdoor boards with spare, sharp lines like “Something else for Lexus to pursue.” Ohhhhh snap! But yeah, not terrible. God forbid, though, if you click on over to Buick.com. What a hot, holy mess. This thing screams cheap, cheesy and domestic. It’s garish, tacky and lifted straight from the craptastic bin of 2003. Their digital agency of record, Digitas, has done equally bad work for Saturn, GMC, Pontiac and Caddy. For a brand like Buick that’s trying desperately to lower its age and up its transaction prices, it should start with a better website.

2011 Chevy Camaro Z28. Proof that the General is starting to get it?

Last week we got word that GM had green-lighted the CTS-v Wagon, which might be the awesomest news for the wreath and crest in years. It truly signals GM’s desire to make Caddy a world-beater. But THIS! This is tremendous news as well, because the 2010 Camaro is off to a strong start already. A case could be made that the market is absorbing every single Camaro being made, and the current 426-hp Camaro SS 6-speed is plenty fast. But green-lighting the Z28 with the amazing 556-hp supercharged 6.2liter V8 shows that GM is beginning to understand that the car business is a momemtum game. Mercedes learned that each new iteration of the AMG has only benefitted the brand as a whole, and BMW’s continued success with the M-series is the true case study for why a brand needs high-performance variants. Kudos to Chevy and GM. We can’t wait to drive the Z28.

2011 BMW X1 could either solidify or ruin BMW’s reputation.

I’ve seen it doing huge loops from the beach to downtown and back on Sunset Boulevard the last few months, and my feeling is always the same. Is the upcoming 2011 BMW X1 yet another step in their quest to be the world’s volume luxury brand, or yet another nail in the premium brand? After successfully stretching the brand’s promise with the original X5, BMW has added a steady stream of ever-more interesting models to the line-up. One need only witness the upcoming 5-Series GT, which is a super ugly way of saying a 5-Series sedan with a sloping hatchback and tall, Subaru Forrester type side panels. But this X1 looks pretty slick. Certainly not pretty PRETTY, with the new 7-Series inspired nose, but otherwise slick and premium. The interior especially looks great, and will be years ahead of the godawful Mercedes GLK interior. Here in LA, this will be a hit for sure. What actress on her way to yoga wouldn’t want one?

2010 Audi S5 Sportback. Possibly the best looking car we won’t be getting in the States.

Just like the drop-dead gorgeous, rob-a-bank-if-you-have-to-get-one Alfa Romeo 8C, the Audi S5 is a seriously fantastic looking car that we will not be getting in the States. This is criminal. And defies logic. Let’s take that last point first: Why not bring it over? Does Audi feel it’d rob sales from the S6? Do the corporate brass feel it’d steal thunder from the hideous and hideously expensive upcoming Porsche Panamera? I’d wager the answer to both is “yes”. But that’s for the market to decide, not Audi. And for a brand set on dominating luxury sales charts, this isn’t about slicing the pie too thin, this is about bringing over the best damn cars, period. What’s more, this car reinforces the quickly emerging meme that Audi is the new definition of luxury. Folks, call your congressman. Say your prayers. Write letters. We need this car.