Struggling with its third vehicle fire in two months, the upstart electric automaker is now facing a new challenge – the wrath of Hollywood actor George Clooney.

“I had a Tesla,” Clooney told Esquire magazine. “I was one of the first cats with a Tesla. I think I was, like, No. 5 on the list. But I’m telling you, I’ve been on the side of the road a while in that thing, and I said to them, ‘Look, guys, why am I always stuck on the side of the f*#@ing road? Make it work, one way or another.’”

Naturally, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has responded – via Twitter, one of his preferred outlets.

“In other news, George Clooney reports that his iPhone 1 had a bug back in ’07,” Musk retorted. 

Clooney was an early Tesla adopter, but it doesn’t sound as if the star of “Gravity” will be buying a new Model S any time soon. However, it’s not the recent rash of vehicle fires that is scaring of Clooney, but rather the unreliability of his old Roadster.

Clooney didn’t elaborate on the cause of his Roadster woes.

Clooney auctioned off his Roadster last year, generating an estimated $99,000 for charity. Tesla has since discontinued the Roadster and now only sells the Model S.

Although certainly not as pressing as the recent Model S fires, it is interesting to hear a Hollywood A-lister (a crowd that now favors the electric automaker over marques like Mercedes and BMW) speak illy of Tesla. The Roadster – which was Tesla’s first product – wasn’t without its faults, though, as several customers complained of the electric sports car “bricking” if the batteries weren’t properly charged.

 

Audi has decided that dabbling in diesels is for the birds. After successfully entering the diesel fray a few years ago with its Q7 TDI three-row crossover, the brand has launched a diesel offensive for 2014.�

At the top of the ranks? The 2014 Audi A8-L TDI, a serious machine motivated by a big turbodiesel six-cylinder engine. Capable of rocketing to 60 mph in just 6.4 seconds, it gives up little grunt to the gas-powered A8 lineup. But where the TDI really pays dividends is at the pump – the EPA test reveals that the A8 TDI will sip fuel at just 36 mpg.

That would be a solid number for a bare bones compact car, not a fully-loaded long wheelbase flagship sedan. There’s not much more we could ask of the A8.�

Join our Ron Doron as he investigates Audi’s new luxury-economy (!) flagship, the 2014 Audi A8-L TDI.

One thing Tesla’s CEO isn’t short on is new ideas. In a recent interview, the executive and inventor hinted that an electric aircraft would make “an interesting opportunity” for the world’s most famous electric car builder.

CEO Elon Musk told CNBC that he has investigated the idea of an electric vertical takeoff and landing – or EVOL – aircraft. Such a move wouldn’t be Musk’s first foray into the space above; his Space X firm has already begun launching rockets to supply the International Space Station.

Aircraft represent far different challenges than automobiles, not the least of which is the fact that they need to be light enough to fly and their batteries need to be advanced enough to keep them in the air. In many ways, the final frontier for electric mobility will be aircraft.

Eventually, Musk said, nearly all forms of transportation will be electrically-powered – aside from rockets, he believes. 

“Unfortunately, there’s no way around Newton’s third law,” he said, referring to the rocket exception as “ironic.”

The executive also took the opportunity to subtly bash the aviation industry.

“It seems unlikely that it will come from Boeing or Airbus given that they seem to be focused on very incremental improvements to their plans as opposed to radical improvements,” he said. “But it could come from a startup.”

 

Porsche is reportedly developing a Speedster version of the current 991-generation 911 to pay tribute to the company’s iconic 550 Spyder.

According to Germany’s Autobild, Porsche is moving forward with plans to build a Speedster version of the 911. The Speedster will offer the same open-air experience as the 911 convertible, but with a little more style. The Speedster will come equipped with an emergency roof, but it will be manually operated and intended only to provide temporary cover in case of a surprise downpour.

The report suggests that Porsche will produce just 550 units of the Speedster for the 2015 model year. No pricing information was revealed, but look for the Speedster’s asking price to stretch well into the six-figure range.

Given its 2015 designation, we should see the Speedster debut at an auto show sometime during 2014.

Those that miss out on the Speedster will want to check out Porsche’s latest 911 Turbo and Turbo S Cabriolets, which are scheduled to arrive in dealer showrooms next year.

 

An all-new Hyundai Genesis is on tap for 2015, but before that model arrives Hyundai is updating the 2014 version of the luxury sedan.

Given its impending replacement, the 2014 Genesis’ tweaks are subtle, but should help the current car ride off into the sunset with its head held high.

For 2014 all Genesis models equipped with Hyundai’s Blue Link will come standard with three years of Hyundai Assurance Connected Care telematics services. Those services include Automatic Collision Notification, Enhanced Roadside Assistance and a Car Care reporting system that keeps tabs on things like recall alerts and scheduled maintenance.

Buyers of the 2014 Genesis 3.8 will benefit from standard 18-inch wheels (up from last year’s 17-inchers) and a new electro-hydraulic power steering system that has been tuned to be more efficient and provide better feel.

A heated steering wheel has been added to the top-spec 5.0 R-Spec model for 2014.

Finally, Platinum Metallic has been replaced by Santiago Silver for the current Genesis’ last model year.

Hyundai’s next-generation 2015 Genesis is scheduled to make its world debut at the 2014 Detroit auto show. That vehicle promises new exterior styling and a more luxurious interior to better compete with makes like BMW and Audi. The 2015 Genesis will likely arrive in Hyundai showrooms sometime during the second half of next year.