the buzz log

If you dropped $240,000 on a car, you'd at the very least expect the brakes to work, right? Well, meet Ralph Gertz, proud owner of an orange 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo Spider convertible.

He bought the hot little number with less than 50 miles on it from a Washington state dealership. But right off the lot, every time the driver hit the brakes, the Lambo squealed and screeched.

Gertz said he brought it back to the dealership, and was told the brakes needed time to be broken in. But with no change, and repeated trips to the mechanic, even Lamborghini stopped taking his car and his calls.

Fed up, the frustrated driver filed a complaint with the Washington state Attorney General. And guess what: After arbitration, the long arm of the law sided with the driver and gave the Lamborghini another name: Lemon.

Word of the pricey Italian sports car with the sour label caused searches to accelerate on "Lamborghini lemon." Soon, the Italian sports car enthusiast will give back the car and receive a complete refund. But hey, with a quarter million dollars, he can help himself to a fleet of cars in place of that one, unreliable Lamborghini lemon.

Filed under: Autos

The sun hid from view for much of Asia, a pop king's memorial brought out mourners, and a misdemeanor ended with a White House beer bash. Below, a look at July's searches and buzzy stories.

Spaced Out
Darkness descended for about six minutes across much of Asia, as a rare solar eclipse brought out revelers and drove the superstitious indoors. The U.S. missed out on the fun, but celebrated the moon walk's 40th anniversary instead.

Dearly Departed
All things Michael Jackson continued to reverberate through the Web, from the memorial to the will, to the latest raid on the attending physician. Mourners also honored Walter Cronkite, whose death recalled a media heyday, and two sports figures—footballer Steve McNair and boxer Arturo Gatti—who died too soon. 

Crime Watch
Sonia Sotomayor applied for her Supreme Court Justice robes this month, but violations of rights occupied the Search docket. Henry Louis Gates became known beyond academic circles after a Cambridge police office arrested the Harvard scholar at his home. The local issue turned national after Obama weighed in, but a peace of sorts was brokered with a White House beer bash. No suds for Erin Andrews: A video shot through a peephole of the ESPN broadcaster, taped unawares, went viral. News outlets who posted screen grabs of the illegal video spurred accusations of hypocrisy all around. There was some justice: People who tried to download the video may have got a virus.

Other big buzzers
Cash for Clunkers translated to a lot of firm handshakes in dealer showrooms ... Sarah Palin handed over her gubernatorial duties to the runner-up... Lance Armstrong did pretty well, but Alberto Contador is Tour de France's indisputed champ... and now for the top 10 lists

Filed under: Autos, Celebrities, Monthly Wrapup, Recaps, Space

The Cash for Clunkers swap is underway, making auto recyclers "leery" and aggravating some clunker would-be buyers. At least dealers should be happy.

The federal program began with the greenest of intentions. Critics, including the original senators who proposed the idea, have decried the stripped-down version that got approved. Scrap dealers, for their part, don't find much sense in the requirement to destroy perfectly good engines. (That's to prevent scammers from returning clunkers to the road.)

And, in a classic case of the left hand slapping down the right hand, the Environmental Protection Agency's last-minute changes of vehicles' fuel economy got the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's project off to a clunky July 24 start. People have been tracking the fine print ("cash for clunkers details”) to see if their ol’ jalopy qualifies, but those ready to dump their formerly eligible cars are experiencing some roadster rage.

Overall, however, consumers have hankered after this program since March (when "cash for clunker" searches started taking off on Yahoo!). Not surprisingly, searches for many types of models are up.

With only a billion to spare for this program, which automakers will clear their lots first? This Search ranking from the past 7 days might give some clues:

1. Chrysler Cash for Clunkers
2. Ford Cash for Clunkers
3. GM Cash for Clunkers
4. Dodge Cash for Clunkers
5. Toyota Cash for Clunkers

True, the above queries could mean, for instance, that people want to unload their Chryslers, but drivers may also be warming to the manufacturer's double incentive (additional $3500-$4500 rebates or zero percent financing on top of the federal moneys). Savvy consumers know about the “double cash for clunkers.”

Incidentally, Ford’s second-place status could be recognition for its independent nature: A Rasmussen poll said buyers respect Ford for abstaining from any bailout money, and 46% claimed they’d shop there over GM and Chrysler.

As for what cars might be on the roads in the next few weeks, some models zooming through the Search box:

Most Searched Model: Honda Civic
A Few of the Fastest Moving Models: 2009 Ford Focus, Chrysler Jeep, 2010 Dodge Charger, 2010 Honda Insight
Leading Hybrids: Ford Escape Hybrid, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Honda Civic Hybrid

Filed under: Autos, Finance, Government