Bush defends bailouts, Toyota boosts profits and Mercedes dials 911 in the Dash

What we're reading this morning in the Motoramic Dash about a lack of regret from a former president, a bumper crop of profits from a foreign automaker and a start-up struggling to meet its targets:

Bush on auto bailouts: "I'd do it again" [Detroit News] In a rare public comment, former president George W. Bush told a convention of auto dealers that he's confident he made the right decision to loan money to Chrysler and General Motors to prevent their collapse at the end of his term. Bush said the call was influenced by top economic advisors and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, who warned that unemployment could spike if both companies faltered at the same time: "I didn't want there to be 21 percent unemployment."

Brisk U.S. sales lift Toyota's profit forecast [New York Times] Toyota says based on the strength of new models like the Prius V in the United States, it expects to make 200 billion yen, or $2.6 billion, in its fiscal 2012. It now has a Mississippi plant building Corollas running on two shifts — a tough harbinger for the small-car plans of Detroit automakers. Meanwhile, U.S. execs told Toyota dealers in Las Vegas to expect 19 new models this year.