San Jose Mercury News: XIt wasn’t exactly a California vs. auto industry smackdown, but the state’s chief enforcer of stringent emissions controls defended those rules Monday before a tough crowd of several hundred automotive engineers and industry leaders. “I want you to know we are a car-loving state, from the days of the Beach Boys to Tesla Motors to ‘Pimp My Ride,’ ” Mary Nichols, head of the Air Resources Board, told the Society of Automotive Engineers. After that ice-breaker, Nichols …