Autoline Daily - Video

Honda returns to Formula 1 racing after leaving in 2008. Of the 11 small SUVs tested in the IIHS small overlap crash test, only one received a good rating. A company called Laservision invents a unique solution to warn truck drivers of low-hanging overpasses. All that and more, plus how a three-time racing champion is helping Infiniti develop its cars.

General Motors takes aim at Ford with a rebadged version of Nissan’s NV200. Acura announces it will build its supercar at a new Performance Manufacturing Center in Ohio. The American Civil Liberties Union files a lawsuit against LA’s two major police departments over data collecting scanners. All that and more, plus the Autoextremist, Peter De Lorenzo, shares his thoughts on Jaguar’s new marketing plan.

The European Commission approves a deal to allow Volvo Trucks to acquire a 45 percent stake in a Chinese truck division. Honda could get rid of over half of its lineup in the American market, and sales would not go down that much. Facebook is close to purchasing social mapping and traffic app maker, Waze. All that and more, plus the Autoextremist, Peter De Lorenzo shares his thoughts on the value of Chief Marketing Officers.

While traffic fatalities in the U.S. have fallen 40 percent in the last decade, they leaped by 72 percent in Brazil. GM sees an opportunity to start selling advertising in the car, as internet access becomes more available. At its private 50th birthday party, Lamborghini pulls the wraps off a very futuristic looking concept. All that and more, plus host John McElroy responds to your comments and questions in this week’s edition of You Said It!

There was a time that vehicles were said to be made out of steel, but these days you say they’re made out of steels. Structural adhesives can make a quieter, stronger, lighter car that is easier to manufacture, which is why one automaker is using a lot more of them. The joint venture between Chinese automaker Brilliance Auto and BMW comes out with a low-cost minivan. All that and more, plus in our exclusive interview with UAW President Bob King he discusses the controversial topic of Right-to-Work.

Elon Musk talks with Google about using its autonomous technology in Tesla vehicles. Not only does the Cadillac ELR have a much sleeker design than the Chevy Volt, the range-extended hybrid has a unique feature called Regen on Demand. Autoline takes a few laps around the famous Michigan International Speedway in the 2014 Lexus IS. All that and more, plus the next generation of car designers provide a look into automotive interiors of the future.

A number of Japanese automakers have been plagued by faulty airbags made by Takata. Now a prominent European brand joins the fray. Tesla could tally up another $250 million in its bank account when it cashes in on California EV credits. We have our first up-close look at the 2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. All that and more, plus Drew Winter from WardsAuto has some thoughts on the surprising results of this year’s 10 Best Interiors list.

Ford expects to break its full-year sales record for hybrids in the U.S. this month. The 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 takes place later in May and the all-new 2014 Corvette Stingray is the official pace-car. Porsche rolls out a new 911 Turbo as the car celebrates its 40th anniversary. All that and more, plus we discuss the steps the auto industry is taking to make autonomous cars a reality.

There’s no question that car sales in the U.S. market are cooling off. China is not exactly throwing in the towel on EVs, but it is turning its emphasis to more conventional engine technology. Roger Penske’s logistics company announces it will run all of one automakers North American parts distribution. All that and more, plus host John McElroy takes a look at all the changes Nissan made to the 2013 LEAF.

Chrysler earnings fell in the first quarter of this year, but we think the company will be able to make up for its shortfalls this year. Mercedes unveils the updated version of its large Sprinter van. The Volvo Car Group tests a new hybrid system that doesn’t use batteries. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Sean McElroy takes a look at the all-electric Fiat 500e.

Some experts predict car radios will go the way of 8-track and cassette players. According to preliminary data, the auto industry will meet CO2 emission targets, but not all OEMs. For all you off-road enthusiasts out there, Mercedes unveils its new Unimog lineup. All that and more, plus we take a look at a new bridge construction technique.

Honda gets a little bit sensitive about how well two other Japanese cars are selling in the American market compared to the Accord. Earlier in the week Nissan unveiled the Friend-ME, today it’s the Toyota ME.WE. Audi shows off a lightweight version of its TT, called the TT ultra quattro concept. All that and more, plus we look at how the Taxi Nissan’s Tomorrow can now accommodate a wheelchair.

First quarter sales are out, and Toyota outsold two other global automakers to retain its top spot. The CEO of Maserati agrees with a new study that says the carbon footprint of EVs may not be better than gasoline powered cars. Mazda scores its first victory using the SKYACTIV-D Clean Diesel engine in the Mazda6. All that and more, plus host John McElroy responds to your questions and comments in this week’s edition of You Said It!

Let’s take a look at some of the hottest unveils from the Shanghai auto show. The forjeremy from smart has got to be one of the weirdest special edition models ever to come out of a car company. Buick unveils a Riviera concept with show-stopping looks. Renault reveals a new model from the iconic Alpine brand, called the A110-50. All that and more, plus we take a look at why there is a sudden interest in opposed piston engines.

Bloomberg reports that the actual manufacturing cost for every Fisker was more than six times that of the purchase cost. Fiat-Chrysler CEO, Sergio Marchionne criticizes regulators for trying to force electric cars on the industry and the public. We get the official word that Toyota will start building the Lexus ES at its Georgetown, Kentucky plant, which is a first in the U.S. All that and more, plus we learn how CNG and LPG are getting a lot of attention.

Two groups that represent every automaker selling vehicles in the United States file a petition to prevent a California mandate for electric cars and plug-in hybrids. GM starts building electric motors for the Spark EV at its plant in Baltimore. The steel and aluminum industries fight over which material is the most cost effective at reducing weight in cars. All that and more, plus host John McElroy responds to your comments and questions in this week’s edition of You Said It!

Protean Electric reveals the production version of its electric hub motors. Chrysler announces major changes to account for the CEO of the Ram brand’s departure. Volkswagen shuffles the chairman deck at its troubled SEAT division. All that and more, plus we take a walk around the floor of the Autorama car show in Detroit.

$1.6 billion goes missing in an astounding vanishing act at one Chinese car company. Ahead of Shanghai, we get our first glimpse at a future Citroen DS SUV. Russia’s GAZ launches its first new commercial vehicle in more than 25 years. All that and more, plus a sneak peek at Autoline This Week with Dick Dauch, the Chairman of American Axle.

Silicon Valley gets more and more interested in the automotive industry, especially when it comes to connected cars and autonomous technology. Some analysts think GM should dump the Opel brand, but the company says otherwise. The Ford Explorer is currently sold in 64 countries, but it has always been built in the U.S., until now. All that and more, plus we take a look at the features of the new Hyundai Santa Fe.

EcoMotors announces a Chinese supplier will make an investment to start building its opoc engine. A new report from Polk says Ford had the best selling car and truck in the world last year. A new strain of bird flu in China threatens to shut down the upcoming Shanghai auto show. All that and more, plus we take an up-close and personal look at the new Chevy Impala.

BMW expands its motorcycle lineup by teaming up with an Indian motorcycle company. Renault showcases its design direction with a small concept car called the Twin’Z. GM’s extended service intervals are causing problems in certain models with the 2.4L 4-cylinder engine. All that and more, plus have you heard of this new kind of carbon fiber bridge, what they call a bridge in a backpack?

Sales of hybrids, plug-ins and EVs in the U.S. were down last month, despite high gas prices. But if you break out sales of electric and plug-ins from the total, they were up. Last night in the main lobby of Motown’s iconic Fisher Building carmaker Detroit Electric pulled the wraps of its all-new SP:01. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Seamus McElroy takes us for a deep look into the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

We’ve got the latest sales report from the U.S. market, which was quite good, but may have shown the first signs of softness. Tesla CEO Elon Musk reveals his “big” announcement. Chrysler considers a diesel version of its 300 sedan for the U.S. All that and more, plus host John McElroy gets to your comments and questions in this week’s edition of You Said It!

Ford Motor Company announces its Alan Mulally retention plan. Fisker Motor Company founder and former CEO Henrik Fisker says he has no regrets about the fate of his company, the recipient of hundreds of millions of dollars in U.S. Department of Energy loans. Actor Clint Eastwood sues Chrysler for breach of contract. All that and more, plus HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!

Rumors out of Italy say that Audi is in talks to take over Alfa-Romeo. Volvo introduces a concept called MethaneDiesel that’s equipped with a diesel engine that can run on LNG. Chevy pulls the wraps off the redesigned 2014 Camaro, which will once again have a Z/28 option. All that and more, plus a slew of unveils from the New York Auto Show.

Honda pulls the wraps back on its new Odyssey minivan with a new feature that makes it even more family friendly. Buick reveals its 2014 Regal and Regal GS that will go on sale later this fall. Also at the New York Auto Show, Jaguar unveils a performance R version of its flagship XJ sedan. All that and more, plus host John McElroy gets to your questions and comments in this week’s edition of You Said It!

The latest generations of hybrids and small displacement engines with turbos fall well short of the fuel economy they’re supposed to deliver. So that begs the question, what technology does improve fuel efficiency? Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory develop a new lightweight, space-saving CNG fuel tank. Mopar is considering building a version of the Ram pick-up based on the concept vehicles it showed off at Moab last week. All that and more, plus host John McElroy gives his insight on why commercial truck fleets in the U.S. are real interested in natural gas and propane.

General Motors is moving forward with plans to close its Opel plant in Bochum, Germany. Sales for the Lincoln brand are down almost 25 percent through the first two months of the year, but that could change now that one vehicle is back on track. Hyundai just revealed renderings of a luxury sports coupe concept it will unveil at next month’s Seoul Motor Show. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week about how the automotive industry can attract more female talent.

The head of Germany’s IG Metall union sends a letter to VW workers in Tennessee urging them to join the UAW. Subaru announces it will introduce its first production hybrid at the New York Auto Show. Jeep unveiles six new concept vehicles at the Moab Easter Jeep Safari that are equipped with off-road parts from the Mopar catalog. All that and more, plus today’s host Todd Lassa gives his thoughts on the company culture over at General Motors.

The Chinese auto industry has been growing by leaps and bounds the last several years and as a result automakers are investing heavily in the country. Acura has some cool new technology in the RLX that will make the ride inside the car quieter. SRT pulled the wraps off its track edition of the Viper, called the TA, which stands for time attack. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Seamus McElroy takes a look at the 2014 Chevrolet Impala.

Toyota is creating a new China-only brand that will build low-cost and alternative-fuel vehicles. Cellulosic ethanol has not caught on, due to its high price, but that could change soon. It looks like Volkswagen’s Tennessee facility could be the first transplant with union representation. All that and more, plus host John McElroy gives his insight into the global race going on amongst car companies to lock up the supply chain for carbon fiber.

China has sought to dominate EV technology, but the electric car market has been a flop in the country. Volkswagen’s Chief Executive says the company will build a minimum of 10 assembly plants in the years to come. A report out of Europe says automakers use tricks to boost their fuel efficiency and lower CO2 ratings that border on cheating. All that and more, plus host John McElroy answers some of your questions and comments in this week’s edition of You Said It!

Henrik Fisker abruptly resigned from the car company he started after unspecified disagreements with the executive management team. International, the big truck maker, now offers the Transtar Class 8 semi that runs on CNG. Pollution continues to be a problem in China, and the country has a plan to get the highest polluting cars off the road. All that and more, plus we take a look at how fish behavior is helping Nissan develop its autonomous technology.

China is offering more generous subsidies to customers that buy EVs, and it’s not just the central government offering them. One of the worlds largest oil and gas companies says diesel will be the number 1 fuel by 2020. Cadillac has really started the year with a bang. But the sales gain is coming exclusively from two new models. All that and more, plus we take a walk around the exterior of the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the head of Jeep design.

Over the last several years, automakers boosted car sales globally thanks to explosive growth in emerging markets, but now some of those markets are starting to cool down. In an effort to boost electric vehicle sales, Nissan is making some management changes. Ford announced the introduction of two all-new Transit models. All that and more, plus John McElroy gives his insight on how a former GM exec ended up on the board of directors at Toyota.

One of the former executives from the old General Motors lands a big job. The Ford Mustang is getting a 4-cylinder engine …again. For the first time in 35 years, iconic sports car brand Alpine will be returning to endurance racing. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Seamus McElroy takes us for a few laps around Austin Texas’ brand new Formula 1 track in the 2014 Grand Cherokee SRT.

The UAW is holding a press conference near the Geneva auto show today as part of its effort to ramp up its organizing effort at Nissan’s assembly plant in Mississippi. Fueled by higher gas prices, sales of hybrids, plug-ins and electrics enjoyed a strong February in the American market. For the second straight year Toyota President Akio Toyoda overhauled the top management positions at the company’s North American operations. All that and more, plus John McElroy gets to your questions and comments in this week’s edition of You Said It!

General Motors takes the wraps off the convertible version of the 2014 Corvette Stingray. Kia reveals a small sleek looking hatchback called the provo. Ferrari finally gives us a look at the successor to the Enzo, the LaFerrari. All that and more, plus today’s host Christie Schweinsberg takes a look at a few of the models that have impressed her for this year’s Ward’s 10 Best Interiors award.

Car sales in the American market were strong in February. In hopes of boosting sales of its K9 luxury sedan, Kia has come up with a sales gimmick to bring in new customers. Coda, the EV startup company, just closed the showroom doors at its LA store. All that and more, plus we take a walk-around of the 2014 Mazda6 with one of its designers.

Reports are out that several hundred of Nissan’s factory workers in Smyrna, Tennessee met with the United Auto Workers this week at a local hall. GM is boosting plug-in production as it believes that demand for its extended range electric vehicles is going to grow this year. After 75 years in the automotive business, Toyota marks the milestone with a fully interactive timeline. All that and more, plus we take a look at Visteon’s vision of what cars and the technology they’re equipped with will be like in the year 2020.

In one of the fastest growing markets in the world, EVs are going nowhere fast. Meanwhile, the future for EVs on the racing circuit could be looking bright as Formula E kicks into gear. The automotive equivalent of the “little black dress” is here and the secret is velvet. All that and more, plus John McElroy answers your questions and comments in this week’s edition of You Said It!

In a move that caught most industry observers by surprise, General Motors hired away the top marketing executive from Volkswagen of America. The U.S. Treasury Department is selling off its remaining shares in General Motors. And one of those people who bought stock was GM CEO Dan Akerson. NISMO became Nissan’s exclusive performance and motorsports brand. All that and more, plus John McElroy shows you how the top car companies stack up against each other.

Daimler plays executive musical chairs by making some interesting personnel changes. Hyundai is upgrading the Sonata Hybrid for 2013, which is a good thing because the first version didn’t really deliver one main thing you expect from a hybrid. Yesterday Volkswagen officially announced the launch of the most fuel-efficient production vehicle ever made. All that and more, plus on Autoline This Week our guest is former GM CEO, Ed Whitacre and he talks about the mess he found when he got to General Motors.

The FCC is considering selling off more of the Wi-Fi spectrum in the United States and that has automakers worried. Audi will be pulling the wraps off its version of a plug-in hybrid next month at the Geneva Motor Show. The Golf lineup just got a little bigger with the introduction of Volkswagen’s Golf GTD. The D stands for diesel. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Sean McElroy takes a ride in Acura’s replacement for the RL.

Volvo is introducing a number of new safety-related technologies. One of those is what they call Road Sign Information. It has been reported lately that BMW passed Mercedes-Benz as the top luxury sales leader in the American market. But, M-B says otherwise, if you look at one important stat. The all-new Flying Spur from Bentley will make its global debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show. All that and more, plus we get to some of your questions and comments in this week’s edition of You Said It!

Danica Patrick became the first woman ever to qualify in the pole position for the Daytona 500 yesterday. According to YouTube viewers, Ram’s “God Made A Farmer” was the top ad during this year’s Super Bowl. We’ve reported how EV startup Fisker is desperately trying to find a partner and now it looks like the automaker has found some interest. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Sean McElroy takes a look at the almost all-new Kia Sorento.

SEAT, the Spanish automaker owned by Volkswagen, is set to introduce the all-new Leon SC at the Geneva Motor Show next month. In the third quarter, Ram will offer a diesel package in its 1500 pickup. The UAW has been spectacularly unsuccessful in organizing any of the foreign transplants in the US, but could fix that by changing its sales pitch. All that and more, plus we reveal the identity of our Barn Find, the little blue British-made sports car we showed you on Wednesday.

GM reported its net profits for 2012, and lets just say they’re not very good. Chrysler is holding back the introduction of its mid-size pickup and small commercial van. Michael Dunne is one of the foremost experts on the Chinese automotive industry and he’s predicting some pretty wild developments. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Seamus McElroy has the report on the 7th vehicle in MINI’s lineup, the 2013 Paceman.

The production version of the Alfa Romeo 4C finally hits the Geneva show next month. In our New Technology segment, we take a look at Federal Mogul’s ACIS program, which stands for Advanced Corona Ignition System. Find out which hot-button vehicle from GM may be the first production car in the world to use shape memory alloys. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Isaac Bouchard takes us for a ride in the 2014 Mazda6.

Anyone who lives in the United States definitely has noticed that the price of gasoline shot up dramatically in the last month. Now, find out why. Holden unveiled the redesigned version of its rear-wheel-drive VF Commodore sedan, which will make its way to the U.S. as one much-awaited Chevy model. Set to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show is the Subaru Outback with the companies Boxer Diesel mated to a CVT. All that and more, plus the UAW once had a monopoly on automotive labor in the United States and Canada but not anymore.