Autoline Daily - Video

Audi’s North American CEO, Johan De Nysschen, has resigned from his post. Chinese automaker SAIC announced it will offer its first electric vehicle for sale this October, the Roewe E50. A 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO sold last month in a private transaction for 35 million dollars, a new record. All that and more, plus we take a deep dive into last month’s car sales.

A new report from ALG says Ford and Hyundai have had the best improvement in perceived quality during the last five years. Analysts at Ford predict the next crop of midsize sedans due to flood the market in a year or so are going to eat into small-car sales. Volkswagen is considering selling its small pick-up, the Amarok, in Canada. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Craig Cole test drives the new Infiniti G37.

Ford is facing a happy problem – it cannot keep up with demand for its vehicles. Yesterday Chrysler was in the news for announcing the Town and Country minivan is going away, today more product information is out, including plans for another SRT model. Freightliner just debuted a super efficient new big rig called the Cascadia Evolution. All that and more, plus John McElroy test drives the 2012 Audi TT-RS.

The National Auto Dealers Association says prices for used compact and mid-size cars will drop by as much as 5 percent in June. Another day, another Chinese rip-off. This time it’s Dongfeng copying the Cadillac SRX. Chrysler plans to keep the Dodge version of its popular minivans while discontinuing the Town and Country. All that and more, plus guest host Michelle Krebs from Edmunds.com tells us what to expect for this month’s car sales.

Dany Bahar, the CEO of Lotus, has been suspended from the company because of an unspecified complaint over his conduct. To try to boost sales, China will revive a cash-for-clunkers program. Nissan is looking for serious growth in Russia. It wants to nearly double its market share in the country by 2016! All that and more, plus a look at the design of the all-new Dodge Dart.

The UAW wants to organize Volkswagen’s plant in Tennessee but it won’t get help from German union IG Metall. One way Nissan is getting a best-in-class 38 MPG highway mileage in the new Altima is by gearing it way down with its CVT. Chrysler’s Super Bowl ad from last year, the one with rapper Eminem, just won the top award in the advertising business. All that and more, plus a look at the all-new Cadillac XTS.

BMW has been socked with a big fine in Switzerland for blocking vehicle sales to Swiss customers. The Cadillac Escalade is here to stay and the redesigned 2014 model will ride on the next-generation GM pickup platform. Parking is notoriously expensive in New York City but this spot takes the cake! All that and more, plus Isaac Bouchard samples the 2012 BMW M6.

A professor at the Center for Automotive Research in Germany predicts that Hyundai-Kia will overtake Volkswagen to become the largest automaker in the world by 2020. Fiat and Mazda just partnered up to jointly develop a sports car based on the next generation MX-5 Miata. General Motors, Daimler, BMW, PSA and Honda are all shipping vehicles out of China. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in “You Said It!”

A study released by two universities indicates ethanol production in the U.S. significantly reduced gasoline prices last year. J.D. Power says American consumers are finally warming up to small cars, but could there be other factors at work? A private-equity firm is looking to take over recreational-vehicle maker Winnebago in order to make Chinese cars. All that and more, plus John McElroy takes a peek at the Toyota Prius c.

Chevy is bringing back a rear-wheel-drive, V-8-powered sedan in the U.S. for the first time in 17 years. Ford is pricing its new C-MAX hybrid around 26 grand, undercutting the Prius v by about 500 dollars. Lexus stopped production of the HS250h hybrid because of poor sales. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week with Dr. Walther Kiep, the longest serving member of Volkswagen’s supervisory board.

NHTSA is proposing that all large commercial vehicles, coaches and other buses be equipped with electronic stability control systems, just like cars. It’s estimated over the next three years Ford will come out with more new models faster than anyone else. Everybody knows Volkswagen makes cars, but did you know they’re also in the food business? All that and more, plus John McElroy sounds off on some internet nonsense.

Nissan is going to run its North American assembly plants on three shifts to give the Altima the capacity to become the best selling car in the U.S. Porsche revealed the prototype version of its 918 Spyder. Kia may be considering bringing a diesel to the U.S. market. All that and more, plus John answers your questions and comments in “You Said It!”

Watch out, this year’s annual transportation bill has a section mandating that every car in the U.S. must have a black box – what’s formally known as an event data recorder. The automotive industry is the engine driving America’s economic recovery. Hyundai just inked a deal with a Norwegian battery-recharging company to supply the country with hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. All that and more, plus a walk around the brand new 2013 Nissan Altima.

A new supplier survey shows that while they still remain the best, Toyota’s and Honda’s popularity with suppliers is plummeting. Sales of medium and heavy duty trucks were up big last month in the U.S. and Canada. Bentley’s new Continental GT V-8 is a lot less damaging to your wallet and the environment. All that and more, plus consulting firm KPMG explains what’s driving mergers and acquisitions in the auto industry.

We have more information on that 7-speed manual transmission ZF supplies to Porsche for the new 911 – the world’s first 7-speed manual for a passenger car. Magna Steyr will build a new compact model for Infiniti starting in 2014. To show off the durability of its new i30, Hyundai parked the car in the middle of a safari park to let a pack of baboons have fun with the car. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week about some of the tricks to make the interiors of cars look as good as they can.

The woman that took Honda to small-claims court over the fuel economy of her Civic Hybrid is in the news again. The difference between official EU fuel-economy numbers and what drivers get in the real world is growing. A company called Bracketron has developed a clever way of mounting smartphones and tablets in a vehicle. All that and more, plus John McElroy test drives the Mercedes-Benz CL-550.

Toyota announced its financial earnings for its fiscal year and it didn’t do all that well but the company is very bullish for this year. Opel revealed that the name of its new small car will be the Adam, the same name as the company’s founder. Audi outsold its luxury rival BMW on a global basis in April. All that and more, plus John McElroy responds to your questions and comments in “You Said It!”

A judge dismissed class action claims in Florida and New York that unintended acceleration problems hurt the resale value of their Toyota’s. Chevy engineers ran an 11.93-second, 116-MPH quarter-mile with a showroom-stock Camaro ZL-1 with an automatic. We’ve got car sales from around the globe and the results are mixed. All that and more, plus a clever new design for an electric motor that could get around China’s chokehold on those all important rare-earth metals.

Remember, JAC’s blatant F-150 rip off? Turns out that Ford does a bang-up job protecting intellectual property. Delphi’s aluminum wiring solution can save a ton of weight over the copper alternative — find out how much. BMW’s first-quarter results are very impressive and we’ll have the breakdown. All that and more, plus Craig Cole has Autoline’s first look at the Scion FR-S!

It looks like GM is still the world's biggest automaker, but VW is nipping at its heels with massively more revenue to show for it. Volvo's hybrid semi-truck sets a world speed record. Renault-Nissan will take a majority stake in AvtoVAZ in order to polish up the Lada brand. All that and more, plus John McElroy responds to your questions and comments in this week's edition of You Said It!

After what seems like an eternity, Ford is taking orders for the hotly anticipated Focus ST, but at what price? The Aptera we thought was dead in the ground is being "zapped" back to life by a Chinese company. German scientists are developing smart tires that can change their tread to match driving conditions. All that and more, plus a full report on April car sales.

Automakers and other organizations are fighting a battle that’s reminiscent of the clash between Westinghouse and Edison. There’s lots of labor strife going on in the automotive world today. GM is laying off a huge number of workers at its tech center in Warren, Michigan. All that and more, plus a test drive of the 2012 Toyota Yaris.

Global car sales hit a world record in March with nearly 8.25 million units sold. General Motors will start selling the Chevrolet Corvette in South Korea next month. And speaking of GM, reports out of Japan say the company will take a 10 percent stake in Isuzu, to jointly develop, produce and sell pick-up trucks and commercial vehicles. All that and more, plus a look at the all-new Dodge Dart.

We’ve got the first quarter financial results for a whole bunch of automakers and the numbers are all over the place. Luxury automakers are starting to expand into Inner Mongolia because of growing wealth in the area. The EPA made it official: the brand-new Ford Escape has the best fuel economy in its segment, when equipped with an automatic transmission. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week with Carla Bailo, the senior vice president of Research and Development for Nissan Americas.

Automakers are posting their first-quarter financial numbers and we’ve got the latest from Hyundai and Chrysler. Internet search giant Google is getting into the auto business . . . or at least trying to. A prototype product called the “Track N Go” looks like an awesome add-on to four-wheel-drive vehicles. All that and more, plus John McElroy answers your questions and responds to your comments in our “You Said It!” segment.

The Lamborghini crossover goes from sketch to reality in Beijing. Honda reveals a duo of concepts that it thinks are “cool” and “smart.” Jaguar and Land Rover move toward powertrain independence with a new 3.0-liter V-6. All that and more, plus a walk around the newly refreshed Ford Flex.

Peugeot unveils a new crossover concept as the Beijing Motor Show gets underway. The Blue Oval considers adding a China-shaped asterisk to its “One Ford” mantra. Scion kills off two of its most iconic nameplates. All that and more, plus Andrew Justus has Autoline’s first look at the new Acura RDX.

Honda is going to appeal a small claims case in California in which the company was hit with a settlement of less than 10,000 dollars. Mercedes-Benz is going to tweak the way it names its vehicles to make it less confusing…sort of. Alfa Romeo just trademarked the 4C name in the U.S. which is scheduled to go on sale by the end of 2013. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week about whether performance brands like Porsche and Lamborghini are making a mistake coming out with SUVs.

Formula One racing returns to Bahrain this weekend, but opponents of the regime that controls the country vow to wage three days of rage to coincide with the race. Ford is racing to catch up in China and just announced it will build another assembly plant in the country. Mercedes-Benz is expected to offer a diesel engine in North America by 2013. All that and more, plus Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn takes a peek at the company’s amazing collection of classic cars.

Volkswagen is expected to announce it plans to build an Audi factory in Mexico. GM announced that bi-fuel versions of the 2013 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 2500 will cost 11,000 dollars over the price of a conventionally powered truck. Ford CEO Alan Mulally says the battery used in the electric version of the Focus costs between 12,000 dollars and 15,000 dollars. All that and more, plus Autoline Daily correspondent Isaac Bouchard takes a look at the all-new 2013 Ford Escape.

The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission just approved the first liquefied natural gas export plant in the U.S. in nearly 50 years. Honda announced it’s teaming up with Japan Metals and Chemicals Company to reuse rare-earth metals from second-hand auto parts. Autoline Daily Correspondent Isaac Bouchard gives us a first look at the new Ford Focus Electric. All that and more, plus a rundown of the 2012 Ward’s 10 Best Interiors winners with guest host Christie Schweinsberg.

The supplier company TI Automotive is warning automakers of a resin shortage that could lead to production disruptions. Citroen is showing off a new concept called the Numero 9 which it says reveals the future styling of the DS line. Fiat will build a rebadged version of the Dart in China called the Viaggio. All that and more, plus a look at the all-new Infiniti JX.

The National Auto Dealers Association just released a study that says millions of new car buyers could be priced out of the market because of the new fuel economy mandates. General Motors announced it will discontinue the Chevy Avalanche after the 2013 model year. Word on the street is the next-generation Ford Mustang will meet EU pedestrian crash standards, which could open the door to global markets. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week about the Chevrolet Volt and how it’s become a political punching bag.

A new study from the Center for Automotive Research says that the federal and state governments in the U.S. collected 135 billion dollars in tax revenues from the auto industry in 2010. Ford is going to use a reality show on the internet to market its electric vehicles. Mercedes-Benz has updated its iconic G-Class. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in “You Said It!”

While most of Europe is in an automotive meltdown, it looks like somebody forgot to tell the British there’s a financial crisis going on. Sales of new vehicles in the UK have gone up for the last three months! The private owner that holds the majority of Formula One stock, CVC Capital Partners, wants to issue an IPO to raise 2 billion dollars. Hybrid buyers are not returning for second helpings. The loyalty rate for gasoline-electric vehicles is very low. All that and more, plus a review of the new Fiat 500 Abarth.

The full-size car segment is starting to heat up in the American market. Chrysler will unveil two new concept vehicles at the Beijing Auto Show in two weeks. Mazda is struggling financially, which is why the financial community wants to see the company dump some of its non-core assets. All that and more, plus John talks to Jessica LaFond from Chrysler about a program the company uses to develop future management.

Ford and Peugeot-Citroen are ending their partnership for building larger diesel engines. Nissan just announced a new automotive communication system called NissanConnect that will debut on the 2013 Altima. Ferdinand A. Porsche, designer of the iconic 911 sportscar and grandson of company founder Ferdinand Porsche, has passed away. All that and more, plus John McElroy has the latest reveals from the New York Auto Show.

Volvo is planning on spending some 11 billion dollars over the next five years to introduce new products and build more plants in China. GM is mounting something of a truck offensive, and the newly introduced Colorado midsize pickup is expected to be offered in the U.S. Production of the Mazda6 is moving back home to Japan as the company pulls out of the facility in Flat Rock, Michigan that it shares with Ford. All that and more, plus John McElroy shares the latest from the 2012 New York Auto Show.

Fisker is looking at alternative sites to build its new model the Atlantic after loans from the Department of Energy fell through. Massachusetts based Terrafugia just completed its first successful test flight of a flying car called the Transition Street-Legal Airplane. Chevy unveiled the 2014 Impala in New York yesterday. All that and more, plus John McElroy brings you the latest reveals from the New York Auto Show.

Lincoln reveals its future with the introduction of the 2013 MKZ at the New York Auto Show. The U.S. EPA is pushing ahead with plans to introduce E15 fuel despite protests from automakers. If a report from CLSA turns out to be true, Toyota will be ridin’ the gravy train very soon. All that and more, plus guest host Michelle Krebs from Edmunds.com talks about March sales in the American market.

Fiat is considering expanding its line-up in Canada to include the Panda and Punto. BMW revealed its third future mobility concept, called the i8 Spyder. Lincoln just introduced the redesigned version of the MKS and we’ve got our first impressions of the new model. All that and more, plus a look at the updated 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe.

Ford released information on the new Explorer Sport, which is getting a 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine. The Blue Oval's cross-town rival, Chevrolet, just spilled the beans on its latest three-row crossover, the Traverse. Prices of the precious metal palladium are set to rise throughout the year because automakers keep using more and more of this shiny, silver metal. All that and more, plus guest host Peter De Lorenzo, the Autoextremist, shares his recipe for the perfect sports car.

There’s another disaster in the electric-car market. Azure Dynamics, which was converting Ford Transit Connects into electric vehicles, just filed for bankruptcy. Jeep, along with Mopar, just unveiled six different models at the annual Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah. The new Cadillac XTS will be the first car available with a driver’s seat that vibrates if a crash is imminent. All that and more, plus we’ll be talking about how Chrysler is using a very unique process to bring new talent into the company in That Ah-Ha Moment.

Mercedes-Benz is teasing its latest light-commercial vehicle, the Citan which is the first LCV to emerge from the Mercedes-Nissan-Renault alliance. Battery supplier A123 Systems admitted that its battery caused that embarrassing breakdown of the Fisker Karma when Consumer Reports was testing it. An executive from Japanese auto supplier Denso will serve a year in prison for his involvement in a price-fixing scheme. All that and more, plus an overview of Acura’s all-new sedan, the ILX.

Fisker Automotive is trying to raise 100 million dollars through private equity after the U.S. government refused to loan more funds to the company. Ford is producing an hour-long reality series called “Escape Routes” featuring the 2013 Escape that will air on NBC. Dodge announced it will enter the Global RallyCross Championship Series with a rally version of the Dart. All that and more, plus another entertaining installment of "Hall vs. Hall."

General Motors is set to announce details of its turn-around plan in Europe which is reported to include closing one or two plants. Freightliner is trying to reinvent the long-haul truck with a new concept called the Revolution Innovation. Earlier this month the UAW began soliciting signatures from workers at VW’s Chattanooga, Tennessee plant to organize the facility. All that and more, plus a preview of Autoline This Week about Bryce Hoffman’s new book, “American Icon,” which is all about the turnaround that happened at Ford under Alan Mulally.

Gasoline prices have shot up around the world, but they would have to go up even more to make it worthwhile to buy an electric vehicle. Suzuki sells a version of the Swift in Europe called the GTi, with a lower case “i.” This, for obvious reasons, has really ticked off Volkswagen. Toyota just announced pricing of the hotly anticipated Scion FR-S. All that and more, plus a look at the 2013 Ford Flex.

Production of the Chevy Camaro ZL1 was delayed due to an undisclosed “quality assessment” issue. The Chinese government is raising the price of fuel in the country. Even though the U.S. unemployment rate still remains at its highest level in nearly 30 years, trucking companies are having a hard time finding enough qualified drivers. All that and more, plus John responds to your questions and comments in You Said It!

It looks like China’s gravy train is derailing and German luxury automakers are panicking. Dodge is introducing a new version of the Durango SUV aimed at law enforcement and fire departments. Ford may have debuted a completely redesigned Tourneo van in Geneva a few weeks ago, but the name has a long and interesting history. All that and more, plus we take the new Hyundai Azera for a test drive.

Car sales in Europe have dropped for five straight months, and with every month the downturn is getting worse. The Range Rover Evoque is such a hit the company is hiring 1,000 new employees and moving to three shifts to keep up with demand. Volkswagen will build Porsches at its plant in Osnabruck, Germany to handle overflow from Porsche’s main factory in Zuffenhausen. All that and more, plus a look at a motorcycle that supplier Visteon developed for growing markets.