by Mike Davis | Aug 17, 2011
There’s curious news for the Dream Cruise coming to Detroit’s Woodward Avenue this weekend. An icon of the muscle car era will be going through a dramatic change. Last December, the historic Vinsetta Garage unexpectedly shut its doors. Perhaps nothing along the...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 16, 2011
Porsche topped the chart as the most desirable brand in the latest Ideal Vehicle Awards from AutoPacific, Inc., but Ford claimed victory of its own by capturing more individual segment wins than any other manufacturer. The annual IVA is an effort by the California...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 16, 2011
Hyundai has announced a customer service campaign aimed at addressing steering problems with the 2011 Sonata sedan. The maker describes the move as a “service action,” rather than a recall, because it addresses customer concerns raised by several groups, including...
by Joseph Szczesny | Aug 16, 2011
The United Auto Workers top leadership is facing a potential rebellion over the issue of the two-tier wage system approved for Detroit automakers, which has become a potent symbol of the union’s steady decline. The two-tier wages were initially approved by the...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 16, 2011
Daimler’s troubled Smart car brand hopes to charge up consumers when it rolls out an all-new version of the Fortwo Electric Drive at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. Smart claims the third-generation battery drive system will deliver both better range and improved...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 16, 2011
Reports of Aptera’s demise are being greatly exaggerated, insists a senior company official – with apologies to Mark Twain. The California-based Aptera, which has been struggling to roll out the 200 mpg 2-e battery-electric vehicle, was stung by widespread reports –...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 15, 2011
Is the Chevrolet Volt running out of juice? Even as the maker begins its long-promised production ramp-up, a new study suggests that potential buyers are rapidly losing interest in the plug-in hybrid vehicle. Introduced last December, Volt is one of the first new...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 15, 2011
One of the goals of last year’s Progressive Auto X-Prize was to come up with an assortment of green machines that could actually find a real-world market. And despite its sci-fi shape, the three-wheeled Aptera 2-e seemed to be ready to make the leap, the company even...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 15, 2011
Walking into his new office, shortly after Chrysler emerged from bankruptcy two years ago, was “like walking onto the Titanic,” recalls Pietro Gorlier. Though the automaker had survived its financial collapse, Chrysler’s parts and service division had been so badly...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 15, 2011
While today’s tires last longer than ever, flats and blowouts still occur occasionally, but what might have been a minor inconvenience in the past has become a potentially serious situation since more and more automakers are switching from standard spares to downsized...
by Paul A. Eisenstein | Aug 15, 2011
Plagued by the threat of earthquakes, tsunamis — and lopsided exchange rates, Japanese automakers are shifting more and more manufacturing off the home islands – Honda announcing it will build its eighth North American assembly plant in Mexico. Set to begin...
by Joseph Szczesny | Aug 12, 2011
BMW has bowed to union pressure and agreed to extend for six months the contract at its parts distribution facility in Ontario, Calif. The maker had planned to fire 68 Teamster workers and replace them with non-union contract employees. BMW management also committed...
